Euthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Euthanasia Essay

For most people the topic of death can be very disheartening or painful to talk about not only in regards to their own death, but in regards to that of a loved one, family member, or even a friend, so generally they try to steer clear of that particular subject. However if euthanasia is brought up into the conversation views change and people want to make their voices and opinions heard, especially when it is in regards to their religious beliefs about the matter, sometimes it just sparks a flame deep down inside of an individual that they did not even realize they had. Euthanasia is, “the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.”(www.merriam-webster.com). The majority of most religions are against euthanasia because they feel as though it goes against their beliefs, Roman Catholics, Judaism, Islam, Buddhist and Protestant just to name a few. There are plenty of reasons why these religious groups feel so strongly about euthanasia each has their own view on the matter, but they come together to an understanding about this topic. The major reasons why they feel as if euthanasia violates a religious standpoint is that collectively these groups feel that only God has the power to take life away, it devalues human life, it is seen as murder or even suicide and religious scripture has taught against a person or another person ending someone’s life.

be fed orally because of blistering in the mouth and throat. Any movement of the

To fully understand the issue at hand, one must understand the various forms of euthanasia. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition defines euthanasia as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals…in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.” Euthanasia can be either passive or active. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient is relieved of medical treatment and is allowed to die naturally. Active euthanasia occurs when either a physician or a family member actively takes the life of the patient, perhaps through lethal injection, and eliminates a natural death process. Many people commonly use the word “euthanasia” to refer to assisted suicide. Essentially, assisted suicide is a form of active euthanasia in that a person, usually a physician, aids in the suicide of a patient.

"Euthanasia is a long smooth-sounding word, and it conceals its danger as long, smooth-sounding words do, but the danger is there, nevertheless". As Pearl S. Buck explained through this quote, Euthanasia and medically assisted suicide to present a real danger. Although society refuses to see these dangers, euthanasia creates countless problems that shake society. Euthanasia remains a conditional based issue; therefore, the laws created rely on weak ideas that allow for easy manipulation, as can be seen through the mistakes and laws of the Netherlands and Belgium who legalized Euthanasia. Medically assisted suicide and Euthanasia use unethical ideology, and legalization cause extreme strain and opposition to America’s moral code.

Euthanasia is a controversy that cannot be resolved from a single court ruling or a single person’s opinion. Many proposals have been suggested based on various studies and surveys. In “You Say Murder, I Say Euthanasia,” Clair Rayner describes a notable proposal regarding extreme euthanasia cases. The proposal, which has been put into the Science of Museum forum, recommends complex cases to be considered individually. In “Assisted Suicide Largely Shunned,” the anonymous author offers statistics that oppose the ethics of euthanasia.

Since 1947, Gallup has released surveys to the United States population asking, “When a person has a disease that cannot be cured, do you think doctors should be allowed to end the patient’s life by some painless means if the patient and his family request it?” (Emanuel). In 2005, 75% of the surveyed population agreed with this statement. Although there has been a consistent majority in public support to this issue as reported by Gallup, euthanasia still remains illegal in the United States. One of the main reasons why many people are against the legalization of euthanasia is that many view human life as sacred and the intentional termination of life is murder. It is important to clarify that the difference between murder and euthanasia lies in the motive. While both are technically forms of deprivation from life, euthanasia is altruistic, because “its goal is mitigating the pain and suffering of the patient,” whereas murder is hateful and unwanted by the victim (Turanjanin, pg. 1318). Providing a suffering, terminally ill patient that will inevitably perish a more peaceful and controlled way to depart from this life (when it is requested) is a form of mercy. Those actively fighting against the legalization of euthanasia are

This chapter discusses the literature currently available on the ethical dilemmas of euthanasia and PAS that have arisen in Canada since its legalization. This Literature Review is organized into six sub-categories: (1) the law (2) medical issues (3) patient capacity and autonomy (4) expenditures: palliative care vs. assisted suicide (5) family (6) ethics. This review will offer a foundational understanding of the practices of euthanasia and PAS and defining the various dilemmas that have arisen for medical professionals under the new Canadian law. The literature gives the acronym for euthanasia/ physician assisted suicide as PAS or EAS, and these terms can be used interchangeably.

What is euthanasia and why is it such a complex matter that raises all different kinds of opinions? According to the American Dictionary, euthanasia is defined as "the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment." It can be active euthanasia (relieve person from pain by killing) or passive euthanasia (letting die). Newell-Smith raises the questions if the person has

“Support for physician euthanasia in the U.S. increased 37 percent in 1947 to 53 percent in the early 1970s and leveled off around 1990, with two-thirds of people in the U.S. supporting the practice” (Reuters). There are other parts of the world where the legalization of euthanasia is increasing. To give one example, in Western Europe the support of euthanasia is increasing dramatically. Also, in Western Europe, euthanasia is mainly used in cases involving people who are diagnosed with cancer and older people. On the other hand, in California, where euthanasia is legal, the patients must have a terminal illness in which they are expected to die within six months. This is the reason why physicians that prescribe medications to hasten death, cannot be

This is why Euthanasia is important and summarizing the research that I found on Euthanasia. Euthanasia is important because there is a lot of arguments about Euthanasia. Some people support it and some people do not support Euthanasia (Euthanasia and assisted suicide- Arguments). Euthanasia allows people to be free from physical pain. It is the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings (Euthanasia Revisited). The religious argument states God chooses when human life ends. Euthanasia also causes mental suffering because they are in physical pain or they are experiencing with terminal illness. It is a debatable issue. There are many different opinions on Euthanasia.

Humans, like all animals, attempt to evade death. Though death is usually seen as an unwanted end, some see it as an alternative to suffering. Most people cringe at the thought of suicide, but is euthanasia the same thing? Do human beings have the right to choose death?

A teacher I once had in high school would often talk about her father who lived in hospice care. Her father suffered from dementia and had been for years. She would often talk about how on his “good” days he would plead her husband to put a pillow on his head and suffocate him, to take him out of his misery. If it was legal, her husband would have willingly helped her father and put him out of his misery, however in the state of North Carolina, physician-assisted suicide is illegal. Luckily, her father passed away this year and is finally free of pain and suffering. However, if physician-assisted suicide was legal, her father would not have had to suffer as long as he did.

Euthanasia is defined as, "The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease." Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their different sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I contend that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument.

Euthanasia is the practice of ending an individual's life in order to relieve them from an incurable disease or unbearable suffering. The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek word for "good death" and originally referred to as “intentional killing” ( Patelarou, Vardavas, Fioraki, Alegakis, Dafermou, & Ntzilepi, 2009). Euthanasia is a controversial topic which has raised a great deal of debate globally. Although euthanasia has received great exposure in the professional media, there are some sticky points that lack clarity and need to be addressed. Euthanasia is a divisive topic, and different interpretations of its meaning, depend on whether the person supports it or not. While a few societies have accepted euthanasia, there are

Euthanasia, which is also referred to as mercy killing, is the act of ending someone’s life either passively or actively, usually for the purpose of relieving pain and suffering. “All forms of euthanasia require an intention to accelerate death in order to benefit patients experiencing a poor quality of life” (Sayers, 2005). It is a highly controversial subject that often leaves a person with mixed emotions and beliefs. Opinions regarding this topic hinge on the health and mental state of the victim as well as method of death. It raises legal issues as well as the issue of morals and ethics. Euthanasia is divided into two different categories, passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. “There are unavoidable uncertainties in both active and