Last Friday, Circuit Judge George Greer ordered the feeding tube keeping Theresa “Terri” Schiavo, 41, alive to be removed in three weeks. After a seven-year legal battle, Terri’s fate has been decided. Her story has drawn members from both sides of the political spectrum to rally around the ideas of “right to life” and “right to die.”

While many have turned Schiavo’s situation into a moral issue, ultimately the law has fallen in favor of her husband, Michael Schiavo, who wants to respect her wishes to not to be kept alive in such a state.

Reasons to keep Terri Schiavo alive have been raised by her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler. They argue that she should be kept alive because Terri was a practicing Catholic, and it is the Catholic church’s belief that euthanasia is a sin. While it would be ideal to make considerations surrounding a person’s religious beliefs, such a practice is not always feasible – especially when it comes to decision making in the realm of law.

If the U.S. judicial system was to use religious beliefs as a template for determining the interpretation of the laws of the United States, it would undermine the fairness and balance that should be exercised in the courtroom. Religion should be respected, but it cannot trump the laws and legal documents in our society. The interpretation of an ancient text does not override the decisions of our lawmakers. Furthermore, congress should not enact laws based solely on religious dogma.

We applaud the Florida courts for ruling in favor of Michael Schiavo and his wife’s final wishes. To deny a person the right to determine their own destiny is wrong. The rights of an individual must always be respected or else our society will witness personal freedom erode.

Gov. Jeb Bush should be criticized for his role in delaying the final wishes of Mrs. Schiavo. His callous and reckless practices of pushing laws that would give him the power to decide the final fate of Schiavo and others in her position is unacceptable. Even the Florida Supreme Court has stated that Gov. Bush “violated a cornerstone of American democracy” by literally taking the law – and Terri’s life – into his own hands. Such an act places the lives and choices of free individuals into a prison of prolonged suffering. This act of Gov. Bush removes the dignity and will that all U.S. citizens should be entitled to. The Florida courts made the correct ruling by recognizing the necessity of personal freedom.

Fifteen long years after Terri Schiavo’s condition came as a result of a heart attack, she can finally complete the final stages of her life and her husband can find some closure in his own personal life as well. No amount of religious-based objection or morality- driven legislation can remove the security and finality that the law of our nation brings its citizens.

If we are to promote the individual rights of our citizens and preserve their freedom to make their own choices, we should respect their decisions from the moment of their birth to their final moments. It is only with this idea that true liberty can be maintained, and peace in one’s life can be found.