What Is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning "Good Death"; making the choice of when to die.
Euthanasia is the death of a person who may have serious illness or is seriously handicapped mentally or physically, who wants to, or someone feels that his or her life should end to stop the pain.
When we talk about euthanasia, we talk about the death and that it is related to suicide, euthanasia is different to suicide; Euthanasia involves more than one person (the patient and the assistant, giving or withholding medication) whereas suicide has mainly just one person involved.
There are different types of euthanasia,
Voluntary Euthanasia; Asking for assistance for the death of the ill or injured patient. The patient wants someone to help them die, maybe because they are not physically able to do it. Because of the law, it is know as
"Assisted suicide".
Involuntary Euthanasia; Someone other than the patient is making the choice; doctor or a relative.
Passive Euthanasia; leaving the patient to die; withholding life saving medication, to the patients will, knowing the patient will die.
Active Euthanasia; Making the patient die, on purpose, by giving them a higher dose of medication, although the side effect caused is death. This is to reduce the amount of pain experienced.
Currently in the United Kingdom, all forms of euthanasia are illegal. However, in Holland it is legal, nevertheless, you have to follow there strict regulations and take many meetings with doctors, specialists and witnesses before they can even consider euthanasia. Although this seems like hard work, many people still travel to Holland so they can obtain euthanasia.
An example of euthanasia that is recent is the story of José. She lived in the Netherlands, she was 30 years old, and she wanted to obtain euthanasia because of her problems, by asking a doctor to end her life.
José was a diabetic and the diabetes had caused her serious problems in her stomach. The disease had destroyed all of her nerve endings and so she could not digest food normally.
José received liquidised food by a tube directly into her intestine. Occasionally some of the liquidised food seeped up into her stomach, causing her to vomit, violently. Her weight rapidly decreased from seventy kilograms to only forty-two kilograms.
None of the treatment she received changed anything. She was still violently sick.
Her specialist doctor gave her Anti-Depressant drugs, instead of granting euthanasia, against José's wishes.
A local doctor decided that he would consider euthanasia, but waited four months before consultants approved it.
Later, José had a lethal injection that ended her life.
What Christian Teachings Are Used?
There is no direct teaching of euthanasia in the Bible; it does not mention the word. Christians relate to teachings about birth, death and murder to compensate for the absence of euthanasia teachings.
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None of the treatment she received changed anything. She was still violently sick.
Her specialist doctor gave her Anti-Depressant drugs, instead of granting euthanasia, against José's wishes.
A local doctor decided that he would consider euthanasia, but waited four months before consultants approved it.
Later, José had a lethal injection that ended her life.
What Christian Teachings Are Used?
There is no direct teaching of euthanasia in the Bible; it does not mention the word. Christians relate to teachings about birth, death and murder to compensate for the absence of euthanasia teachings.
Christians follow quotes out of the Bible to answer some of there euthanasia questions. These include "do not commit murder" they might interpret this as that people should not help people with their death. In addition, "He (God) sets the time for birth and death," meaning that times of which someone is born and dies have to not be interfered because God meant them to die / be born at this time. "Why die before you have to...?" Meaning that you should have a chance to live your life to the maximum you possibly can. There is however, a quote, which could work either way, "love your neighbour as you love your self." If you loved your neighbour as yourself, you might not want to live through the pain and agony you would experience and so would insist on some form of euthanasia to stop this.
Different Christians have different beliefs and the majority are in the different Churches.
The Catholic Church states that euthanasia can never be right, even under circumstances someone's life must not end short, and only God can make these decisions.
The Church of England exclaims that God is with you until the end, he will help you through life and not take it away. They agree that the sanctity of life is very important and realise that doctors do not have to everything possible to keep someone alive, it is their call. They also believe that the older and the ill population are specially treated, and feel wanted and important members of the community.
The Roman Catholic Church is totally against euthanasia, and stresses that any act witch intentionally brings about the death of someone is the same a murder. However it accepts that some drug, witch intend to relieve the patient of the pain, might also shorten there life.
