What are the moral and religious differences between euthanasia and suicide?

The third type of euthanasia which is non-voluntary is the killing of someone who is not in a position to ask to die or live as for example the individual is in a coma, he/she cannot say or be asked whether the individual wants to live or not.

Euthanasia can be taken further and split into two more types, passive and active. Active euthanasia is to end a life, for example by administrating a lethal injection; passive euthanasia is the termination of an individual's treatment.

Finally euthanasia can also be described as self administrated euthanasia, which is to take ones life at their own accord, also known as suicide.

Suicide is an alternative to death at the hands of someone else or is committed for personal motives, but depending on specific times and places it can be seen as heroic i.e. protecting the president or condemned by religious authorities. Suicide can be performed out of loyalty to a dead person or master or to escape punishment or execution. The problem of suicide can be approached from two different angles, sociologically, which stresses social pressure on people to commit suicide and the psychoanalytic, which centers on the guilt and anxiety of people.

Both suicide and euthanasia point out that death is preferable to the suffering which would be sustained of continuing life relating to pain of either physical or mentally which the individuals seek to avoid.

Many religions condemn both euthanasia and suicide. The Catechism says that "whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. Thus an act or omission which of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded"

On suicide the Catechism says

"Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of thy neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations"

A traditional Catholic approach would argue that euthanasia and suicide are wrong, as life is a sacred gift from God and as humans we are asked to preserve it and make it fruitful as to take a life opposes Gods love for that person and rejects the duty of a person to live a life laid down by Gods plans. The Roman Catholic Church condemned anyone who asked for assisted death, as it is an offense to human dignity, a crime against life and an attack on humanity, Declaration of Euthanasia. For Christians especially suffering plays an important parting their faith because Jesus suffered on a cross for us suggesting human suffering means that it is a life lived in faith. In the book of Job it describes Job refusing to take his life arguing that the human race must accept suffering just as we accept happiness and joy backed up by the Catechism "Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible"

Jesus himself taught us to love thy neighbour and those who call themselves Christians are asked to follow his examples, the problem arises when regarding to euthanasia. Obviously stopping all suffering and pain is important