The Deaf Brothers from Belgium that Decided to Die Together

Two brothers were born deaf. They were twins. They were twin, deaf brothers. I don't know if they were identical or fraternal twins, but they lived in Western Europe—in Belgium.

Being deaf, and being brothers, and being twins, they relied on each other heavily.

Oh, the years passed by, and as the years passed by, they got older. And then they got even older still. As they got older, they grew inseparable—so much so that they no longer relied upon each other—they needed each other. They got older still.

I don't know if they got married to women or whatever, if that's what you're wondering.

People get old. These twin, deaf brothers got old together, and then something terrible began to happen...

They both began to go blind. And my heart broke when I heard this. But Western Europe is very accommodating. So Western Europe told them this:

"Twin, deaf brothers, as your eyesight begins to fade, we are willing to put you into institutions that will take care of both of you, and both of you will be able to continue living together into even older age. What do you two think of that?"

I'm sure they couldn't hear that, but it was communicated to them, one way or another. The twin, deaf brothers consulted with each other, barely being able to see.

They held hands, and finally agreed on something by themselves, as they began to cry.

No. They would not be put into institutions, deaf and blind, not being able to see or communicate with each other any more; they wouldn't have it! So they communicated to the state something to the effect of:

"Thank you for your generous offer State, but we must decline. Being deaf and blind, we brothers would not be able to communicate with each other any more, and we just can't accept that fate. We don't want to leave each other. I would never leave my brother alone, and I would never leave my brother alone either. We love each other too much and life would be unbearable without each other, State. We would be lost in darkness and silence, and without each other. We can't live with that option. We won't leave each other. We can't do that to each other. We don't want to do that to each other. We won't do that to each other, State... our decision is to be euthanized together, before our last glimpses of each other. Thank you."

The state fought them for three years on this, as the brothers grew blinder and blinder.

Finally, mercy shined its light on the brothers' fading eyes, and for a moment they saw each other clearly. They smiled at each other—they would get their wish.

They were taken to a hospital to be euthanized. They were put on gurneys. At this point the brothers were very old. They were ushered into a room. They held hands and looked at each other—they could barely see.

One brother nodded to the other. The other brother nodded back. They could still see each other. Liquids were pumped into their veins, and the brothers became very calm. Everything was very serene, and they became sedated. They felt well. They nodded to each other again, and as they held hands, they began to cry. One brother got up—never letting go of his brothers hand—and got into his brothers gurney. Their other brother and their parents began to cry. The nurses and doctors were crying as well. They held each other.

One brother finally breathed his last breath, as he mouthed to his brother, "I love you." His brother mouthed back, "I love you too." And one brother was peacefully gone. The other brother held his brother, as he became sleepier and sleepier; he could feel the passing away. He smiled, kissed his brother on the forehead, and breathed his last breath.

There the brothers lay holding each other and passed away—gone to SEE and HEAR the LORD, sing songs and dance, and be together forever in heaven.

This is a true story.

The Huffington Post - 1/14/2013 - http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/14/twin-brothers-die-by-euthanasia-after-blind-diagnosis_n_2470551.html

Two Angels and One Archangel

I had already died a long time ago. Time in heaven was weird. You see we're always waiting for another second, another minute, another hour, another day to go by—not so in heaven. Time is different in heaven. There's never another moment, neither one past, nor one coming up. Everything and all just is.

So, I had my hands in my pockets (and in heaven you don't even have hands or pockets), and I was walking around, just saying hello to folks.

The angels kind of keep to themselves, because they're a little bit different; we don't quite understand them, and they don't quite understand us. There is a lot in heaven that is not quite understood. I thought that once I got to heaven I would know everything. That wasn't the case.

I slowed down by two angels that were having some kinda argument. Sometimes, if the angels noticed that you were listening to them, they'd fly off somewhere to the Angel's Lounge, so that you wouldn't listen to their strange conversations.

"Hey shhhh Billy. Let me grab a cigarette," one angel whispered to the other, as I walked by in my heaven outfit.

"Man motherfucker, I ain't got no cigarettes, and I ain't had no cigarettes for a long time now, and you know that," the other was annoyed.

I bent over and picked up a bug, so that it would seem like I wasn't listening to them.

"Well, I want a cig man. Do you think we outta stop smoking?"

"Shit dude, if I got a cig right now I'd smoke it, but it fucking sucks. Once I start smoking, I need one to go to sleep."

"Ya, me too. Fuck."

"Let's go ask Gabriel if he has smokes. He's in and knows whoever to get smokes all the time."

"Ha ha! Yous crazy. You wanna ask an archangel for a smoke? He gon beat our asses you dumb ass."

