play God

play God

To have a huge affect on or great power over someone's life, livelihood, health, or happiness. Many of these investment bankers like the idea of playing God, having the power to make or break the lives of those whose finances they control. As a doctor, you have to detach yourself emotionally from your patients, or else you risk feeling like you're playing God with them.
See also: god, play

play God

COMMON If someone plays God, they behave as if they have the right to make the most important decisions, especially relating to the creation or ending of life. They accused the doctors of playing God, Note: This expression is used in a disapproving way.
See also: god, play

play God

behave as if all-powerful or supremely important.
See also: god, play

play ˈGod

behave as if you control events or other people’s lives: It is unfair to ask doctors to play God and end someone’s life.
See also: god, play
References in periodicals archive ?
I have dedicated my life and career (which included six years of education) to agriculture and I don't for a minute pretend to play God and shouldn't be accused of that because I support the genetic improvement of plants.
In response to "GMO God Move Over"
Yes when in the last years of your life and you have a terminal illness and you include in your will that you do not want to be resuscitated that is completely different you then wish the course of nature to take its course naturally but not to play God.
Concerns over assisted dying
ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING (12A) TERRY Jones directs and co-writes this otherworldly comedy, which suggests that if man was granted the ability to play God, he would make an almighty mess of it.
best of the rest
Octavia Spencer will play God in Lionsgate's adaptation of William P.
Players
FANS of the Monty Python musical Spamalot can now decide who gets to play God.
You can decide who plays God
If we didn't want to play God, we should never have developed medicine.
Playing God: it's what we are called to do
Peter Kasenene implies that Christians play God when they do not stand to pronounce and actively defend the principles and values of God's kingdom they profess to hold.
Playing God in Nigerian political experience: towards a Christian responsibility/Dievo vaidmuo Nigerijos politiniuose potyriuose: link Krikscioniskosios atsakomybes
These days we are told we should not play God and condone euthanasia but surely by letting a person die slowly, perhaps in terrible agony, it could be said you are playing God.
Playing God; LETTERS
I always knew that someone was going to come at me with a script to play God.
'I am God' says Morgan Freeman
WHICH idiot thinks it's a good idea to play God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols at the Olympics opening ceremony?
You Text; your letters
But for a group of youngsters to decide that they are the custodians of Sikh virtue and play God on the subject of religious duty and moral obligation is a grotesque turn of events.
Pair guilty of killing television executive
Rebus creator Rankin said: "The great thing about being a writer is you get to play God.
Crime king Ian writes off his enemies
John, seen by millions of TV viewers earlier this year taking on another all-powerful role as deputy prime minister John Prescott in political romp Confessions of a Dairy Secretary, admits it was daunting being asked to play God.
GOLD SLOT; GO... to a concert John Henshall's almighty role
If you've ever wanted to play God, you can get a tiny taste of what it would be like to have so much power at http://roxik.
WEB LIFE
Apparently that's what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when a physician and two nurses decided to play God and end the lives of a number of their patients with a deadly cocktail of morphine and Versed, a sedative.
The veterinary ethic
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