Monday 17 January 2011

Is Dr. House in the House?

Yes OK! This really has little to do with my neighbour Dr. Gregory House of Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital in NJ [as I say to my friends, come to NJ and visit Canada - we're about to have another foot of snow - Oops! I mean 1/3 meter!]


Rather he has a rather cynical viewpoint of religion and its medical ethics, I'm wondering how he would counsel in the following scenario. I'm talking about a quote from Rav Dov Fischer shared with me re: the touchy issue of organ donation.

[A final word: ]

«Would any fair-minded person think that it is hypocritical and unethical for a hospital patient to be saved with a life-saving transplant even though the doctors learn that the patient has not yet filled out an organ-donor card and is too squeamish ever to do so?»

Good question!

What would Dr. House Say?

What would Torah Ethics say?

What would YOU say?

Shalom
RRW

1 comment:

Garnel Ironheart said...

The article on Cross Currents is deceptive for a couple of reasons.
1) It presents the ultra-Chareidi approach to death as the de facto halachic one and acts as if there are no other valid opinions out there.
2) There have already been repercussions against Israel because of it's "We'll take but not donate" position.
2) It's not that Chareidim are hypocrites for wanting to take organs but not to give them. It's that they scream that those who hold that brain-stem death is valid halachic death are vile murderers but then put out their hands when the organs come out. They seem to not have realized that you can't slander people and then expect them to not be insulted because you're convinced you're right.