Should Euthanasia be legalised in Britain?

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Euthanasia

Should Euthanasia be legalised in Britain?

The term ‘Euthanasia’ comes from the Greek word for ‘easy death’. Is that not how we would like our end to be? Unfortunately, Euthanasia is one of the most controversial issues being debated about in society today. Formally called ‘mercy killing’, euthanasia is the act of purposely making or helping someone to die, instead of allowing nature to take it’s course. Basically, euthanasia means killing in the name of compassion. We would all agree that every human being has the right to life; it is the most basic and fundamental of all our rights, and with every right comes a choice. I firmly believe that everyone has the right to choose how he or she live and die. Every one deserves respect, freedom and the power to control their own destiny. Yet, not everybody will have an easy death. Some terminal pain cannot be controlled, even with the best of care and the strongest of drugs. Other distressing symptoms, which come with disease, such as sickness, immobility, incontinence, breathlessness and fever cannot always be relieved. Pain is not always the issue- quality of life is too.

  Those against euthanasia say that it is morally wrong and against God’s plan. These people believe that no one has the right to play God. Christians believe that we are made in the image of God and therefore human life is God’s gift to us and is sacred- we are not the owners of life, but its guardians, we belong to God because he created us. To them, tampering with God’s plan would be a crime in itself. Many religions follow this belief; so do not believe in suicide or assisted dying.

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 Euthanasia may also be problematic in that sometimes in life miracles, as rare as they are, can happen. Many people argue that a person who is terminally ill may make a miraculous recovery- it has happened in the past. A farmer in Holland is living proof that miracles do happen in real life. Hans Vight aged thirty-one fell off a ladder and was immediately rushed to hospital where he fell into a deep coma. His determined wife vowed never to give up on him and six years later her prayers were answered when he woke up from the coma.

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