Essay, Research Paper: Euthanasia

Euthanasia may be defined as the action of killing an individual for reasons consideredmerciful. Euthanasia can be asserted many different ways. A family member, a friend, or aphysician could do the killing. The individual may die from the result of omitting life-savingdevices, such as respirators, from omitting life-saving medicines, or from being prescribed drugsthat would induce their death. Oregon has already passed laws allowing euthanasia, and Michiganis trying to presently pass a bill.Organizations like Compassion In Dying (CID), The Hemlock Society, and the EuthanasiaGuidance and Research Organization (ERGO!) are for euthanasia. These organizations say thateuthanasia is death with dignity. By killing a suffering patient one is performing an act ofcompassion to end their suffering. Guidelines are set on the suffering patients that want to die. The patient must be competent, must be within six months of dying, and must go through aprogram in which options are evaluated. In these programs, doctors and nurse discuss the otheroptions that the patient has, and is studied to see if the patient has faulty reasons for wanting todie. The organizations feel it is a person s right to die if they want to (Final Exit). Other organization like International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force ( IAETF) are againsteuthanasia. The organization finds euthanasia no different than the intentional killing of a human. Euthanasia can be abused. A person who is terminally ill will not have a sound mind to make aclear decision to choose to die. If killing sick people began legal, then people may die simplybecause they have become a burden. If you can t pay for keeping grandma on a respiratory thenyou could always just kill her. This is how anti-euthanasia organizations look at the topic ofeuthanasia (IAETF). The church does not agree with euthanasia at all. They feel that the sanctity of human lifeis much too strong to debate over. In a letter from Pope John Paul II, he says that, the newevangelization, which is a fundamental pastoral necessity in today s world, cannot neglect the
proclamation of the inviolable right to life which belongs to every person from the moment ofconception until life s natural end (par. 7). As members of the church, people promote theresponsibility they have over the preservation of life. The pope feels that euthanasia is simply thekilling of the innocent (par. 2). In the Bible it says, You shall not kill (Ex20:7). This passageputs the idea of euthanasia to rest. In Dt 32:39, it says, There is no God besides me, I put todeath and I bring to life. This passage also states that no one shall kill. God has the right to putto death what she put on this Earth. I agree with the church on this issue. Euthanasia is the killing of the innocent. Suicide,although not a federal crime, is a sin in the eyes of the church, and euthanasia is just another wayof saying suicide. As far as federal reasons go, it would be much too controversial to alloweuthanasia to be legal. So many people could just dump their problems into a hospital andeliminate them. It bothers me just to think that someone would kill his or her loved ones. Rightnow, the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force is rallying in Michigan, Oregon, and Australia. They have been concerning the legislative parties there to appeal the bills legalizing euthanasia. Ihave subscribed to a bi-monthly newsletter that they send out that informs of new victories anddefeats concerning euthanasia, and also tells you how to get involved. I feel after reading up onthis topic, it has given me a new outlook on the sanctity of life. God s gift of life to us is now tobe taken for granted. Works Cited Final Exit. n. pag. Online. Internet. 22 Nov. 1998. Available: http://www.finalexit.org International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force. n. pag. Online. Internet. 22 Nov. 1998. Available: http://www.iaetf.orgPope John Paul II. On Combatting Abortion and Euthanasia. n. pag. Online. Internet. 22 Nov. 1998. Available: http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/church/papal/jp.ii/jp2abort.txt