Greetings All,

I am a devout believer in God and in the message Jesus brought to us. That said, I find it very confusing that one can contend to be a Christian and support war. After all, as far as I was always told the rule that Moses bought down from the Mount said simply "Thou shall not kill". I do not recall the version that stated "Thou shall not kill, except" nor do I recall this caveat in the Gospel. In terms of the teachings of Jesus I have always been under the impression that one should offer the right cheek when struck on the left. Another of Jesus' messages was that we should treat others as we would wish to be treated. I, for one, would not wish to be fired upon or bombed.

In the Christian message I learned and strongly believe in I was taught that we do not posses the wisdom to judge other people. That wisdom, in keeping with my belief, is God's and God's alone. I often times am deeply hurt by those that profess to be Christian and then judge my faith or the actions I undertake to celebrate it. I have yet to find where it is written that Jesus taught us to sustain life by measures born of man's (species not gender) science.

To my way of thinking this is not an issue that the Federal Government has any legal or moral basis on which to be involved. The Florida Courts have made a decision based upon existing law, testimony, and cogitation. I haven't read the transcripts of the Court's proceedings but I can only assume that the wish of this woman to not have her life sustained by these measures was clearly established to the Court's satisfaction. This intent, as far as I understand, is one of the litmus tests involved in making such a decision.

I would suggest that it is time those of us that feel that we should at the very least be allowed to die in accordance with our faith and wishes write our representatives in the Government and express our opinions. After all, Government now controls our life to a much greater extent then was ever intended by the founders of this Nation. I believe we should clearly indicate to these representatives that this issue is of such great importance that it will indeed effect our election decisions.

It is not surprising to me that cultures of conservative theologies fear our system of morays and norms and wish to preclude it from further influencing the World.

Peace,
Ed