– Euthanasia (Greek for easy death) is the practice of endinga life so as to release an individual from an incurable disease or greatsuffering.
Voluntary euthanasia involves a request to terminate their life bythe dying patient or that persons legal representative. Passive or negativeeuthanasia involves not doing anything to prevent death that is allowing someoneto die, active or positive euthanasia involves taking deliberate action to causea death. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* Copyright DueNow. com Inc.
*Category:ReligionPaper Title:EuthanasiaText:EuthanasiaEuthanasia (Greek for easy death) is the practice of ending a life soas to release an individual from an incurable disease or great suffering. Voluntary euthanasia involves a request to terminate their life by the dyingpatient or that persons legal representative. Passive or negative euthanasiainvolves not doing anything to prevent death that is allowing someone to die,active or positive euthanasia involves taking deliberate action to cause adeath. The growth in the practice of euthanasia stems in part from a false beliefthat life can be judged in terms of its quality and if that quality is not of ahigh standard then we human beings have a right to terminate it. The Christiansanswer is that life cannot be subject to quality control because God createdman in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he createdthem. God blessed them.
And as such all human beings rich, poor, healthy,handicapped or terminally ill have every right to live as long as God wills. Since God is the author of life only God can determine when and under whatcircumstances our life on this earth is to be terminated. It is I who bring both death and life Deut: 32:39One of the main thrusts for euthanasia today is to people who are terminallyill. It is wildly believed that there are only two options opens open to them,either they die slowly in unrelieved suffering or they receive euthanasia. Infact there is a middle way that of creative and compassionate caring orpalliative care. This is the active total care of patients and their families bya multi-professional team when the patients disease is no longer responsiveto curative treatment.
The Hospice movement is one of the best examples of this. From man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting. Gen 9:5. Very often it is during the time of terminal illness that people have time toreflect on the way they have lived their lives, to make amends for the wrongdone and to prepare mentally and spiritually for their own death. Those involvedin hospice work often observe a mending of family relationships and arediscovery of mutual love.
You are Gods own people that you may declare the wonderful deeds of himwho called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Peter 2:9. Those nursing the terminally ill testify to how they themselves are helped bythe very people they are nursing. Parents of handicapped children testify thatthey draw closer to God through sharing in the life of one who needs themutterly. It is often through facing the hardship that terminal illness brings andthrough learning to accept the help of others that human character and maturitydevelops most fully. Death if properly managed can be the final stage of growth.
If we lose the opportunity of caring for vunerable people we become less humanand a lot more selfish. Voluntary euthanasia would deny us these possibilities. The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus message, I come that they mayhave life and have it abundantly John 10:10. In his Encyclical on the value and inviolability of Human Life Pope John Paulstates, That every person open to truth and goodness recognizes the sacredvalue of human life from its very beginning until its end.
In a special waybelievers in Christ must defend and promote this right because, By hisIncarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every humanbeing. This shows us not only the boundless love of God who so loved theworld that he gave his only son John 3:16 but also the value of every humanperson. The Second Vatican Council, over thirty years ago made a statement which isprobably more relevant today than it was then: Whatever is opposed to lifeitself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion or euthanasia, whateverviolates the integrity of the human person are infancies indeed. They poisonhuman society ad they do more harm to those who practice them than to those whosuffer the injury.
Moreover they are a supreme dishonor to the creator. Throughout the bible old age is given dignity and reverence when speaking ofEleagar, He preferred to make a noble decision worthy of his age, of hisnoble years of his shinning white hair. Illness does not drive a person to despair and to seek death, but makes himcry out in hope, I kept my faith, even when I said, I am greatly afflictedPs 116:10. The protection of life is guaranteed in the fifth commandment, thoushall not kill in fact the entire law of God serves to protect life. Godscovenant with his people is offered as a path of life.
I have set before youthis day, life and good, death and evil, if you obey the commands of your God,then you shall live and multiplyThe Catechism of the Catholic Church states that euthanasia is morallyunacceptable and it is, murder gravely contrary to dignity of the humanperson and to the respect due to the creator. I believe that society is rapidly moving towards accepting euthanasia. When apractice becomes legal accepted and widely practiced people no longer havestrong feelings about it. This was shown at the Nuremberg Trials, Karl Brandtthe medic who had coordinated the Nazi euthanasia program said, and I have aperfectly clear conscience about the part I played in the affair. When I saidyes to euthanasia I did so with my greatest conviction. He believed he wasinnocent.
If euthanasia is accepted and legalized I believe it will lead to involuntaryeuthanasia. According to the Remmelink report commissioned by the Dutch Ministryof Justice there were over three thousand deaths from euthanasia in theNetherlands in 1990. More than one thousand of those deaths were not voluntary. The Hippocratic oath which all doctors must take states: I will give nodeadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest such counsel. Theinternational code of medical ethics declares. A doctor must always bear inmind the obligation of preserving human life from the time of conception untildeath.
We must wake up and take action or euthanasia will become as common asabortion. The final and only law we should follow is the law of God, ourcreator. it is I who bring both life and death Deut 32:39.BibliographyFaith Alive by Rowanne Pasco and John Redford.Catechism of the Catholic Church.Internet.World Book Encyclopedia.The Bible.Pope John Paul IIs Encyclical- Evangelium Vitae-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
