McGrath, the case is being written about all across Canada right now. If you google it yourself and actually read what is going on, you will have a far better understanding of what we are going on about.

Peace, it isn't supposed to be about what the children of the person want. It is supposed to be about honoring the wishes, to the best of our ability, of the dying person, in a way that reflects the values and beliefs of the person in their life.

However, no one's god should be allowed to call the shots in these circumstances. As I understand it, that isn't what the courts will decide anyway. What the courts are deciding is far more narrow--ie, who has the ultimate authority to make these end of life decisions in cases where the patient cannot decide for themselves. The hospital contends it is the doctors/hospital alone. The family says it is their decision alone.

Ultimately, the courts will likely set guidelines in the middle there somewhere.

I presumed Rabbi Sol was actually a Canadian rabbi, so have been speaking as if he had a flock to tend to throughout all this.

Anyone in a leadership position with influence over the Orthodox community needs to counsel people to head off these disasters in advance through discussion, through educating themselves as to what is viable and realistic in terms of end of life care medically, and to demand culturally sensitive palliative care counselors be trained and employed, as well as medical students, in how to communicate with families from the Orthodox community on these issues.