The Church also states that usual treatment must continue e.g. such as feeding the patient, but uncommon treatments such as surgery, is unlikely to succeed. They also believe that sick people should receive special attention and treatment.
The Baptist Church treats euthanasia similar to abortion, they raise similar issues like; is it right to take life? They believe that all life is sacred, and therefore worth preserving. However, Baptists usually agree when a person is "Brain Dead", and have no chance of recovery, that it is therefore acceptable to stop treatment (life-support or other) and let the patient die naturally. However, they do not believe speeding up the process of death e.g. giving lethal dose of drugs is appropriate.
All Christians believe that taking life is wrong, but sometimes Christians might think that it is for the best, under the circumstances.
In addition, Jesus' teaching of Agape falls into this; you should always put other people first, and consider what the best is for them.
Using Their Beliefs
About 95% of Christians believe that euthanasia is wrong, and about 5% believe that in some circumstances that it might be the most loving thing to do (agape).
The 95% of Christians who believe that euthanasia is wrong will not discuss the subject, and will always say no to the legalisation of euthanasia. They will, however pray for the patients. They would also offer the, support in many ways: cooking, cleaning, financial problems. Christians also get involved with protests and campaigns to stop the any legalisation of euthanasia. The Christians will also vote for the candidates that will try to stop any legalisation of euthanasia.
There is however different ways of treating serious illnesses.
The word "Hospice" has been in use for a long time. In medieval times, the word actually meant a Church that cared for people whether they were ill, dieing, travellers, homeless or elderly.
Today a Hospice offers a service, not met by hospitals. They offer full support and help for their patients. The patients there can be visited by there friends and / or relatives. Hospices have expertise in pain relief and there aim is to improve the quality of their patient's lives. The Hospice will also deal with patients minor problems such as skin irritations and will help them if they have money problems! Christians believe that to accomplish a "good death" you should surround the patient with love, care and support.
St. Giles Hospice
St. Giles Hospice is in Whittington, near Lichfield; it has to cover a wide range of the surrounding population, with limited beds.
St Giles Hospice offers high-quality medical and nursing care for the people living with serious illnesses, as well as providing support for their families and carers.
The hospice's services are offered free of charge, regardless of race or religion, and staff pride themselves on offering an individual programme of care tailored to the needs of each patient.
All of there workers are volunteers and there services are free.
The very special care offered by St Giles Hospice extends not just to the patients' physical well-being, but also to their emotional and psychological needs.
The remaining 5% of Christians who do support euthanasia, but only in some circumstances, have to take on board some options:
They could try to arrange euthanasia by going to a different country were euthanasia is legal e.g. Holland, if there case is in the right conditions, and ask for euthanasia to be carried out there.
They could try to change the law in this country, be voting for the candidates who are for euthanasia.
Finally, they could support the Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES).
The VES are the leading UK's supplier of living wills.
Living wills are a legally binding way of making sure you get what you want when you are suffering a life choice problem, such as keeping the live support machine on, or stopping any medication you are receiving. In addition, the living will is able to say whether you would like to be tube-fed or resuscitated.
Living wills are only there so you can accept or refuse medical treatment, not to actively end life.
Do You Agree?
Personally I think that taking any life is wrong, accept in certain situations, like the person is suffering so much pain, that they themselves, would like to have euthanasia to end it, I would have help them.
I cannot say that I have first hand experience with euthanasia or even death in close relations. I think if it I had to choose whether someone lived or died, I would think hard. If I had to help them, either live or die, I would help; so that they did not suffer any more pain would be my aim. I would take into consideration their feelings and permissions before making a decision.
Some people believe that euthanasia can always be justified, that if someone wants to receive euthanasia that they should be able to receive it without having to break any laws. These groups of people are Humanists; they believe that a person should be able to get the treatment they want.
There are Christians that support euthanasia, only at certain points. These Christians do not believe taking life is right, but they also believe that people should not have to suffer from pain.
For Euthanasia Against Euthanasia
*People are give free will *People may be able to learn
by god and should be able from others sufferings'
to choose what they want *Life is sacred, destroying
*Stopping suffering is loving it is wrong
Brett Rigby 11T RE Coursework
