Andrea Clark: Safe for Now

Pro-Life Blogs is reporting on the dramatic turn of events in the case of Andrea Clark, now that one Dr. Matthew Lenz has agreed to take her into his care. Andrea’s condition is still quite fragile, and is still very much in need of prayers, but it appears that a bullet has been dodged. Pro-life Texans now will have to set their sights on dismantling the Texas Futile Care Law — which, as many have pointed out, was signed into law in 1999 by then Governor George W. Bush. Its major flaw is that it gives entirely too much power to doctors and hospital ethics committees, who can make the decision to discontinue life support even if a patient wants to continue living. Such was almost the case with Andrea Clark. The Texas Futile Care Law also brings up another much larger issue that I’ve wondered about for some time: What is it about a white coat and the letters “M.D.” after someone’s name that causes so many people to think that doctors should be treated with such fawning obeisance? I’ll admit that I’m shooting from the hip on this one, but it seems to me that the general decline in the practice of religion over the past two generations has coincided with an increased — and in many cases, nearly unquestioning — deference shown toward the medical profession. It seems to me that we all have a subconscious need to acknowledge an authority outside of (and greater than) ourselves. Those who have cast off the spiritual authority of God, the Church, Scripture, etc., must therefore find someone or something else to place their “faith” in. For those who believe physical health is the highest good, the practice of medicine is the logical choice to become their object of faith, so to speak. In the meantime, let’s be grateful that good physicians — witness Dr. Lenz — still exist.