wfn.org | [LCMSNews] LCMS statement on Schiavo case

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	March 22, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 19

	Synod president issues statement
	supporting Schiavo family

	A statement issued Feb. 25 by Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
President Gerald B. Kieschnick supports the family of Terri Schiavo in
their fight to keep the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube in place.

	Schiavo, 41, has been without food and water since March 18, in
accordance with the ruling of a Florida state judge. Her parents and
family are fighting to have the feeding tube reinserted; Schiavo's
husband, Michael, says his wife would not have wanted to live in her
present condition and he has fought to have the tube removed. The
Schiavo case is now before a federal appeals court in Atlanta.

	"Judging from various news reports, it does not appear that Ms.
Schiavo has entered irretrievably into the dying process," Kieschnick's
statement reads. "Therefore, administering food and hydration would
belong in the realm of ordinary care and should not be withdrawn.
Removing Terri's feeding tube will not allow her to die, since she is
not dying. Removing her tube will, in fact, cause her to die."

	The court struggle, Kieschnick says, "has the potential
effectively to legalize and set a dangerous precedent for this type of
killing in our country -- a precedent that would have profound effects
on our culture as a whole. Our society is shaped by the value we place
on human life. If we believe that the life of every human being is of
special worth, we will choose to treat each person with care and
respect. As we face often-difficult end-of-life issues, our aim must
always be to care, never to kill."

	To read the entire statement, posted on the Web site of the LCMS
president's office, go to www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=7727
<http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=7727>  .

	For more information regarding end-of-life decisions, read the
February 1993 report of the Synod's Commission on Theology and Church
Relations titled "Christian Care at Life's End," which may be downloaded
as a PDF file from the above Web site.

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	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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