"Man, I'm tired and now that you bring it up, I want a smoke. Fuck it. Let's ask him and be respectful."

"I'm in."

"Hey human," the second angel was addressing me—fuck.

I picked up a Lady Bug and turned, acting as if I hadn't been listening, "What do you angels want? What do you want? Go mind your own business. I'm trying to admire the bugs here can't you see?" I had to act annoyed, because humans were a little higher on the totem pole in heaven.

"Hey we mean no disrespect. We're gonna go get smokes from Gabriel, and we were wondering if you'd come with us. Gabriel is nicer when we're with humans. Do us a solid?"

I had to keep acting annoyed, "Man, I don't even fucking smoke. Why y'all even smoke? And why y'all wanna go bother Gabriel? He's gonna fuck us all up. Just get some of Jesus' wine and shut the fuck up."

"Nah, homie, we just haven't smoked in a while. Don't make us beg," this was the second angel talking to me the whole time.

"OK. Fuck it. I'm up for some trouble. On one condition: what's y'alls' names?"

The angels looked at each other, and the second one spoke up, "Fuck it. I'm Billy, and this is Jeremy. You know we're not suppose to get to know each o' too good. Yous humans suppose to be mo' respected."

"Man, don't tell me how it is up here. We been up here fo' a long ass time fool," I countered.

"Let's go then?" — Billy.

"Ya man, let's role...how do you guys even know where Gabriel is? He's a fucking big shot," I wondered.

"He's always behind the Angel's Lounge in the alleyway," Jeremy the angel finally spoke up.

"OK. Let's get you guys some smokes, if Gabriel will hook you up."

We walked a ways, we flew a couple million miles, we went through different warp-holes, we passed a millennia of old-school vets, we loved a million women, we flew through space, we made friends, we prayed to Jesus, we were holy, and we finally arrived behind the Angel's Lounge.

"Alright human—"

"Dude, my name is Danny."

"Sorry...Danny, go behind the alleyway, and say hello to Gabriel, and then me and Jeremy will come up behind you, and you'll acknowledge us. That'll impress Gabriel."

"Whatever."

I straightened my suit out. I put my hands in my pocket, and I started whistling 'Wake Up Dead Man," by U2, and I walked briskly behind the Angel's Lounge.

WOW. I saw him. I hadn't seen Gabriel in a long time. It was always awesome in the best sense of the word. He was just a huge fucking spectacular warrior of an angel. He was an angel that could take out an army of angels. I had never spoken to him before. He was surrounded by about five angel women. There were no humans in sight. I knew I was going to be respected because Jesus had died for us, but I was still very intimidated.

Gabriel saw me and instantly turned around and addressed me, "Lord, what are you doing around these parts? Please let me know how I can help you."

WOW. He was totally talking to me, "Archangel Gabriel, no need to call me Lord. Thank you for everything you've done for the kingdom."

"No need to thank me for anything. Always thank the LORD. How can I help you?"

"Oh...," I didn't know what to say. I thought the dumbass normal angels would have showed up by now, "Tell me. What was it like fighting the devil and his demons?"

The women angels giggled, and I felt like a fool. Gabriel looked at them condescendingly and they shut the hell up.  He spoke to me, "It was no joke Danny. They only look for blood and would like nothing more than to see me dead and non-existent. At every moment, they dream for my death, for the death of you, for the death of Jesus, God, and the Holy Ghost. They only have one goal on their minds: death."

"I see," I was terrified all of a sudden.

"Yes. Michael and I must worry about their wellbeing, about protecting humans, and about protecting our army of angels, and making sure that they don't take any more angels or people to their side. So, they only have one goal, and Michael and I have many goals and rules to abide by. So—to answer your question—it's a bitch, but God gives us strength, and we believe in Love, sir."

"I'm impressed Michael...I mean Gabriel! Sorry!" I fucked up.

"It's OK. It happens once in a while. There's only two of us, after all—"

That's when Jeremy and Billy showed up.

"Lord Danny, good to see you again," they both recited at the same time, and I knew they had been practicing that stupid phrase.

I turned hard and glared at them, "No need to call me Lord. I was just on my way out. Please enjoy your Lounge."

And then Billy spoke up, "Oh hello Gabriel sir. We didn't mean to interrupt," and Jeremy gave me a hard look.

Ah poor angels, I thought. They just wanted their damn cigarettes. I turned around.

"Gabriel, fine soldier and worshiper of Jesus, would you happen to have a cigarette or two. I have been drinking Jesus's wine for a couple millennia now, and I am getting a craving for some nicotine. I hope I am not insulting you by asking you," I played it off just fine.

