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Why The Church Had Much Authority Over Ethical Issues

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Moving towards the 12th century A.D., Christian views started to reinforce the Hippocratic Oath, and instilled an almost unanimous vote against euthanasia and PAS, which continued for approximately 500 years before being questioned again. These practices were viewed as inconsistent with a person’s responsibilities to God, and contra human goodness. Throughout the Middle Ages, many people saw life as God’s gift to humanity, and thus considered it sinful to be willing to end theirs. Nonetheless, reaching the 17th and 18th centuries, the progression of human ideals and ethical standards led to challenging the Church; during the Renaissance and Reformation eras, writers began to question why the Church had much authority over ethical …show more content…

Enacted in late 1997, the “Death With Dignity Act (DWDA)” involves the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications. This process, according to the requirements, does not constitute suicide (“Death With Dignity Act”). In addition to being a resident of Oregon, the patient must be at least 18 years old, capable of making and communicating health care decisions, and diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months. According to recent data, the amount of DWDA prescriptions has steadily increased with average increments of 7 people per year since its enactment, with the exception being a spike from 155 to 218 between 2015 and 2016. The amount of DWDA deaths, however, do not completely match the numbers; although 1,545 received prescriptions between 1997 and 2016, only 991 patients died from ingesting the medication (“Death With Dignity Act”). This brings about an interesting case in the discussion regarding the will to live of these patients, and persuasion to pursue more options. Evidently, not all patients ended their life after receiving the medication to do so, and although their reasons may never be revealed, it is possible to conclude that some number of these circumstances occurred due to a “change of heart”; dissonance in the matter is still present to

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