Most of us are familiar with something called the Hippocratic Oath, which, unfortunately, is no longer administered in our medical schools. Hippocrates, considered the father of western medicine, practiced and wrote during the Age of Pericles. He lived roughly between the years: 460 B.C. and 370 B.C. The oath attributed to him, which is not long, can be read HERE. A modern version, HERE, currently in use has glossed over some of the proscriptions in the original and obliterated certain other parts (you can probably guess one of the parts that was obliterated even if you haven't seen the current version). The conspicuous absence of the proscription against the taking of life could make one think there might just have been some heavy lobbying by the "pro-choice" folks who couldn't bear the language removed from the original. The quote below is from the original, and is NOT in the current version:
It actually gets worse: language inserted into the current version is a clear start down the path to Euthanasia. Here's that scary quote:"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art."
"Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.
" I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick."Nice to know they don't want to play God, but that "awesome responsibility" (to take a life) just might make it necessary, especially if the "illness may effect the person's family and economic stability." Seniors beware!
