WITHDRAWING OR WITHHOLDING NUTRITION
killing would be the"Just War Theory " which enunciates the principle that it is always wrong to take an innocent human life directly. This led to the categories of"direct" and"innocent." In the area of bioethics, Christianity has developed the norm of"ordinary vs. extraordinary." ...normally one is held to use only ordinary meansaccording to circumstances of persons, places, times, and culture-that is to say, means that do not involve any grave burden for oneself or another. A more strict obligation would be too burdensome for most men and would render the attainment of the higher, more important good too difficult. Life, health, all temporal activities are in fact subordinated to spiritual ends.’
Clearly, from the statement of Pope Pius XII ,"ordinary means" are determined by time, place and culture."Extraordinary means" would be those which are too burdensome or those"which would render the attainment of the higher, more important good too difficult.” "Ordinary means" must be both useful(efficacious) and convenient. Much which might have been"extraordinary" a few years ago might today be"ordinary." Much of what might have been burdensome or inconvenient a few years ago might now be convenient.
Another applicable norm of Christianity is"autonomy." The Christian discussion of the taking of life begins with the issue of one’s "right" to act in such a way. By what right can a person act to deprive another of life? After all, if life is conditional and not absolute, then there must be instances when an individual can morally act to deprive another of life. If a person has no autonomy and is"owned" by God , than the decision to deprive one of life can only be that of God . If one is autonomous, then he or she takes full responsibility for moral choice, and one then has complete control over one’s body.”