What are the religious and ethical considerations to the issue of euthanasia?

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Euthanasia essay

Carly smart

What are the religious and ethical considerations to the issue of euthanasia?

The word euthanasia originated from the Greek language; eu means “good” and thantos means “death”. One meaning given to the word is “the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies”. The term euthanasia normally implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. There are many different types of euthanasia these are: passive euthanasia which is the hastening of a persons death by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course e.g. removing life support equipment. Another form of euthanasia is active euthanasia; this involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person. A well known example was the mercy killing in 1998 of a patient with ALS by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician.

There is also physician assisted suicide, this is where a physician supplies information / or the means of committing suicide e.g. a prescription for a lethal dose of sleeping pills, or a supply of carbon monoxide gas.

Involuntary euthanasia which seems to cause the most outrage is where the killing of a person takes place in which the person has not explicitly requested aid in dying. This is most often done to patients who are in a persistent vegetative state and will probably never recover.

Euthanasia raises both moral and religious issues. These issues can affect both the suffering individual and the   person who carries out the termination.

An Issue which kuhse brought up which relates to both passive and active euthanasia is what is the distinction between killing and letting die?

Some may see the distinction being the person who kills causes death whereas the person does nothing is simply letting nature run its course.

Glover stated that when looking at this distinction it is necessary to look at “the degree to which they are expensive, unusual, difficult, and painful or dangerous. These are called ordinary and extraordinary means.

 The main argument is argument of the santicty of life approach against the autonomy of the individual. The church believes that  life is sacred and dissagree’s will any of the following crimes against life such as murder , suicide,abortion etc. God gave life to us as a gift and which ‘we are called apon to preserve it and make it fruitful’(decalaration on Euthanasia,1980) Human life is a gift from God. We are stewards of this gift, not owners. It is our responsibility to nurture it, respect it, and protect it. Human life has value regardless of its nature or quality. Life has special dignity and worth. Human life is a "trust" and not a personal "possession" over which we have full control. No one can claim total mastery over one's own life or another's life. Every innocent human being is absolutely equal to all others. This equality is the basis of all authentic social relationships and can only be founded on truth and justice, recognizing and protecting every man and woman as a person and not as an object to be used. God alone has sovereignty over life and death. The taking of one's life is not a human right and intentionally causing death is a rejection of God's sovereignty over life.

To take someones life opposes gods love for that person , and rejects the duty of the person to live according to god’s plan. The catholic church makes it clear that it is wrong to ask someone to assist your death , as it questions the violation of the divine law. It is an offence against the dignity of the human person and a crime against humanity.  The church believes we do not have the freedom to decide wiether we live or die as it is gods choice and only his.We were made for his purpose and we should fulfil that purpose through life.

According to the catechism of the catholic church “ an act of omission which , of itself or by intention , causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes to a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his creator”. Here the church once again  expresses that any form of killing is deemed as wrong.

Even in the modern catholic view is against euthanasia . Pope paul the second 1995, in the evangelium vitae quotes “Euthanasia must be called a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing “perversion” of mercy.” This showing the modern negative view.

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The docturine of faith quotes life as being “something sacred” and the argument is shown clearly in the story of creation (Genisis 1-2:4)

 The main argument put up against this is the autonomy (Argued for by john stuart mill , utilitarian) John stuart argues that I matters that do not concern others , individuals should have complete autonomy . Which is the idea that the person has compelete control over what happen to their body life as well as death.

Utilitarianists believe autonomy is a liberty of action .Autonomy is defined as the absence of the use of force ...

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