And if he does come back, at his age and with the medical conditions he already had when he went into the hospital (ie, he was already bed ridden & couldn't talk, as a result of what sounds like a serious traumatic brain injury), what condition do the expect him to 'come back' in?

What I would really like to know is the circumstances around the start of the respirator. Whose decision was it to put him on the respirator and administer antibiotics for the pneumonia anyway? Had they chosen not to treat at that point, he would have died.

And I'm not suggesting anywhere that the family and faith community should be excluded. I even put it in terms the good Rabbi Sol could get on board with: redemption in the Jewish tradition. I spoke of the convenant among them to follow the divine will here, if that is what floats their boats.

Yet another problem I have with imposing religious agendas on the helpless who should be allowed to die, is the living keep ignoring that divine will that is 'calling them home'. What the religious living relatives always seem to overlook is, hey--if you are looking for your god to do this, then stop demanding futile medical intervention to keep the person alive.

How about that?