#603 (8/7) "Patients are Being Euthanized Every Day

PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

ATTENTION: TODAY is the last day of the 30 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (see link below for resource material you can download.) Please join me in focusing your prayers EVERY DAY for these over one billion people who need to hear the gospel of Jesus.[NOTE: 1) You can download a  page of helpful basic information about Islam and Ramadan at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/Islam_reference_guide-1.pdf ; and 2) The following is from a 30-day prayer guide you can download at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/2013-ramadan-prayer-calendar-1.pdf (The following is from that prayer guide August 7 – 30th (last) Day of Ramadan - THE WORD (United Arab Emirates) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) in the UAE are under severe pressure from relatives, family and Muslim society due to the Islamic government, law and culture. All citizens are defined as Muslims and may not convert under penalty of death. Christians from outside the country may worship, but evangelism is prohibited. However, there are many opportunities for Muslim–Christian dialogue. Pray for believers on this final day of Ramadan to have opportunities to share the Word, and through the Word, may many be drawn to Christ.

"Angry Islamists Turn Wrath on Egypt's Christians,"  By George Thomas, CBN News Sr. Reporter http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/July/Angry-Islamists-Turn-Wrath-on-Egypts-Christians/  Friday, July 12, 201 - "Egyptian Christians are facing growing retaliation by angry Islamists for opposing ousted President Moham3med Morsi. His supporters say Christian leaders were behind his removal from office....On Thursday, the body of a Christian merchant was found decapitated in a cemetery. Last Saturday, a Coptic Christian priest was shot by gunmen in an outdoor market. Also, days after the military coup that removed Morsi from office, Muslim extremists in southern Egypt burned dozens of Christian homes and stabbed four believers to death. "It's part of the Brotherhood's mobilization that they are targeting Christians, that they are renouncing them as behind this. If the Brotherhood is able to portray what happened as a Christian-dominated or Christian-driven protest, then they get to gain massive support in the streets," Tadros explained.PRAY for the nation of Egypt, as it faces a crucial  moment, 1) that the recent events would result in its becoming a true democracy and NOT an Islamic state; 2)  that the peoples' freedoms, in particular the religious freedom of its minorities (specifically its oppressed Christians) would be protected; 3) for peace and stability to return; 4) that the U.S. will effectively reach out to the new government, and 3) for safety for Americans living in Egypt.

"American Pastor Saeed: 300 Illegal Days in an Iranian Prison,"  - by Jordan Sekulow, July 23, 2013 http://aclj.org/iran/american-pastor-saeed-300-illegal-days-iranian-prison ''Today [7/23] is the 300th day of American Pastor Saeed Abedini’s illegal imprisonment in Iran – 300 days away from his wife and kids, 300 days of torment for his Christian faith, 300 days and counting...Pastor Saeed’s wife, Naghmeh Abedini, responded to this positive step:"Thank you to all of the individuals who have prayed, written letters, signed petitions, called government officials, run benefit races, tweeted, and shared Saeed’s story. Thank you to all the government officials from around the world who have stood for my husband.  Iran has listened to your pleas.  While I am encouraged that Saeed is finally getting medical care, the fight is not yet over.  It has been a difficult 300 days – 300 days of torment simply because Saeed loves Jesus Christ.  I am hopeful Iran will do the just and honorable thing and release Saeed.'' ...We continue to work in this country and in the international community to secure Pastor Saeed’s freedom.  And more than 600,000 people around the world now stand in solidarity with Pastor Saeed at SaveSaeed.org. [ I urge you to pray DAILY for this courageous brother in Christ and his family and the hundreds of thousands of other Christians worldwide suffering persecution for their faith. - Stan] 

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"Patients are Being Euthanized Every Day – And It’s Getting Worse,"  - by Bobby Schindler | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 8/2/13 http://www.lifenews.com/2013/08/02/patients-are-being-euthanized-every-day-and-its-getting-worse/ [Note - You will recall Bobby and his parents fought for the life of his sister Terri Schindler Schiavo in the 1990's.]

This past year the World Medical Association reaffirmed their longstanding position against euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. This is great news and the declaration was strongly worded  From the World Medical Association’s Declaration on Euthanasia:

“Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the patient’s own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. This does not prevent the physician from respecting the desire of a patient to allow the natural process of death to follow its course in the terminal phase of sickness.”

But I wonder how many people actually read this, or are even aware of the World Medical Association and their strong stance against this growing issue. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans have no idea that euthanasia is so widespread; occurring every single day in the United States and worldwide.

In fact, it is getting worse and most of the general public are unaware how frequently patients, whether agreeing to it or not, are being purposely killed, and in the most barbaric ways. This includes the elderly, those with Alzheimer’s, the cognitively disabled and others.

Europe has its own set of problems and in many ways is in worse shape than the US. All one has to do is read the recent opinion of the Dutch Medical Association and their position that physicians can euthanize sick and dying babies to help end the “suffering” of their parents. What ever happened to a parent’s unconditional love?

No doubt that here is the US we are moving in the same – lacking any sense of compassion – direction. How many Americans, for example, understand that removing food and hydration (via feeding tubes) is now legal in all 50 states? [Note - This was the issue that was the basis of the author of this article's fight for his sister's life.]

No longer do we define food and water as basic and ordinary care. Patients’ feeding tubes are now regarded as “medical treatment”, whether it is needed for a short period of time or for those who need one more permanently. And, if in fact you are aware of that change, how many know that depending on what state you live in, removing a feeding tube from a patient can happen despite the patient’s advance directive stating that they want a feeding tube?

For example, just last week we received an email from a patient advocate looking for help. The email said that her patient was admitted to a hospice facility, under the condition that food and water would continue. Against the guardian’s instructions, the attending physician removed the feeding tube. Sadly, the patient died.

Indeed, this is why, despite the growing practice of euthanasia, we need an organization like the World Medical Association to continue to push back against this death agenda, and to challenge other medical organizations to do the same: “The World Medical Association reaffirms its strong belief that euthanasia is in conflict with basic ethical principles of medical practice, and The World Medical Association strongly encourages all National Medical Associations and physicians to refrain from participating in euthanasia, even if national law allows it or decriminalizes it under certain conditions.”

Every single day the decisions we make for our own medical care are being eroded. And there are an increasing number of health care professionals making “quality of life” decisions regarding whether or not a person should continue to receive life sustaining treatment. Undoubtedly, this is an issue that will touch every single one of us. Sadly, we have become a nation that places more value on money rather than on the value of those persons who are only in need of our love and compassion.

Unless people start taking responsibility to educate themselves on this issue and on how the laws and the narrative are being changed, it is only going to get worse. Not to mention the consequences of Obamacare, which is in the process of taking over our health care, and which is going to put our medically vulnerable at more risk and in the sites of the government‘s crosshairs. [PRAY that  Americans will wake up to the pro-death culture that exploded in our country with the legalization of abortion 40 years ago is now already expanding to include the taking of lives deemed by some as being of "not sufficient quality." - Stan]

[bold and italics emphasis mine]