Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide

Nguyen 1

Kristine Nguyen

Morality: Period 1

Final Project

22 November 2012

Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and physician assisted arecommon practices that people use around the world. Euthanasia is a medical practice of ending a life in order to stop them from suffering. Passive euthanasia is a medical situation when the patients stop their treatment they receive which result in their death. Active euthanasia is a deliberate action to cause the person death. Physician assisted suicide is when a patient asks a physician to end their life so they can no longer suffer. The Church and many people do not support euthanasia and physician assisted because no one or themselves should take another or their own life, which is wrong. It maybe permissible to consider these options if a person are truly suffering in physical life threatening pain.

Many people from ancient times resort to euthanasia and physician assisted suicide because they want to end the life of a suffering person. Before, people rather die than suffer from a physical or mental pain. Now, there is another new reason people choose in euthanasia and assisted-suicide; because the person is in fear of being a burden to others, alone, unloved, and abandoned.It is different than it is intend for rather than dying off the pain. Society changes the person who is suffering feel like they are helpless and thinks that they are wasting other’s time.

There are many controversiesamong euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. There is a social acceptant that suicides were lead by abuse. They feel about being a burden to their love ones and they no longer want to suffer the pain. However, society thinks it is okay to commit suicide with consent, but for the Church it is not. The Catholic Church believes that it is immoral to end a person life. Society’s views, non-religious people, that the person is not important to value life for, and they do not care so much about it. Society values the “higher value on a human life that is of greater physical and mental quality, and a lesser value on individual human life that is of lesser physical and mental quality” (IAS). For example, most people believe that the handicapped child is less value than the healthy child because one is weaker than the other thus must value and treat each human individual differently.Both society and the Church agree that performing active and involuntary euthanasia without having consent upon a person is considered murder. It is immoral to perform an involuntary because that is murder. For example, a child, who was suffering from a serious medical condition that causes him pain, was given treatment to keep him alive. However, the child’s parents decided not let the child receive treatment anymore result into death in which this falls into murder.

There are two reasons that the Church does not allow euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. One of the reasons why the Church does not allow it is because it breaks the commandments. The commandment that is broken is “Thou shall not kill” (Bible). The person cannot help assist the death of the person and himself or herself as well. The second reason is that the gift of life from God should be cherished and it should not be thrown away. God created the gift of life for a reason to live and explore. It should not be trashed like it was nothing and everyone should appreciate what God has given.

No one should turn to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide unless they are truly suffering from intense pain. They should not die because they are “suffering” from the pain and scared that they are a burden to other people. They should recognize how great life is and should take advantage of that and try to work through the obstacles that they are dealing with. Although their biggest obstacle is suffering from something, there is another method to get rid of the suffering. Few methods that help get rid of their pain are; thinking positive, recognize that people are helping as much they can, distract themselves, take treatments, and take medication that help relieve their pains. Although the methods do not really get rid of their pain, but it is a temporarily way so they do not have to concentrate about their pain. However, if the person were suffering from a dangerous medical condition that is life threatening to near death in addition suffering from the excruciating pain, then it would be best for them to end their life early.For example, a person who has a rare disease that affect their body dramatically and feel the agonizing pain every second they are alive. However, the doctors could not find a cure and so it is best for them to die to end the pain than from suffering it.“It is never justified to intentionally bring an end to human life in order to relieve one of a burdensome existence” (McManaman). It is wrong to make the choice to artificially end the person’s life because it is murder, but if the person decides to then let them be. Whether or not to end their life, others should help them change their view of meaning of life even though they are suffering.

Many people end their life because they are suffering from a pain and they are afraid that they are being burdened, abandoned, and unloved. However, they should not resort into euthanasia and physician assisted because of that, unless they are really truly suffer from it. In the Church’s teaching, life should be cherished since it is a gift from God and choosing the option for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is consider breaking the commandment. Other people should take the time to change other’s point of view about life and so they can change their mind. However, the person is the only one that can make the decision. Today, euthanasia is not legal anymore in the United State. However, the physician-assisted suicide is legal in few states in the United State and it is legal in other countries as well. People who are relying physician-assisted suicide to end their life should not be used and there is always an alternative way to heal that suffering away. Although it might take a long relieve the suffering, it will make their life easier.

Annotated Bibliography:

R. M. "Euthanasia." New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 457-459. Gale Virtual Reference Library

Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008.

IAS "Introduction to Assisted Suicide: Current Controversies." Assisted Suicide. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.

McManaman, Doug. "Active Euthanasia Is Never Morally Justified." Assisted Suicide. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Euthanasia and the Sanctity of Life." Catholic Insight (Mar. 2010): 24-25

Morris, Wanda "End of life." Globe & Mail 19 June 2012: A16. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context