"Lord Danny—"

"Please archangel Gabriel, do not call me Lord."

"Danny, let me send you off with a couple crates of cigarettes for your journeys."

"I would appreciate that."

And so the archangel Gabriel brought out a couple crates of cigarettes for me to take on the road, and I responded to him, "archangel Gabriel, give my best to Michael if you see him. I actually have a date with Jesus and a wife I used to have on Earth; her name is Lise Louiselle Marie Martineau. We are going to have some wine. Do you mind if I use these useful angels to help me carry these crates of cigarettes? I have known Jeremy and Billy for some time now, but if you need to speak to them, I can call other angels to help me."

"Absolutely not, please take Billy and Jeremy. They are fine angels, and I will be calling upon them for promotions soon," and then Gabriel addressed the angels, "Jeremy, please take care and say hello to your mother; you have been a great angel, and I am promoting you soon. Billy, please stop causing trouble and I will not demote you. I have a mission for you soon, and if you undertake it successfully, I will not demote you, and I will even consider promoting you. Do not fail Lord Danny, and if you do he will tell me of his troubles. Take care, all of you. Goodbye."

The angels knew better than to respond, and they simply bowed to Gabriel. Me on the other hand, "Alright Gabriel. Take care, and don't give the ladies too much of a hard time!" He laughed and I laughed, and we waved at each other goodbye.

"Enjoy your smokes Billy...Jeremy," I handed the crates over to them.

"So are you really going to have dinner with Jesus?" Jeremy was cool.

"Yup, Jeremy. I'm pretty tight with him. Listen, both of you, look me up. Let's hang out whenever. You guys are fun guys. I'll talk to you soon, OK?"

"You got it Lord Danny!" They both accidentally jinxed themselves.

"Don't call me Lord Danny—Just Danny."

The Desire to Believe

All arguments for and against the existence of god aside, it is interesting that some people want to believe in the existence of a god, and that others want to believe that god does not exist.  It is obvious why people would want a god to exist: heaven, love, everlasting life, cool shit, the fact that there's a god out there is a pretty awesome idea.  How epic would it be to encounter a Galactus type character?  Very epic!  The desire/want to believe that god exists makes sense to me.  It is akin to wanting something cool to exist: I wish unicorns existed!  How much fun would it be to ride those motherfuckers around the sky?  I guess if they did exist though, we wouldn't be so impressed by them.  Look at whales and sharks and the universe!  They are insane!  They actually exist, yet we are hardly impressed by them!  How sad that we are so apathetic about all of creation; it's all so monotonous to us, despite how incredible and relentlessly unbelievable and staggering it all is.  Why would anyone want god to not exist?  I am only referring to people that--despite arguments for or against the existence of god--hate the idea of god existing.  Perhaps they do not want hell to exist, and so they don't want to believe in god; there are ideas of god that don't entail an everlasting hell, though, and yet these people would rather god did not exist.  I don't understand this aversion to the belief in god.  It seems like a more beautiful thing to at least want to believe in a good god; it is a more good thing for everyone; for although some people that don't believe in god claim love and goodness are objective things that come through evolution, those things are nonetheless relative and arbitrary--ultimately meaningless.  God provides a solid, real, non-arbitrary foundation for such things: goodness, love, etc.  To want to believe that god does not exist is FUCKING absurd, if you ask me.  It makes much more sense to at least want to believe that god exists.  Who wouldn't want to believe in the best possible reality, where there is a heaven, perfect justice, goodness, and meaning?  Apparently, there are some people that wouldn't want to.  I remember a fellow student once said, "If there is a god, I'd rather go to hell than to heaven."  Why people would rather believe in a meaningless universe and a meaningless life is a question psychologists can probably answer.  I do understand people not wanting to believe that god exists, because of different arguments, though; I can see them being agnostic on the issue.  It seems to me that atheism is dead, though.

I hear/read statements such as this one often: "We don't need god to answer or explain how the universe and life began to exist."  I don't know how anyone can know that for certain (just because you arrived at cool answers about the nature of the universe and life does not mean you arrived at those answers sans god).  In any case, people take such statements and really run with them!  People take that statement, and with it take it to mean that god does not exist, or that we don't need to believe in god, or that there are no good reasons to believe in god, or that we don't need to further argue the case for or against god.  That statement is not an argument for atheism.  I don't need my mother to explain how milk got into the refrigerator.  There are many ways in which the milk could have gotten there.  Sometimes it is not about what answer is needed.  Sometimes it's about which answer is the best answer or which answer is the most logical or which answer has the most evidence to support it.  You can just as well say, "We don't need the sciences to answer or explain how the universe and life began to exist."  Those kinds of statements don't really get us anywhere.