Religion versus death

Re “Aligning treatment plan with God’s plan,” March 18

This article describes the lengths to which many people of religious faith will go, suffering indescribable pain and misery when they use any means available to delay an inevitable death. It clarified for me one of the hypocrisies of organized religion.

By pulling out every trick in the book to avoid the inevitable, these patients are in fact defying God’s intention -- that they must die -- in prolonging life through artificial means. Many waste millions on drugs, machinery and man-hours in their attempt to hang on, forcing their loved ones to suffer too -- watching them slowly head toward the end, all the while hoping for the miracle that won’t happen.

Equally jaw-dropping is the pope proclaiming with certitude that condom use not only doesn’t help in the prevention of AIDS but in fact “increases the problem.”

Tens of millions will listen, with unquestioning faith.

Sylvia Lewis

Thousand Oaks