I'm a chaplain, and I thought some of you might be interested in a very different point of view about this. I'm not suggesting that you believe me, nor am I arguing for a "side." This is just what the Sanctuary teaches, and this is what I believe.
Terri's soul is alive and well, and it's still attached to her body. The essence of Terri, her soul, is not in some state of limbo. Her soul is aware of everything going on around her just like near-death experiencers can be aware of their surroundings. Terri is actively participating in a spiritual change in society. This is a test for us...to see if we are spiritually mature enough to do the right thing.
And what is the right thing in God's eyes? God gives life, and He brings it home when it's time.
To withhold food and water from any living creature with a soul is unthinkable. Even though Terri's brain might not be aware of it, and even though she might not suffer physically from it, our society would be held accountable for its choice. Food and water is not a matter of artificially extending life. It's an act of mercy. If Terri is given food and water, her body will digest and metabolize it. When it's time for Terri to die, her body will stop doing that.
We all understand the difference between being humane and artificially extending life. When Terri's lungs stop functioning, it will be because her soul has shut them down. When she stops metabolizing food and water, it will be because her soul has shut down her digestive system.
The Sanctuary teaches that the soul is the "living" part of us. The physical body is just a temporary chemistry and physics lab. When the soul detaches, the body dies. The soul is not "inside" the body. It interfaces with the body at the autonomic nervous system.
The soul is the source of all our thoughts, comprehension, imagination, and memories. (Neuroscientists have recently discovered that those are not in the brain. They're still trying to figure it out.) Terri, the living, thinking, remembering part of her (her soul) is not horrified with the condition of her body. It's not important to her anymore. What is important to her is the spiritual growth that can come out of the furor going on all around her.
And she's praying for us.
Copyright 2005 RobinRenee Bridges
RobinRenee Bridges has been a chaplain and officer in The Sanctuary for more than thirty years. She is the author of “A Bridge of Love between Heaven and Earth: Self-Induced Contact in the Afterlife.” For more articles about death, dying, and the afterlife visit her web site at: [http://www.spirit-sanctuary.org]
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