What is Euthanasia?

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Josh Nixon Miss Glenn

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is defined as the practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release a certain person from an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death.

Active euthanasia is when a doctor, for example would painlessly end the life of a patient for merciful reasons, like giving them a lethal or poisonous injection of medication. Passive euthanasia is when you are not doing something to prevent the death of a patient, for example using a life support machine to keep a terminally ill patient alive.

Currently in the UK there is no law directly dealing with euthanasia. Although it is illegal to actively end another person's life for example giving a patient a lethal injection, in reality some doctors may practice a form of 'passive euthanasia'. It is allowed that in some cases, if after everything possible has been done save a person, they might be allowed to die if the circumstances show that death is inevitable, this could for example turning off their life support machine. This still requires the consent of the patient or, if they are unable to communicate such a decision, their immediate family.

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‘EXIT’ is one of the many euthanasia societies in the UK who whose aims are to try and change the laws about euthanasia. They what to ensure that: An adult that is suffering from a severe illness, in which there is no relief should by law be entitled to the opportunity to end their life by a painless death, and they hope to give doctors the ability to incurable patients to die peacefully at their own request. This society is out to change the laws at it’s member feel that it would quickly and humanely end a patients suffering, ...

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Most Christians would argue that since life is given by God it is only God who has the right to take life away. However many Christians would argue that since it is possible for modern medicine to keep a person alive there should be the possibility to "turn the machines off" if a person is clinically or brain dead. Euthanasia questions the role that the elderly, infirm and handicapped have in our society. Because the care of the elderly is an important part of this, is euthanasia helping people to "die with dignity"?

Some Christians who disagree with euthanasia but support the idea of dying with dignity have been involved with the setting up of the Hospice movement. Many of the Hospices have a Christian foundation. All Christians also believe in life after death and so would not consider death as the end of life but as a stage on the road. Christians would argue that the arguments presented in this submission grow out of our belief that God himself has given to humankind the gift of life. As such, it is to be revered and cherished and that the whole of humankind is the recipient of God’s gift of life. It is to be received with gratitude and used responsibly. Human beings each have their own distinct identities but these are formed by and take their place within complex networks of relationships.

In the case study we are told that John who I mentioned is 80 and has server diabetes. Being a Christian he would immediate be against euthanasia, though after watching a programme he has been thinking a lot about it, and is starting to consider weather euthanasia may help him get away from all the pain that her has to go through. I certainly disagree with him, and he should stay with his beliefs. Life is a gift that God himself gave us and should not be taken away by another means or person, accept by God. Also I feel that euthanasia is making him devalue his life, which is the most important thing in the world. Why should he be making it disposable? I also believe that euthanasia makes people such as this person feel like they are a nuisance, and they might decide to opt for euthanasia, even no they may want to life on, as this opinion may be open to them. Euthanasia should be kept for people like these. It would only give then ideas that could lead to disaster.

Total Number of Words: 744