Faith and Medical Ethics: Losing Our Dignity

Losing Our Dignity: How Secularized Medicine Is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality
by Charles C. Camosy

I'm considering a Faith and Modern Life class that would be a kind of intersection between government and policy and faith. My Catholic theologian husband said if I wanted to talk about medical ethics, this book should be on the list.

Dr. Camosy explains how the philosophy of secularized medicine developed, and how that philosophy is not neutral in making medical decisions.

...here's the bottom line: it is impossible to care for the health of a single human being (much less design and work within a health-care system with limited resources that must yet provide for millions) without incorporated such goods and values and purposes. (p. 39)

Then he presents studies around famous cases to show how that philosophy leads to poor decisions for vulnerable patients. There are chapters about Jahi McMath, Terri Schiavo, "Roe Baby," and Alfie Evans. There's also a chapter on patients with dementia.

New Jersey law requires insurance companies to continue medical care even if religious beliefs of the family conflict with medical professionals. The executive director of the group that wrote the law, Alan Weisbard, said:

[T]he people who have done the deep and conceptual thinking about brain death are people with high I.Q.s, who tremendously value their cognitive abilities--people who believe that the ability to think, to plan, and to act in the world are what make for meaningful lives. But there is a different tradition that looks much more to the body. (pp. 50-51)

He concludes with some ideas about what we can do to reverse the concerning trends as individuals, communities, and society in the short and long term. 

Dr. Camosy doesn't always present the one and only answer for difficult situations. He emphasizes that each situation requires careful consideration of the individual, the family, and the resources available but always with the needs and dignity of the most vulnerable patients given the priority.

Medical science and tests can be used to determine whether death has taken place, but deciding what death is in the first place can be determined only by asking theological questions. (p. 47)

I think this book is essential reading for anyone in medicine or anyone considering a career in a medical field, especially for Catholics. It's actually a great book for any Catholic. Highly recommended.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased the book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Ending Homelessness: Grace Can Lead Us Home

Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness
by Kevin Nye

Kevin Nye has lived and worked among the unhoused populations in Los Angeles for many years. In this book, he describes the intractability of the problem, the tragedy of the lives of people without secure housing, some suggested ways to address the situation, and what he sees as the most effective solutions, including responses to those who may not agree with him.

What I appreciated most about this book was how he presented clear policy suggestions that make sense from a financial point of view, but focuses most on what solutions treat people without housing as men and women (and children) with inherent worth and dignity, regardless of their actions, their mistakes, and even their sins.

If grace means that God gives us good things because of who God is, not because we deserve it, then who are we to base our approach to homelessness on whether those on the streets have earned or qualified for our help? If God's grace is enough for us, then it is enough for anyone experiencing homelessness, whether they are in that position because of moral failures, difficult circumstances, or any combination of reasons. (p. 24)

Mr. Nye reminds himself and us of the dangers of separating ourselves from those who are unhoused (or hungry or incarcerated or anything else). Many who serve in shelters experience a kind of "saviorism," seeing themselves as heroes for the work they do each day.

Especially for those who work with the economically vulnerable, it sets up a dichotomy of "us," the financial and moral superiors, who graciously serve "them," the people who need our help. It's a power dynamic that gets reinforced by the gratifying nature of service--we feel good about ourselves when we serve and help others, regardless of whether our impact is long-lasting or even remotely liberating. (p. 34)

One of the ways the author combats this tendency in himself is to meditate on the 25th chapter of Matthew. 

 ...if each unhoused person I meet is Christ, then not only am I called to be kind and to offer help, but I am called in may ways to sit at their feet--to listen, to learn, and to change. (p. 36)

The author doesn't shy away from the "costs" associated with ending homelessness. The work is difficult. We are likely to feel uncomfortable. Our housing investments will not earn as much financially. These are sacrifices, the kind of sacrifices Christians make when we love each other as God calls us to love. 

The idea that "it could have been me" is rooted in the myth that we all start from the same place and are products only of the choices we make along the way. (p. 147)

Those who are unhoused often suffer a fate that has as much to do with their environment as their choices. When we fail to recognize that fact, we place blame where it does not belong and justify our reluctance to provide justice. 

This book is everything I wanted in a book on the Christian response to homelessness. It acknowledges the pain, suffering, complications, and uncomfortableness of the problem without shrinking from carefully and clearly outlining what seems to me what we should do about it. I found the authors arguments entirely persuasive, but I mostly agreed with him before reading the book, so I encourage everyone to get a copy and let me know what you think.

I am tossing around ideas in my head for a senior level high school course focusing on big problems of modern life, like homelessness and high incarceration rates, and how we as Catholic Christians should think about them and what kinds of policies we should support from our government officials, not from an economic point of view, but from a Christian point of view. This book will definitely be on the list for that course.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. I read a library copy of this book, but will certainly purchase a copy for our home.

