Snape, a Deatheater who assists suicide?.

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 164039

.Lilygale, responding to the assisted suicide idea and who apologizes  
if this is a double post - Yahoomort ate a post earlier

>So what  is stoppered death, and how might it be similar or different 
to  suicide?

>To my mind (and I'm certainly no expert), suicide implies an  intent 
to take one's death into one's own hand and voluntarily die despite  
having an opportunity to live. Stoppered death implies that death 
is  inevitable but posponed. Of course, death is inevitable for us 
all. Is  unstoppering death an act against nature?

>Let's look at an analogy.  What if your doctor tells you that you 
have metastatic cancer and have 3  months to live. But with 
radiation and chemotherapy, you could live for 12  months. As far as 
I know, there is nothing immoral in Judaism, Christianity  or other 
moral systems if one chooses to avoid treatment and live out ones  
life span of 3 months. One is simply letting nature takes its  course.

>By lifting the stopper on death, is one actively committing  suicide, 
or just letting nature take its course? I am of the opinion that,  
in the Potterverse, when Snape unstoppers Dumbledore's death on the  
tower upon Dumbledore's request, the men are letting the damage done 
by  the Horcrux take its natural and final course. It is not suicide 
because,  but Dumbledore is not actively choosing death. The death 
has already  happened. He is using his death (he is *already dead*) 
to help Harry and  Draco, and to defeat LV. 

>Another question about suicide: was  drinking the potion in the cave 
an act of suicide? Or an act of bravery  committed during wartime. 
Again, I don't think Dumbledore acted suicidally  any more than a 
soldier, fighting in a war, can be said to be  suicidal.
 
Nikkalmati
 
Certainly, I see your argument that removing an impediment to death is not  
the same as suicide and I guess, I would not consider it immoral to do so, if  
death were inevitable.  
 
Are you saying the potion in the cave was poisonous and DD drank it because  
he knew he was already dying, so that if it actually was the potion that 
killed  him, it was not Harry's fault?  I would find it hard to believe DD would  
take poison just to procure a Horcrux when there were so many others yet to be  
found and even less would he make Harry feed him poison - - - unless he 
thought  for sure that Snape could save him.
 
Nikkalmati



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