'Wrenching Choices:' Belmont Religious Leaders to Discuss End Of Life Decisions

Join the Belmont clergy from a variety of local faith communities, members of the Belmont Religious Council and residents for a fascinating, timely and valuable conversation about how faith can inform our decisions at the end of life.

The panel discussion: "Sacred Decisions at the End of Life – How Do We Decide?" sponsored by the Religious Council and the Belmont Clergy Council will take place on Tuesday, May 28, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the First Church in Belmont Unitarian Universalist located at 404 Concord Ave.

The decisions we make about the end of our lives are among the most complicated, the most difficult and the most important choices we face. When we (or our loved ones) experience debilitating illness at the end of life, we often have to weigh a variety of treatment options and ask hard questions about the costs – be it physical, ethical and spiritual – of various alternatives. In these moments, many of us find it helpful and crucial to include the voice of our faith in our deliberations.

What do our personal religious values, our sense of God and the teachings of our tradition say about these questions? What guidance and comfort might our faith provide as we try to navigate these wrenching choices at the end of life?

Members of the Religious Council joining the panel include:

• Rev. Cheryl Minor, All Saints Episcopal Church, panel moderator

• Rev. Diana Donahue, United Church of Christ and chaplain at Mass. General Hospital

• Pastor Ruth Harvey, First Baptist Church of Belmont

• Dr. Houman Javedan, Baha’i Fait and director of Geriatric Inpatient Services at Brigham & Women's Hospital

• Rabbi Jonathan Kraus, Beth El Temple Center

• Bishop Ryan Thompson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; physician at Mass General.