why do christians oppose euthanasia

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Why do many Christians appose euthanasia?

Euthanasia is when someone is terminally ill and do not want to live any more. This is a confusing and torturing time for the person that is thinking of euthanasia and the people around then if they know about it. Sometimes euthanasia can just be a phase and people forget that they ever thought of it, but some people feel so strong that they want this done to them that they will not give up until they win. There are three main types of euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is when somebody assists them killing them as they may not be able to physically do it themselves. Involuntary euthanasia is when the person being killed is capable of consenting of their own death but does not do so; this normally ends up in being murder. Non voluntary euthanasia is when someone is not able to say if they want to be killed or not. For example if they are in a coma. Doctors will end up making the decision. All of these types of euthanasia can be passive or active. Passive means allowing a patient to die by withholding medical treatment. Active meaning deliberately taking actions to end someone’s life.

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Christians and Protestants have very different views on this subject. Christians appose euthanasia very strongly as they think that life is so sacred it is better than no life at all. If they are going through physical pain Christians think that can be sorted by drugs. They also think that some people making the decision are clinically depressed, and therefore not fit to make such a vital decision. Christian groups believe that God has given us life so therefore he should be the one to take it away. All strong Christian churches appose euthanasia and this is what john Paul II strongly condemned “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” I think that is saying that all euthanasia is murder what ever the circumstances and should not take place. He thinks there are better and easier ways to get out of the pain they are going through. They think life is sacred and nothing should take it away except for God himself.

On the other hand people believe that individuals should work out this decision. These people being the Protestants put themselves in the shoes of the patient. They can see past the physical and can see the mental pain that they are going through. It is easy to throw a few drugs into someone to stop the physical pain but there is no drug that can cure the mental side. They realise that they can’t totally understand what the patient is going through and see that the best person to make the decision over euthanasia is the patient. Protestants look at it totally differently to the Catholics, they say that if God has given us out own free will then sure we have the will to decide weather we want to live or not.

Both base their beliefs on the bible because both Catholics and Protestants take quotes out of the bible and use them to back up their opinion. Catholics back up their argument by saying “thou shall not kill” Catholics see this as in no circumstances should death be used to solve any problems. Protestants can come back with the same quote and say that the killing the bible is talking about is murder, if someone is giving their consent to euthanasia then it is not murder it is what the person wants. What ever quote either the Catholics or the Protestants come up with the other side will always be able to come back with their own opinion to back up that quote.

My own view is I have no problems with euthanasia I think that it is the person’s decision weather they wish to live or not. I just think they need plenty of time to think it through and make sure it is defiantly what they want. I think that Catholics look at it wrong when they say that the pain can be solved by drugs because those only deals with the physical pain and will not sort out the mental pain the patient is going through. Catholics also say that we should enjoy our quality of life, but if your life is being paralyzed, not being able to do anything where is the quality in that?

Matthew Leonard