An Earth Science Tour of the United States: The Earth in Turmoil

The Earth in Turmoil: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and their Impact on Humankind

by Kerry Sieh and Simon LeVay

The Earth in Turmoil covers plate tectonics and its ramifications for earthquakes and volcanoes in a readable but thorough way. The events and locations explored are all in the United States, mainly the West coast, Basin and Range, and Hawai'i, but also chapters dedicated to Yellowstone, the New Madrid Fault, and the Northeast. They always remind readers of other places in the world with similar physical conditions and phenomena.

Through the course of the book, the authors explore the history of geology and earth science, describing theories proposed, experiments conducted, and papers from a variety of scientists around the world. They provide excellent diagrams, maps, and drawings to illustrate geological principles like the recycling of the lithosphere and how volcanoes are produced by a subducting slab, to name a few from the first two chapters.

This solemn, silent, sailless sea--this lonely tenant of the loneliest spot on Earth--is little graced with the picturesque. [Mark Twain in Roughing It, describing Mono Lake, quoted in The Earth in Turmoil]

All these descriptions and explanations are woven into the chapters through stories from people who experienced earthquakes or survived volcanic eruptions, stories which make the events come alive for the reader in a way the scientific descriptions alone never could. The authors also show how first person accounts and other primary source documents can allow the dedicated scientist to develop a more comprehensive picture of earthquakes or other events, even when modern scientific instruments were not around to measure anything at the time. 

This book was published in 1998 and takes into account new research and events right up until their print deadline. A lot of time has passed since then in human terms, so there are some chapters for which I'd recommend searching recent events online to see if there's new information.

The book is out of print, but seems reasonably easy to find used. I'm probably going to assign it as our earth studies reading at some point in high school. I've been looking for one to cover plate tectonics and this one seems to be the best mix of stories of real people and essential geological information without being an actual (expensive and dense) college textbook.

One thing to note, if you have a sensitive student, the purpose of the book is to develop the relationship between knowledge of the earth's forces that results in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and how humans use the land and spaces affected by those forces. Someone anxious about the chances of massive eruptions or earthquakes may find some of the risks outlined upsetting. In fact, the authors often comment on the psychological ramifications of experiencing extended times of frequent earthquake activity.

On the other hand, the authors sometimes explore how those risks translate into public policy, laws, and insurance coverage, which can be useful and fascinating information for anyone interested in politics, environmental law, or urban development. Given the current conditions as I write this in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the discussions of the balance between scientific forecasts of risks and impacts of those forecasts on businesses and daily lives (especially in the chapter on Mammoth Lakes and Long Valley) were fascinating and relevant.

Sam Walker, who owns a brewery and a restaurant and has been chairman of the chamber of commerce, told us that relations between the townspeople and the USGS scientists had improved greatly in recent years. A lot of the misunderstanding, he told us, was caused by inaccurate reporting of what the USGS people had said. If the USGS said that an eruption was a possibility, some TV station or other would announce that lava was flowing down the street. 

The last chapter explores these ideas of risk assessment and policy in the most detail. 

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Shaping Our World for Relationships: The Blue Zones of Happiness

The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World's Happiest People

by Dan Buettner

Mater Amabilis™families may recognize the author; he's the same one who wrote Sovietrek and Africatrek. We never read Africatrek, but loved Sovietrek. Apparently the kind of man who spends months biking across continents is the kind of man who devotes his later life to exploring what kind of behavior is correlated with happiness.

In the very beginning of this book is a little survey the reader can take to assess their current level of "happiness." Just for fun, I jotted down my answers and scored them only to find I was practically off the chart for happiness in just about everything. Financially, I didn't score as high because Kansas Dad and I have deliberately chosen a lifestyle that allows us to focus on non-financial aspects of well-being. (I also scored a little low on having a goal to work toward, but as Kansas Dad said, if you're goal is just to read a book while drinking tea...there's not a lot of work and planning to put into that.)

The point, though, is that Kansas Dad and I have thought a lot about what makes us happy: faith, family, relationships. Then we shaped our life around those. Mr. Buettner's book identifies many of those same features.

The most interesting parts of this book for me were the ones that concentrated on how communities can choose to shape their laws and ordinances to make it easier for people to choose the kinds of activities that contribute to better health, better relationships, and general well-being. Most cities and towns in America do not consider "happiness" of their residents when developing their communities; they often focus on creating jobs (which are necessary but not sufficient) and economic development (also necessary but often at levels far below what people might expect).

As former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said in 2009, there has been a troubling disconnect in recent years between what government statistics are saying about the economy and what most people are feeling. While production and profits may be rising, people may not be feeling any better about their lives.

