Table 5.

Clergy and Their Faith Tradition's Views on the Appropriateness of Aggressive Care at the End of Life

“[Getting aggressive care is] not consistent with my personal faith. Maybe the organization as a whole might consider it one way or the other, but again, I think it has to do with a lot of things that are personal to the patient and what they are dealing with specific to their family, to their environment, to those things.” (RT729)

“Bad. … Again, if the family wants to do that we are not going to tell them that it is bad. But I think the generally attitude would be that the person needs to come to terms with death to accept the fact that they are dying, and to reduce their fear of it. Again, that is something we all have to go through. But, in our situation that is not the end of everything; it is not oblivion. (CG124)

I would be inclined for the palliative care and forgo that extraordinary measurements in which the person is almost unconscious and the person cannot even speak or relate to family members; cannot even pray, perhaps. I would see those things as kind of a handicap for a good death. … But I think the spiritual good of a good death is a high priority. (CM1217)

I think it is an individual decision based on benefits and burdens and proportions and disproportions. … You can't just say one way or the other. (CM1219)

My theology sees the real world, and it really does weigh, it does consider the cost in terms of what is reasonable and rational and what is unreasonable and irrational. There does come a point where, just out of duty and a sense of obligation, the people are investing resources where it's just not rational; it just doesn't make sense. (MB107)

There are ways we can extend life, but also if someone has a conviction that they rather die, if they consider dying with dignity and it has to do with leaving this earth with peace and they don't want to take any treatment, I don't think they are turning their backs to their faith. (JP414)

Dying the way you want to die is consistent with our religion. If you want to die in ICU pursuing life, that's your choice. If you want to die at home with hospice care, that's your choice and we support both of them. Neither one is right or wrong. One is definitely more comfortable than the other. (RT0819)

I don't know if I could answer whether it's good or bad. It depends on what the patient, patient's family has discussed before. As long as they've thought about their decisions before, at that point I'm not going to evaluate it or judge it. I'd say it's not consistent or inconsistent with the traditions' vision of a good and faithful death. It just really depends on if it's done with a sense of peace, concern, and thoughtfulness. I guess, in general, it's not, but I would be reluctant to judge it if it's entered into with open eyes on part of the family and the patient. (RT1114)

I don't think it is a good death. It is very traumatic even to the family going into ICU seeing the patient. Many cry instantly. And seeing the person struggling for air and with all its tubes, are cut in the throat, inserting. It's not my idea of a good death. (TC1030)