Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on March 21, 2012 at 3:31pm

Cheers!

And remember, whenever a theist asks if you "believe in evolution", reply; "No, of course not, ...I accept that it's a scientific fact".

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Permalink Reply by Tony Carroll on March 21, 2012 at 3:37pm

Will do, will do.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on March 21, 2012 at 5:21pm

I was just looking at a young man's CaringBridge website ( a friend of someone we went to school with whose daughter had cancer) and the young man, I think 18?, is in horrible shape.  It's so sad.  They did a bone-marrow transplant, but now he has a fungus in his bloodstream that they already removed a lung for hoping that would take care of it.  ANYWAY, his parents just 'wrote' that he had a white-board and marker for communication because he's intubated and can't speak.  He is full of drugs, etc. for pain.  The parents said he wrote on the board that he can feel his mothers dead brother holding his hand and that that is his guardian angel.  I say some guardian angel, shouldn't he have been guarded from GETTING cancer?  I guess if that consoles his parents who are in horrible emotional pain, then I guess that's good?  What do you guys think?  Don't mean to hi-jack this thread, but I just read that and then this and it kinda fits here?

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Permalink Reply by Daniel young on March 22, 2012 at 4:41am

A very sad story indeed, but interesting how the brain is bearing up to the emotional stress brought upon it by his sickness. As far as his folks go, sure its good that they are comforted by the thought that their son is emotionally at ease with his sickness. It is unfortunate that they believe what he is saying is the truth, that there really is a ghost holding his hand.

I think they still could find comfort within the more reasonable explanation, they could still see that their son is at ease within his delusions without partaking in them.

The truth can sooth just as well as manufactured explanations, it's not necessary to think that a ghost is holding his hand as long as they know that he is comforted by the thought, and with that, deriving comfort of their own.

Some people could argue that the sick young man should be told the truth, but I say, " To what end ". He will most likely die in the near future and is it truly necessary to debate this with him, using up his last few days struggling with the acceptance of " there is no ghost ". His parents, on the other hand, if they truly believe, are in direr need of some education.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on March 22, 2012 at 7:59am

Yes Daniel, and on top of that all of the messages left on his CaringBridge page say about the same thing, one even  from their minister, that they are so glad his "guardian angel" is there holding his hand and keeping him strong.  I agree no one should say a word to the poor kid, there is no reason to.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on March 22, 2012 at 1:29pm

I agree Rusty, and I don't know them from Adam.  I just wondered what people thought of what the son wrote and what the parents and the friends/family/pastor thought.  They all believe, from what I read, that the young man is actually holding a ghost-relatives hand.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Carroll on March 22, 2012 at 12:31pm

Totally agree. This is not the time or place. Someone is dying, and support of the person is what matters in this. Listening, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, a hug will speak more to them about your concern. They will remember this. Not a place for reason. I've always said people tend to act on an emotional level, that is mostly where we process the world. Just love them and support them. You will be rewarded.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on March 22, 2012 at 1:27pm

As I said in my original post I was just looking @ the CaringBridge page of a boy that's a friend of some people we used to go to school with whose daughter had cancer.  I don't know these people in the slightest.  We aren't even in contact with the people we used to go to school with, so I can't do any of that.  If I did know them that is what I would do.  Thanks for your response Tony.

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on March 22, 2012 at 3:16pm

Terms like belief and faith are loaded terms I try for terms like "I'm convinced"' "I think" or "The research supports"...etc

.If something thought to be paranormal is in fact shown to be real then it wasn't paranormal. If we don't have an answer for something the default position isn't- "it's paranormal or god did it".  The default is rather,  "we don't know yet but we're working on it."

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