In the book, Mr. Buettner focuses on three countries in particular: Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore. Though he admits none of them would translate exactly into laws that would work in the United States, it's interesting to see how three different countries have developed different but equally successful ways to help their citizens flourish.

If the world you wake up to every day were designed to support healthier choices, you wouldn't need that extra oomph of willpower. if your grocery store featured the finest produce, if your friends dropped by every afternoon to take a walk together, if your neighborhood had easy-access sidewalks and bike lanes, if your workplace were a mile away from home, think how much easier it would be to make the choices I've outlined in this book that we all know lead to greater well-being!

Each chapter includes some focused ideas for the reader to consider applying to his or her own life. As I mentioned above, most of these are things we are already doing. One change I am considering is planting a small garden with the children this spring. Kansas Dad is the gardener around here; I much prefer to read about gardening. Or, even better, to just sit at a window overlooking a garden while reading Jane Austen. But growing things and especially food would be such a great complement to our homeschool and would augment much of what we're already doing...it seems like something that might be worth the effort.

The book also reminded me that negative interactions are remembered at a much greater rate than positive ones, something I lead in many parenting books over the years.

Offer at least three positive comments to each of your friends and loved ones, on average, for every negative.

Because we homeschool, my children do not have others interacting with them all day every day. They also have to listen to me correct them as their only teacher. As gentle as I try to be, I need to remember to also point out to them what they are doing well and when they are helping to cultivate a culture of love and kindness in our home.

One thing we won't be doing is following the 50-20-30 rule for our finances. It's not that I disagree with spending 20% of our income on financial stability and 30% on personal spending (shopping, entertainment, etc.). The problem, and one that probably affects lots of other people, is that we need more than 50% of our income to cover our essential living expenses (housing, health care, groceries, car payments, and utility bills). We could alter our percentages by changing Kansas Dad's job or sending me back into the workforce. Every now and then we talk about our options, but in the end we've always decided to continue our focus on family and relationships. We're willing to sacrifice these financial aspects to focus on what we think will make us happiest.

Another aspect I think Mr. Buettner doesn't really understand is the role of faith and children. The book encourages regular attendance and involvement in a faith community, but it doesn't seem to matter which one. Of course, we believe there is a difference and that following the truth of the Catholic Church (despite its current struggles) is better than other choices.

As for children, Mr. Buettner points out that they cause a decrease in happiness as long as they are dependents. I suppose that's true if you focus on the stress of raising children and perhaps our day-to-day struggles do cause less superficial happiness, but we believe children are a great blessing and give our lives meaning that would otherwise be more difficult to discern. I think this partly depends, too, on the support we have in raising children. Because we are relatively secure and supported by a loving family and parish, we experience less stress than others who may be worried about feeding their child.

Mr. Buettner's book seems to throw children in with other aspects of life like whether you can bike to work and eat healthy foods, but we would elevate them to another level. Children are not something you have to make you happier (now or in the future) nor are they something you should avoid because you think they will make you unhappy in the short term. All that being said, this view of children is probably outside the scope of Mr. Buettner's book, so I don't really blame him for this aspect of the book.

I received nothing in exchange for this review. I borrowed this book from the library. All opinions are my own. Links above to Amazon are affiliate links.

Living Sacrifice in the Modern World: Everything Must Change

Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide by Brian D. McLaren

In this book, McLaren examines life at the time of the Gospels, when Jews were living within the Roman Empire, either assimilating into it or violently fighting against it. According to him, a close reading of Jesus' words when he speaks of authority and government within the context of the Roman Empire should startle us in the similarities between the Romans and the modern world - in our pursuit of wealth, our use of violence to maintain that wealth (or its illusion), and our cavalier destruction of the world's resources. Our "framing story" (which is a kind of unwritten or subliminal worldview that permeates everything we do) creates a situation in which we are unable to fully live out the Gospel, and, in fact, leads to a cycle of self-destruction he calls a "suicide machine."

But if our framing story tells us that we are free and responsible creatures in a creation made by a good, wise, and loving God, and that our Creator wants us to pursue virtue, collaboration, peace, and mutual care for one another and all living creatures, and that our lives can have profound meaning if we align ourselves with God's wisdom, character, and dreams for us...then our society will take a radically different direction, and our world will become a very different place.

I struggled a lot with the language McLaren uses. I think "framing story" is an unwieldy phrase, but besides that, the text of the book is simply not lyrical. Kansas Dad argues I can't expect everyone to be a Chesterton or even a C.S. Lewis, but I maintain the message would be more powerful if more eloquently presented. One of the aspects of this book Kansas Dad appreciates is the stark presentation of statistics (comparing America's defense budget with that of those attempting to eliminate poverty, comparing the amount of money the first world "donates" to developing countries with the amount of money collected in debt payments from those same countries). Perhaps those kinds of statistics (which were indeed disturbing) would be difficult to include in a more poetic book.

