Playing God

I was thinking recently of people playing God. Of doctors thinking they know the best treatment for their patients – because they claim to have their patients’ interest at heart – even if the patient doesn’t desire such treatment. Of family members thinking they know what is best for their ailing loved ones who are incapable of making decisions on their own either because they’re in a coma, in persistent vegetative state (think Terri Schiavo) or because they are underage.

Of bosses thinking they know best how their subordinates should be rewarded and what they deserve. I can’t help thinking how they can be fair if they already have a pre-conceived idea or formed opinion of how an employee is, or a biased preference for particular subordinates. These decisions may well have long-lasting effects on the affected subordinates.

Of patients themselves deciding on euthanasia for themselves, or of pregnant women proceeding to abort their foetus after they decide they don’t want the child.

What do you think? Do we consciously or subconsciously play God in our everyday lives? What makes us, mere mortals, think we can make such a decision?

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On an unrelated note but a sort of a follow-up to my earlier entry, I met some new people last week. One girl particularly caught my attention as she looked sullen and grim. In fact, she looked like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Then I found out that she had been subject to what she termed ‘capital punishment’ from her parents as she was growing up (she is still staying with the parents). She confessed finding it difficult to forgive her parents for what they had done to her.

Then I found out that another girl was also subjected to similar abuse from her father. He even spat on her once (can you imagine how she must have felt then). But fortunately for her, her mother is a very strong woman and supportive of her. And one day, she sat down with her father and confronted him for all his wrongdoings, abuse and punishment to her. He was already an old man and wasn’t fast enough to escape so he just sat there. He did, however, immediately turn on the TV after she finished.

I felt a mixture of emotions hearing to their stories. Anger at the parents for having subjected their children to what they think is the right way of disciplining. Horrified at what they had to go through. And thankful too for being blessed with my lovely parents who I take for granted for despite all their scolding, I was never pinched, let alone caned me.

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And another totally unrelated note: why, oh why, did Arsenal have to draw with Newcastle last night?!