Religious Implications on Euthanasia

When is it ok to kill another human being? Is it right to end someone else's life under any circumstances just because another term is used? Some people say that it's ok if that human being is suffering unbearably. If we really think about that statement we are all suffering, life itself is unbearable pain but its all about how one perceives the misfortunes that life has to offer. There isn't anyone I know that has not suffered from heartbreak, the loss of a loved one, a bad family life, persistent anxiety attacks, depression, rape, or even a terminally ill disease. The list goes on, but some of these people have also had a better outlook on life because they think that the worst has happened and they look at life in a new light. They can also relate to others better because more than likely the majority of the population has been through at least one of these same traumas. Therefore, the question is not euthanasia; the question is what one believes humans are to accomplish on earth? I believe that we are put here to redeem ourselves from our past sins, whether it is ones skeletons kept in the closet or ones past life. Furthermore, if one is in agonizing pain then who is to say that is not punishment for ones sins? When we let our doctors, our families, and even ourselves decide the fate of ones life it compromises with the master plan of redemption.

We have little detail about doctors' practices outside the law, but what we do know makes it unlikely that they are either ethical or necessary. It is not necessary for doctors to kill patients to relieve pain, though sometimes the assistance or advice of an expert in palliative care will be required. They took an oath to take care of the sick and heal the wounded. Doctors are obliged by law to know how to treat the patients under their care, and if they do not know, they are obliged to find out or get assistance. Suffering is not a medical matter alone; it has many social causes also, some of which are unable to be remedied by doctors, or perhaps by anyone. It would surely not be wanted that doctors should be empowered to take the lives of persons who were simply isolated, unwanted, unloved, neglected or otherwise burdensome. Some doctors think that they are doing the patient a favor by putting them out of their misery. What I think they are doing is the complete opposite.

In some cases families have the legal right to decide what they think is the correct thing to do. These decisions are based on two possibilities, the first is they can't stand to just sit and watch their loved one suffer. There was a case in Amsterdam of a baby born with deformities so, her parents felt that she was in pain and thought it was best for their baby to be killed. Just because the baby's parents "felt" that she was in pain she was unable to live her life to its fullest, there are always possibilities to what one will achieve in ones life time even with disabilities. Therefore, one should be able to have the choice to live it. The second is based on the financial situation, if one was on life support for a long period of time it tends to wear on the pocket book therefore the decision is made to end the life and the expenses. No matter the situation of the patient, no one should have the right to decide what happens. This decision ought to be made only by the individual and the maker (God).

The rights of the individual come up in this debate often. Some people think that they have the right to make the decision to live or die. Whether it is because they feel they cannot take the pain of life anymore or if they just can't put their families through any more pain. As one man stated "...I dread imposing on my family and friends another grim round of misery similar to the one my first attack occasioned." They say it's their life and they will do as they wish. I believe this statement to be true but with consequences. If one makes the decision that their life is not worth living. Then of course it is their choice but then one will not finish what he or she was put here to do. Then will have to start life over with the possibility of it being much worse then the prior. "The responsibility for the decision, whether deemed wise or foolish must be with the chooser."

In every case with one in terrible pain the question of euthanasia arises. While recognizing the importance of individual patient independence, history has clearly demonstrated that legalized euthanasia poses serious risks to society as a whole. Patients can be intimidated and exploited, the search for better therapies are compromised and involuntary euthanasia inevitably follows. We need to make sure in the future that progress is made on palliative care and that it is clear that people have a right to say when burdensome treatment should not continue. Knowledge of how to minister to the physical and psychological needs of terminally ill people is the most promising development in medicine. Our challenge is to bring that knowledge and that care to all patients who are terminally ill. Instead of letting someone else make the decision of whether or not they think the patient is in too much pain to go on with life. My suggestion is to let nature take its course no matter how much pain and suffering is involved. Because if my belief is correct then ones payment to society for their sins is nothing compared to what one has to look forward to when their dues are paid.