Euthanasia Essay, Research Paper
Euthanasia should not be made legally acceptable in the present society because there are important aspects that need to be considered and handled concerning who?s to decide, extent to which a physician can practice medicine, and religious opposition to this practice.
Euthanasia refers to the practice of killing or allowing to die, for merciful reasons, a person ill or injured beyond the hope of recovery. There are two ways of performing euthanasia. Passive euthanasia involves hastening the death of a person by removement of some form of support and letting nature takes its course. Active euthanasia is the causing of a person?s death through direct action in response to the request made by the patient. Active euthanasia is illegal in the United States, because in a way its homicide, and I believe that passive euthanasia should also be made illegal because although a person has the right to do as he wishes to his body it?s a choice that he shouldn?t make but nature should. It is obvious that under some circumstances where the person is suffering intolerably that he might want to give up his life just to relieve the pain. However, he also needs to understand that if he decides to have a physician assist him in his death, he will of course die and loose all chances of ever again living a life due to a miracle. I think it is solely God?s choice to determine the extent of one?s life, not a physician or a family member.
That is why despite the individual?s right to be free from unwarranted government intrusion I think a legislation should be made that will forbid a physician from going beyond his limits of caring for the ill, to allow them from dying in anyways other than a natural death. Some terminally ill patients are in intractable pain or experience an intolerably poor quality of life. They would prefer to end their life rather than continue until their body finally gives up. I think that by banning private institutions from performing this practice will help prevent the abuse of euthanasia on those who are more vulnerable. If the doctor feels that it might be for the good that they go on with passive or active euthanasia to help the patient and family it totally violates all moral issues pertaining to life and religion.
Every religious group has different aspects of life?s action they believe to be proper and those which they consider are wrong. For instance, many faith groups in the Christian religion believe that God gives life and therefore only God should take it away, and that the integrity of the life processes which God has created should be respected. . Euthanasia, or suicide, would therefore then be considered as a violation to God?s intention of creating life. Many other faith groups believe that human suffering can have a positive value for the terminally ill person and for caregivers. That is why I believe that if one lets faith lead the way in life then there wouldn?t have to be any death involved because if one trusts in faith then anything is possible
I believe that euthanasia relates to death just the same way abortion relates to the ending of a pregnancy before birth. Both have to do with the choice of terminating a soul and that is why I think that it should solely be the choice of not the individual but God to determine their faith. That way a person would not violate any religious aspects and can die a natural death that way God meant for life to end