Is Euthanasia Morally Wrong?

[LukeyLuke]

While considering the teachings within the Bible (or not, if you aren't Christian) and/or the medical implications of a patient thinking of euthanasia, is euthanasia morally wrong? Explain your reasoning.

[Jagella]

If we're gonna go with rhetoric, attempting to torture a person into obeying your wishes is the best way to be selfish?

Saving a person's life is torturing them into obeying my wishes? Of course it is not.

Are you suggesting that the sick, old and disabled should want to commit suicide?

No. How did you get that?

If euthanasia is moot then there's no problem legalising it?

No. By moot I mean that euthanasia is of little practical value.

Hell, making suicide illegal is the very definition of moot.
Can a corpse even serve jail time?

I never said that suicide or attempted suicide should be illegal. A suicidal person should get help living with her problems in the same way we would extinguish a fire in her home.

I'm not sure what kind of dream world you're speaking of where all or most suffering can be desirably solved simply by medical care and compassion.

We've made great strides in improving people's lives. Let's continue the effort.

Then what's the problem with letting people end their own lives, esp those who are suffering?

It cheapens life, and like I've already explained, there are less drastic ways to end suffering.

Jagella

[Danmark]

I think there is a difference between euthanasia, where someone else makes the choice on behalf of someone, and the 'assisted suicide' route. For example, that young woman who killed herself because she had terminal brain cancer, and when living got to the point she was a burden to herself as well as to others, she took barbiturates rather the suffer, and make her family suffer. That is certainly different than offing someone who still wants to stick around.

Should we allow only the sick to commit suicide or anyone who wishes to die?

Jagella

That's a tough one. My viewpoint is that if someone wants to die, there probably is something wrong with them. Sometimes, those problems are transient, and people who are depressed CAN get over it. On the other hand, I don't like taking the sovereignty of someone making choices over their own body and lfe.

Goat, you've isolated the tension inherent in this issue: Individual sovereignty vs. a temporary situation. The other factor is the ideal or value that is virtually universal that one should live. I'm not sure at all about where this value comes from. Why do we place a "should" on the will to live?

Why are people angry at someone who kills himself? What is the basis for the personal expectation that we imposed on them? What really did they 'owe' us?

Maybe there is something of great value here, hidden tho' implicit: that we want or need others; that we are invested in them. Maybe it involves an unspoken contract that says we give each other something, that there is a mutuality about our existence that should not be broken unilaterally.

If I project, as a thought experiment, the prospective suicide of a friend, I imagine myself wanting to have a chance to talk to them first; to tell them why I don't want them to leave; to give me a chance to persuade them to stay. I also can envision that after that encounter I may be willing to conclude they are right and that I can wish them bon voyage and put my own wishes to the side.

[Jashwell]

If we're gonna go with rhetoric, attempting to torture a person into obeying your wishes is the best way to be selfish?

Saving a person's life is torturing them into obeying my wishes? Of course it is not.

Preventing a person committing suicide is forcing them to obey one of your wishes.
If they're committing suicide out of depression or sickness, then yes you are torturing them or at least inciting torture.

Are you suggesting that the sick, old and disabled should want to commit suicide?

No. How did you get that?

Let's talk about how many sick, old, and disabled people feel. Almost all of them want to live, and they want to live lives of opportunity and dignity. If we grant them their desires, I believe euthanasia becomes largely moot.

Why else would you talk about the sick, old and disabled who don't want to commit suicide?

If euthanasia is moot then there's no problem legalising it?

No. By moot I mean that euthanasia is of little practical value.

If practical value includes reducing suffering... then yeah, it is of value.

Hell, making suicide illegal is the very definition of moot.
Can a corpse even serve jail time?

I never said that suicide or attempted suicide should be illegal. A suicidal person should get help living with her problems in the same way we would extinguish a fire in her home.

But that help shouldn't include helping them commit suicide?
Do you think independent suicide is right or wrong?

I'm not sure what kind of dream world you're speaking of where all or most suffering can be desirably solved simply by medical care and compassion.

We've made great strides in improving people's lives. Let's continue the effort.

Life isn't a Disney film. Let people get help with suicide.
As if allowing euthanasia is giving up the effort to help people with their own problems.

Then what's the problem with letting people end their own lives, esp those who are suffering?

It cheapens life, and like I've already explained, there are less drastic ways to end suffering.

As I've said before, nobody is saying everyone unhappy should commit suicide or that nobody depressed should try and get depression. We're saying that helping a person who is depressed to commit suicide should be legal.

How does it "cheapen life"?
Why would it matter if someone's right to get help with killing themselves "cheapened life" anyway?

[jerryxplu]

[Replying to LukeyLuke]

Sorry if this is a repeat as I don't have time to go through all the other post

I think for this topic we should consider one, is the person personally in their right mind willingly requesting it (or in patient in coma, was there a will)

Two we should consider the quality of life. Is this person suffering greatly everyday to the point that life is not worth living for? Are there things we can do to ease the pain so it would be worth living? Either physical or mental pain or both. I can understand in case of someone that is terminally ill and health will only deteriorate quickly and everyday will be painful for them to willingly end their life.

There are many philosophers whom made the statement that if they lost their mind(like memories and ability to think) they no longer wants to live.

In the matter of autonomy I believe it would be important to have proper euthanasia procedures available such as lethal dosage of medication that can be sure to kill someone administrated by a professional then the patient have to willfully take it themselves.

Now imagine them trying to commit suicide on their own. Not everybody know how to really properly kill themselves. There are cases where the suicide attempt went terribly wrong where the person hurt themselves so much but did not have a quick death but rather prolong suffering due to the damage they cause and have to die a slow painful death. This is not only horrible for the individual as well as their family.

This topic remind me of a case I read long ago where a girl was born with very serious medical conditions where she was bed ridden, can barely move, have to be under heavy medication all the time to ease her pain, barely able to speak. In general I would say she is ALIVE but not living. In the end of the story is that her father put her in the family car, put her favorite CD on, and let her die in the car. (sorry the case was pretty old I can't remember the name of the person, it was discuss in class). The father turn himself in but the jury did not found him to be guilty.

The reason I brought up that story is that it is a very difficult choice and it should be make lightly. But in extreme cases where the suffering greatly out weight the quality of life they have I believe it is the right choice to make.

[lia15]

[Replying to LukeyLuke]
In the bible the fifth commandment is you shall not kill. Weather through abortion or through euthanasia killing is wrong morally and socially. In the catechism of the catholic church article 5 verse 2258 it says " human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever special with the creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: NO ONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE CLAIM FOR HIMSELF THE RIGHT DIRECTLY TO DESTROY AN INNOCENT HUMAN BEING."