McLaren spends the majority of the book building an argument for his depiction of the modern world and that Jesus' words call us to something different. For me, the real question is what happens after that -- if we truly believe Jesus' words, his call to a his kingdom, how should we behave right here, right now, to help make that kingdom manifest on earth. He touches on what we can or should do in relatively few chapters at the end of the book.

McLaren calls on us to be aware of the way companies treat employees, the environment, and communities. He calls on us to explore how various economic policies affect the lives of people all over the world, not just our own. Policies on immigration, economics, and the environment should not be viewed from merely the American point of view, not if we are truly living as Christians. Jesus demands we consider all people our neighbors and brothers.

With no apologies to Martin Luther, John Calvin, or modern evangelicalism, Jesus (in Luke 16:19) does not prescribe hell to those who refuse to accept the message of justification by grace through faith, or to those who are predestined for perdition, or to those who don't express faith in a favored atonement theory by accepting Jesus as their "personal Savior." Rather, hell--literal or figurative--is for the rich and comfortable who proceed on heir way without concern for their poor neighbor day after day.

As I read this book, I began to see similar messages in many places. Pope Frances, in his address to Congress in September 2015 (full text found here, and well worth a read if you haven't already), said:

We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.

Larry Livingston, on the blog for Unbound, an organization we support regularly, wrote:

Part of that interior process is taking ownership of the consequences our choices have on others. Some of these are obvious and immediate to our daily lives. We generally know when we hurt those around us and, while not easy, we also know what we need to do to repair those relationships. But what is more complicated — and more challenging — is taking ownership of the impact our choices have on the world.

At one point, McLaren discusses Jackson Browne's song, "The Rebel Jesus."

He suggests that there is a kind of economic orthodoxy that may allow or even encourage us to throw some dollars toward the poor, but this orthodoxy commands us never to question the systems that create and reinforce poverty. 

Catholics are not immune from this kind of thinking but we are blessed by examples of saints who have refused to participate in the systems that sustain rather than alleviate poverty: St. Vincent de Paul, Blessed Mother Teresa, Blessed Oscar Romero, the list could go on and on. Pope Francis is following those examples with works like Laudato Si', which encourages us to consider the effect of our actions, our purchases, our lifestyle, on the less fortunate here and elsewhere. (I mentioned the book here when I read it.)

So if you are convinced, what do you need to do? McLaren outlines three main areas of action: 1) Be generous to the poor but not dehumanizing; 2) Encourage opportunities and solutions created in collaboration with the poor; and 3) Campaign to change the economic, military, and social systems that inhibit justice for the poor and downtrodden.

While most of us won't be called to sacrifice our physical lives (but many may), having faith in Jesus and sharing the faith of Jesus will lead all of us to make what an early disciple called "a living sacrifice." We will give up the life we could have lived, the life we would have lived--pursuing pleasure, leisure, security, whatever. And instead, we will life a life dedicated to replacing the suicide machine with a sacred ecosystem, a beautiful community, an insurgency of healing and peace, a creative global family, an unterror movement of faith, hope, and love.

McLaren talks a bit about the hidden messages of our media and our schools that support the current (and flawed) framing story. In one thought experiment, he compared the creation of greenhouse gasses by large corporations with the production of an unwanted pregnancy:

[B]oth follow a script taught by the covert curriculum in a thousand ways: namely, we can engage in pleasurable or profitable behaviors with undesired consequences and either avoid the consequences or clean them up later. (his emphasis)

While I think the analagy is imperfect, it does exemplify the focus of modern American society on immediate gratification.

McLaren is not Catholic and not all of his policies would be acceptable. The use of artificial birth control, as one example, is explicitly mentioned as not only an option but one that is ridiculously not implemented. A few differences of opinion in methods, however, do not negate his overall argument. I believe he's correct: Jesus would speak out plainly against modern American society and our economic policies.

For the most part, I want to recommend this book, and I think you should probably read it if you are intrigued but unconvinced by my meager narration here. Remember, though, that I warned you about the language. Be prepared for paragraphs like this one:

Perhaps we can see ourselves in a new light too, not armed with an ideology but infused with a new imagination, part of a peaceful insurgency seeking to expel a suicidal occupying regime, gardeners working with God to tend the holy ecosystem so it continues to unfold anew day after new day, members of a secret insurgency of hope, a global movement unleashing coordinated, well-planned acts of unterror and healing, producers in a new economy of love--an economy so radical that old terms like capitalism and communism seem like two sides of a Confederate coin left over from a fading and discredited regime.

Jesus' "economy of love" sounds a bit too corny to me, though I'd like to think I would support the economic policies Jesus would propose - the kind he has indeed already proposed if we have the courage to acknowledge them.