What if?

[returntosender]

You came up on someone lying in the street having been hit by a car. Their brain was exposed and internal organs also. They were dying. Screaming and crying they begged you to kill them to stop their suffering? Would you if you had a way. Help was miles away

 

[Ophiolite]

Exposed internal organs and brain are not necessarily fatal. People who are experiencing intense pain are not likely to be thinking rationally. Consequently, in the secenario as described, I have to reject your premise that they are dying. So I would not accede to their request.

However, if for sake of discussion, you insist that in some way I am sure they are dying and that their pleas are made rationally then - I have no idea what I would do. I would make a decision on the spot. Any hypothetical action I might envisage now would be rendered redundant by the reality of the situation.

I must say it's not the most cheerful of topics to raise. Were you aiming anywhere with it?

 

[returntosender]

Exposed internal organs and brain are not necessarily fatal. People who are experiencing intense pain are not likely to be thinking rationally. Consequently, in the secenario as described, I have to reject your premise that they are dying. So I would not accede to their request.

However, if for sake of discussion, you insist that in some way I am sure they are dying and that their pleas are made rationally then - I have no idea what I would do. I would make a decision on the spot. Any hypothetical action I might envisage now would be rendered redundant by the reality of the situation.

I must say it's not the most cheerful of topics to raise. Were you aiming anywhere with it?

Food for thought.

 

[returntosender]

If you want to reply don't change the facts to suit your answer. It was stated the person was dying.

 

[Josheb]

You came up on someone lying in the street having been hit by a car. Their brain was exposed and internal organs also. They were dying. Screaming and crying they begged you to kill them to stop their suffering? Would you if you had a way. Help was miles away

Exposed internal organs and brain are not necessarily fatal. People who are experiencing intense pain are not likely to be thinking rationally. Consequently, in the scenario as described, I have to reject your premise that they are dying. So I would not accede to their request.

However, if for sake of discussion, you insist that in some way I am sure they are dying and that their pleas are made rationally then - I have no idea what I would do. I would make a decision on the spot. Any hypothetical action I might envisage now would be rendered redundant by the reality of the situation.

I must say it's not the most cheerful of topics to raise. Were you aiming anywhere with it?

If you want to reply don't change the facts to suit your answer. It was stated the person was dying.

While my internal organs were not exposed, I survived a 100+ foot fall down the side of a mountain once while backpacking and broke my skull. White stuff pumping out the top of my head. Hiked that way until we found a road, got a hunter to give us a ride to the truck, then my friend drove to the nearest town. Took a helicopter ride to a university hospital the next state over. Docs thought I was lying when I told them what happened. It hurt really, really, really, really bad. They let me take a shower four days later and when I got my clothes of I was black and blue all over (head to toe). I mean BLACK. Like the spaces between the stars in the nighttime sky. Spots of blue and brown to punctuate the pitch. I'm normally Anglo white.

Still living.

I'm not above putting someone out of their misery, but such a thing would be a case of extremes and, by definition, not something we could or should ever consider normal or normative.

 

[returntosender]

Who said anything about normal

I'm glad you're okay now.

 

[returntosender]

No one. I was just covering the base. I am allowed to add to the discussion and move the conversation forward as I choose, am I not?

Let them die. Why does their screaming, crying, begging, and suffering matter?

Were they saved and the motive is to send them to eternal life sooner? Or were they not saved, and the motive is to send them to eternal suffering sooner (which I'd venture to say is worse than any temporal suffering)?

To some extent you are

No one. I was just covering the base. I am allowed to add to the discussion and move the conversation forward as I choose, am I not?

Let them die. Why does their screaming, crying, begging, and suffering matter?

Were they saved and the motive is to send them to eternal life sooner? Or were they not saved, and the motive is to send them to eternal suffering sooner (which I'd venture to say is worse than any temporal suffering)?

So you wouldn't consider saving them if they weren't saved?

