Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has enjoyed reading Brian’s recent post concerning the spat of postings yesterday from our very own Smallholder. Your Maximum Leader should also direct you to Ally (who in the course of two paragraphs wanted to beat the Smallholder silly then kiss and make up - so to speak).

Your Maximum Leader wanted to make one comment on the Smallholder’s post about the Pope and Terri Schiavo. The Pope’s position on Terri Schiavo was predicated on a belief that Terri was not dead (despite her massive brain damage). Her physical body was reasonably healthy and would survive with a feeding tube. Of course, the Smallholder (and your Maximum Leader) begin by assuming the massive brain damage equated to death. (Which is a debatable point to many.)

The church is against euthanasia, but they do not condemn the refusal or avoidance of “heroic acts” or “medical treatment” to save a person. The church has not considered food and water heroic acts or medical treatment. Of course, the Pope did muddy the waters on the Schiavo case. Heretofore, the church wouldn’t have looked askance at denying a feeding tube. (Just as they wouldn’t look with ill favour on denying unwanted medical care to a dying person.) As your Maximum Leader understands it, a feeding tube had been considered “medical treatment.” The Pope’s pronouncements before his death appear to say that a feeding tube is now “food and water.” (And as we know the Pope himself had a feeding tube for his last few days.)

It is a complicated matter. One worthy of further debate.

Carry on.