Life Inflicted
'Emily' is difficult to watch.
We know enough about American TV to know that when they throw a child, father or past love into the mix, such that it disturbs the central story arc, that person will either leave by episode end or die. There being no way Scully could continue being Scully with a child, and that child being so dependent as Emily, there was only ever going to be one outcome to this story. Knowing all that, 'Emily' is difficult to watch.
There is good reason why it might be hard for the audience to accept Scully's portrayal in this episode. She is so clearly being positioned as 'mother' in Season Five we must ask how she can apparently give up on Emily.
Especially when we realise that Scully is Catholic.
For Catholics, life is inviolable. It is a gift from God. If there is any chance of life it must be pursued. Hence the Pope's recent intervention in the Charlie Gard case. The Pope is bound by his faith to offer hope while hope exists. In this particular case, the State made the right decision. As much as Charlie was loved by his parents, as much as the Pope wished to offer hope, there was none to be had. It was always a personal tragedy played out in public.
Love is blind. It blinds us to the weaknesses of our partners and to rational decisions. Those not blinded are demonised as unfeeling and uncaring. Sometimes, the State can be more understanding and caring than we want them to be.
In 'Emily', Scully plays the part of those judges who had to make that heart-rending decision to fore-go treatment for a child who would never have quality of life.
On this one issue, I find myself at odds with Church teaching. I fully understood Scully's decision to let Emily die. Heartbreaking as it is to have to give up a child, without quality of life it is cruel to sustain life beyond the point of death.
Life is a good, it is preferable to death. If life can be lived, enjoyed and shared it must be supported at all costs. When life becomes a burden because it is full of pain and cannot be experienced without artificial aid, then we must accept that some may not choose to continue suffering. In the case of a child, who cannot make decisions, as hard as it is to accept, someone has to make the decision no one wants to make.
I find it strange that we are so willing to execute the unborn and the criminal yet are not accepting of death for those who are born without quality of life or those whose life has become a burden because of pain. It seems that we prefer to inflict life rather than accept death.
We know enough about American TV to know that when they throw a child, father or past love into the mix, such that it disturbs the central story arc, that person will either leave by episode end or die. There being no way Scully could continue being Scully with a child, and that child being so dependent as Emily, there was only ever going to be one outcome to this story. Knowing all that, 'Emily' is difficult to watch.
There is good reason why it might be hard for the audience to accept Scully's portrayal in this episode. She is so clearly being positioned as 'mother' in Season Five we must ask how she can apparently give up on Emily.
Especially when we realise that Scully is Catholic.
For Catholics, life is inviolable. It is a gift from God. If there is any chance of life it must be pursued. Hence the Pope's recent intervention in the Charlie Gard case. The Pope is bound by his faith to offer hope while hope exists. In this particular case, the State made the right decision. As much as Charlie was loved by his parents, as much as the Pope wished to offer hope, there was none to be had. It was always a personal tragedy played out in public.
Love is blind. It blinds us to the weaknesses of our partners and to rational decisions. Those not blinded are demonised as unfeeling and uncaring. Sometimes, the State can be more understanding and caring than we want them to be.
In 'Emily', Scully plays the part of those judges who had to make that heart-rending decision to fore-go treatment for a child who would never have quality of life.
On this one issue, I find myself at odds with Church teaching. I fully understood Scully's decision to let Emily die. Heartbreaking as it is to have to give up a child, without quality of life it is cruel to sustain life beyond the point of death.
Life is a good, it is preferable to death. If life can be lived, enjoyed and shared it must be supported at all costs. When life becomes a burden because it is full of pain and cannot be experienced without artificial aid, then we must accept that some may not choose to continue suffering. In the case of a child, who cannot make decisions, as hard as it is to accept, someone has to make the decision no one wants to make.
I find it strange that we are so willing to execute the unborn and the criminal yet are not accepting of death for those who are born without quality of life or those whose life has become a burden because of pain. It seems that we prefer to inflict life rather than accept death.
Comments
Post a Comment