John Kilner Discusses Schiavo Case on Nationally Broadcast Radio Programs

John F. Kilner and Carrie Gordon Earll

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	John F. Kilner, Ph.D., is the Senior Scholar at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity.
	Carrie Gordon Earll, M.A., serves as the bioethics analyst in the Public Policy Division of Focus on the Family and is a Fellow of The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity.
	Post Date: March 8, 2005

On Monday, March 14, 2005, Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (CBHD) Senior Scholar John Kilner was a guest on the Moody Broadcasting Network's Open Line program. In addition, he was a guest on the nationally syndicated Focus on the Family (FOTF) radio program on Tuesday, March 8. The program, hosted by FOTF founder Dr. James Dobson and joined by FOTF Bioethics Analyst and CBHD Fellow Carrie Gordon Earll, discussed the most recent developments in the life-or-death legal battle of Terri Schiavo and the related ethical dimensions of her case.

On both programs, Dr. Kilner's expressed his concerns about how society deals with cases like Terri Schiavo's, where there is uncertainty about the patient's medical condition and about her wishes concerning discontinuation of treatment. If life truly is precious, then therapies that might make a significant difference ought to be tried-particularly when funding was provided for them by a court decision as happened in this case well over a decade ago. If a patient's wishes really matter, then when there is substantial debate about what a patient would have wanted and the guardian has a conflict of interest (financial gain and a sexual relationship with another woman in this case), then a more objective guardian should be appointed to assess Terri's wishes.

Dr. Kilner also mentioned on both programs The Advance Directive Kit, which is available for purchase directly from our website by clicking here.

CBHD Resources

• Robert Cranston, M.D. — The Terri Schiavo Debacle: What Have We Learned?

• John F. Kilner — Don't Wait to Make Your End-of-Life Wishes Known

• Purchase The Advance Directive Kit

• All CBHD articles on Death & Dying

• All CBHD articles

About The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity

The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity is an international center located just north of Chicago, Illinois. Its mission is to develop reasoned perspectives on all of today's bioethical issues and to disseminate them to health care professionals, academia, cultural and church leaders, public policy makers, and the media in order to protect human dignity.

Please consider partnering with CBHD to help make it possible for the Center to continue to be a voice for the dignity of human beings created in the image of God. For more information, please click here.

More information

• More information on the broadcast at Focus on the Family

• Listen to the broadcast of Focus on the Family's "Insights on Terri Schiavo" at OnePlace.com (you may have to scroll down the page a bit to find it)

• More information on Moody Broadcasting Network and Open Line

• Listen to the broadcast of Moody Broadcasting Network's "Open Line" at mbn.org (the program may not be available until 10:00 pm Tuesday, March 15)

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