 

[Lost4words]

You came up on someone lying in the street having been hit by a car. Their brain was exposed and internal organs also. They were dying. Screaming and crying they begged you to kill them to stop their suffering? Would you if you had a way. Help was miles away

I would ask them if they preferred dogs over cats first..

 

[tdidymas]

You came up on someone lying in the street having been hit by a car. Their brain was exposed and internal organs also. They were dying. Screaming and crying they begged you to kill them to stop their suffering? Would you if you had a way. Help was miles away

This points to "situation ethics." It seems like presenting a hypothetical situation to justify euthanasia. Some people might argue that on a case-by-case basis, it should be evaluated whether euthanasia is justified or not. There is still provision in some places to disconnect life support to let a person die, for example. To euthanize a person simply because they asked likely cannot be justified, and there is heavy debating about that.

Many years ago I saw a dog run over in much the same condition as you described. I thought that killing it was merciful, but when it came down to it, I couldn't do it. So I decided to let the dog die on its own. Such a thing might appear ok in theory, but maybe few have the "guts" to actually do it. This thread probably should be in the Ethics forum.

 

[returntosender]

Please do not tell me my own intent.

Why would they need saving if they were saved?


Let's square something away right now. I hope there will be parity in the thread, parity in which all members collaboratively op-relevant answer the inquiries of others op-relevantly. There are four questions in Post 7 sitting unanswered. Should I expect an answer to those inquiries or not? Here they are again, with a fifth added....

• Are posters permitted to add to the discussion and move the conversation forward as they choose?
• Why does their screaming, crying, begging, and suffering matter?
• Were they saved and the motive is to send them to eternal life sooner?
• Or were they not saved, and the motive is to send them to eternal suffering sooner?
• Do you also realize the op says nothing about saving anyone physically, spiritually, temporally, or eternally?

Could I get some answers to those questions before we proceed further? Thx

Semantics, saving in a physical sense . It must be a full moon, sigh.

 

[returntosender]

Please do not tell me my own intent.

Why would they need saving if they were saved?


Let's square something away right now. I hope there will be parity in the thread, parity in which all members collaboratively op-relevant answer the inquiries of others op-relevantly. There are four questions in Post 7 sitting unanswered. Should I expect an answer to those inquiries or not? Here they are again, with a fifth added....

• Are posters permitted to add to the discussion and move the conversation forward as they choose?
• Why does their screaming, crying, begging, and suffering matter?
• Were they saved and the motive is to send them to eternal life sooner?
• Or were they not saved, and the motive is to send them to eternal suffering sooner?
• Do you also realize the op says nothing about saving anyone physically, spiritually, temporally, or eternally?

Could I get some answers to those questions before we proceed further? Thx

You have so much leeway if it's not your thread. Why are you so agitated over a hypothetical

 

[returntosender]

It sounds like you would only give them mercy if they are saved in the Spirit. No mercy unless they're Christian.

 

[keith99]

If not for legal consequences I would end their suffering.

I like to think I would do so in any case, but I'm not sure.

 

[RileyG]

Nope. I would call an ambulance.

 

[returntosender]

Nope. I would call an ambulance.

If you had enough time but you don't as he is miles away from help.

 

[returntosender]

No you don't, you're not in a restaurant.
If you keep being abusive i have only 1 resort. If you want to get your point
across you will have to start your own thread with your own facts

 

[RileyG]

If you had enough time but you don't as he is miles away from help.

So I wouldn’t see him?

 

[returntosender]

You are where he is but neither of you are close to help

 

[MehGuy]

You came up on someone lying in the street having been hit by a car. Their brain was exposed and internal organs also. They were dying. Screaming and crying they begged you to kill them to stop their suffering? Would you if you had a way. Help was miles away

If this happens in the middle of the woods, I'll just let the majestic woodland critters take care of my problem for me.

 

[returntosender]

If this happens in the middle of the woods, I'll just let the majestic woodland critters take care of my problem for me.

Hmmm, what about his problem?