(comprehensivechristian.com)
Mercy Killing; the deliberate ending of life of a person suffering from an incurable disease.
Euthanasia raises agonizing moral questions like these:
- Is it ever right for another person to end the life of a terminally ill patient who is in severe pain or enduring other suffering?
- If euthanasia is sometimes right, under what circumstances is it right?
- Is there any moral difference between killing someone and letting them die?
“At the heart of the ethical and religious arguments over euthanasia are the different ideas that people have of the meaning and value of human existence, and of whether human beings have the right to decide issues of life and death for themselves.
There are also a number of arguments based on practical issues.
Some people think that euthanasia shouldn’t be allowed even if it was morally right, because it would be abused and used as a cover for murder.”
As a civilized society, I believe we should allow people to die with dignity, and without pain. There are specific circumstances and regulations that should protect the elderly, while still having this option available.
Religious Opponents of Euthanasia that believe life should be taken away by God, as it is given by God, should re-assess the situation. Euthanasia should not interfere with pro-life beliefs, and cannot be placed in the same category as Abortion.
Ultimately, the topic of euthanasia is fighting and hindered by the code of ethics and beliefs deeply rooted in religion and practice for centuries. It may be easy to dismiss something that has never been allowed, but the more discussion on the issue, the more thought will be provoked in people who were previously neutral about it.
Read Terri Schiavo’s story on the home page and evaluate what your ethics mean too you.
Two doctors from Harvard offer insight in their journal titled “Terri Shiavo Deserved to Die with More Dignity.” They described how “society withheld from her the option of a quiet, peaceful and swift death by active euthanasia… She died slowly, gradually. Although she apparently did not feel any of this, her family did, and so did we.” It truly is odd that we find it more acceptable to see a human dying away slowly without food and water then to imagine euthanasia. People may argue that actively killing someone will shed a negative light on our medical profession, however removing a feeding tube followed by inaction is “natural”? Part of the drama could be taken away if Terri had died with dignity, and I believe stories like hers offer a deeper connection to readers who would have otherwise dismissed the possibility of Euthanasia.
SOURCES: http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/scottish_anatomy/euthanasia_ethics.html
Matt Szewczyk
Allow Euthanasia 