The Value of Human Kindness and Life....

Suppose that you had a ruptured appendix. You knew enough to be sure of this fact and also understand that you must get to the hospital within a very short period of time or DIE.

Suppose you are on the highway speeding toward the emergency room with time and life slipping away. Suddenly, just ahead on the road staggers another person, broken and bleeding. They fall right in front of your car.

Your car is the only one on the road and no houses are in sight.

You can slam on the brakes and hope that you can stop quickly enough.

You can swerve and hope to miss them.

You can keep going, hoping that if you hit their body it will not cause you to lose control and have a major accident.

If you have a cell phone, you can call for help for them, but would need to stay so they would be found.

But two things are clear: If you stop to help them, you will probably die from the poison leaking from your ruptured appendix. And if you don’t stop, they will probably die from the injuries they already have or from the ones your car will inflict.

What are your choices? Attempt to save your own life. Attempt to save the life of a stranger.

Now reverse the scene. You are lying on the highway and a car is speeding toward you, a stranger at the wheel. What do you want them to do?

Comments: 23

Kimber F. Jul 24, 2009, 1:05am EDT

Interesting question. I think I would stop, put them in the car with me and try to make it to the hospital with both of us. I would like to think that if it were me on the edge of the road, someone would stop and help me. I don't think I could just keep driving. I would like to think that the powers that be would help us both along and get us there safely. But whatever the outcome, I would stop. Peace

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 1:24am EDT

Thank you, Kimber.

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Carrie Marie P. Jul 24, 2009, 1:12am EDT

I'd help the person and be calling for an ambulance; that way they could possibly meet me if need be.

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 1:24am EDT

Thank you, Carrie.

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eva s. Jul 24, 2009, 1:22am EDT

lets help each other?

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 1:24am EDT

Thank you, Eva.

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Sandy and John J. Jul 24, 2009, 1:40am EDT

Regardless of our own personal situation, to not stop to help another is simply not an option.......

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 3:34am EDT

Thank you, Sandy.

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Marilyn M. Jul 24, 2009, 1:52am EDT

I'd have to stop. Perhaps I could get us both to the hospital. At least I could try and would call on my cell phone to make sure they knew where we were.

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 3:34am EDT

Thank you, Marilyn.

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Abby N. Jul 24, 2009, 3:41am EDT

I would stop, and use my cell phone to call for help and ask what to do till help got there.

And if I was on the road, I hope the person would stop and help me.
I'd be praying a lot.

Abby N. Jul 24, 2009, 3:43am EDT

Actually my first thoughts were should I even have been driving in that condition but I am thinking that wasn't the point. :)

Abby N. Jul 24, 2009, 3:43am EDT

I mean maybe I should have called an ambulance instead of trying to drive myself and risk hurting people on the road.

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 10:31am EDT

That is a thought, Abby, but I am leading up to asking another question. I wanted to get the responses to this scenario first. I had appendicitis, but didn't call an ambulance. A friend took me, but I know others who have driven themselves in emergencies.

Abby N. Jul 24, 2009, 12:07pm EDT

I understand what you mean. :)

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 12:32pm EDT

Thank you, Abby. I was thinking too of rural areas where there is no ambulance service. I will post the followup question soon.

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Sandy and John J. Jul 24, 2009, 4:18pm EDT

This post reminded me that there is NO luck or happenstances in the life of a Christian.. ALL things work for good to those who love the Lord........

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 4:54pm EDT

very true, Sandy

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Frank H. Jul 24, 2009, 7:55pm EDT

I like the cell phone idea, but I'm not sure why I would need to stay so they would be found. I think stopping, calling, then continuing on my way to the hospital would be the way to go -- it would optimize everyone's chances, so it wouldn't be that one or the other certainly has to die.

Somebody said they would get the injured guy into the car and continue on. That's also a good idea, although I don't know how practical it would be under the circumstances.

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 8:26pm EDT

Thank you, Frank. If one makes a cell phone call from some areas, it is difficult to tell where the call originates. If the incident happened in an out of the way place, with no houses, etc. to use as markers, it might be necessary to stay in order for the responders to find the individual on the ground.

If the person could make a call, and get an ambulance there..then that is a solution. But as I stated above in response to another commenter, I intend to go a little further into this sort of situation. I wanted to know the responses from as many as would be willing to say what they would do before I post the next article.

Thanks again.

Frank H. Jul 24, 2009, 8:49pm EDT

I understand that you're setting the ground for making some kind of point in the future, but I'm just thinking, I would want to optimize the odds of both of us -- me and the dying stranger -- of surviving. I would rather try to get myself to the hospital and at the same time try to save the strangers life, than to either choose to leave him behind so he certainly dies in order to save myself, or stop trying to reach the hospital and assure my own death in order to save him. I prefer to say, you know, maybe we can both survive.

Shirley U Understand Me S. Jul 24, 2009, 9:07pm EDT

Thank you, Frank. And that is a great goal. It fits in with what I am going to try to do. You and others have seen this possibility...or at least making the effort to make it happen, even if it were doomed to failure.

As long as the desire to help is there. It is impossible to make a 'scenario' that is exact, and there are problems with this one. Maybe it makes no sense now, but hopefully it will later.

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Jenn P. Aug 31, 2009, 11:17am EDT

thanks

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The Value of Human Kindness and Life....

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