Physician Assisted Suicide

Isaiah Lokeno · Post by **Isaiah Lokeno** » 02 Oct 2018, 07:49

For christians me include, I totally disagree with euthanasia because you cannot know God's plans on someones future, God is the giver of life and He should be the only one to take it

Sonya Nicolaidis · Post by **Sonya Nicolaidis** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:15

I'm all for it, and I do believe that in decades to come the practice will become more acceptable in society. In saying that, I do recognize the potential for abuse, and once society starts on that road, it can become a 'slippery slope' unless carefully regulated. The reasons for euthanizing someone should be sound, and with the explicit consent of the patient, either personally or in the form of a "living will". It would be wrong to leave decisions like that in the hands of our loved ones. The burden of guilt would be too much to bear.

CommMayo · Post by **CommMayo** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:17

Sahani Nimandra wrote: ↑02 Oct 2018, 00:17 Life wasn't something that was given freely and we aren't eligible to take it away as well. Committing euthanasia is a crime worth punishing with death. No matter what his intentions were taking away a person's life is unacceptable.

Am I the only person who sees the complete irony in this statement?

stalliongirlke · Post by **stalliongirlke** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:23

While i have not read McDowell's book, the topic on physician assisted suicide is not alien to me. I think its not the right thing to do that. God should be the only one who gives and takes away life

KMSingh · Post by **KMSingh** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:27

I think McDowell's decision to kill Jeremy is the logical outcome of his underlying tendency to treat people as objects. He cannot see Jeremy as human because of the child's disfiguring injury, but could he really see him as human before? I don't think so. Part of his journey in the second half of the book is learning to see, to see and truly value others and to see himself as he is.

That being said, McDowell's actions in the book didn't affect my understanding of the nature of assisted suicide. If anything, it underscored what I already think about it. I think it is always objectively evil precisely because it treats the human person as something that exists on a scale of more or less human or not human at all. We tell ourselves we seek to relieve the suffering of another, but all we're trying to do is assuage our own discomfort and/or guilt.

KMSingh · Post by **KMSingh** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:32

CommMayo wrote: ↑02 Oct 2018, 09:17
Sahani Nimandra wrote: ↑02 Oct 2018, 00:17 Life wasn't something that was given freely and we aren't eligible to take it away as well. Committing euthanasia is a crime worth punishing with death. No matter what his intentions were taking away a person's life is unacceptable.
Am I the only person who sees the complete irony in this statement?

Yes, irony indeed. Though I understand Sahani's intention. Typically, we only think of homicide as being worthy of the death penalty, so it makes sense on that level. But the irony comes in when we consider the reality of the death penalty. I don't think it is always wrong, but it certainly is almost always unnecessary in order to achieve justice. I would only advocate for it if there is no other way to protect society from a violent criminal.

CommMayo · Post by **CommMayo** » 02 Oct 2018, 09:47

I wonder how many people here have sat and watched a loved one die a painful death. There is no mercy in agony. We will put a beloved pet to sleep to end their misery, but then turn around and claim that a person can't seek a humane death on their on volition. It seems absurd to me.

KMSingh · Post by **KMSingh** » 02 Oct 2018, 11:27

CommMayo wrote: ↑02 Oct 2018, 09:47 I wonder how many people here have sat and watched a loved one die a painful death. There is no mercy in agony. We will put a beloved pet to sleep to end their misery, but then turn around and claim that a person can't seek a humane death on their on volition. It seems absurd to me.

I cared for both my parents at the end of their lives. My dad was especially bad, dealing with the final stages of congestive heart failure. While it didn't have the level of pain of end-stage cancer, it was not an easy way to go. I understand all too well the difficulty of watching another person suffer. I think it makes a difference in how you handle it if you believe it has some meaning because that will define what mercy is. I'm not lecturing here, just trying to give my thoughts as I think back to a time when this was a major part of my ordinary day.

While we will all disagree about the philosophic or religious implications of end-of-life-issues, there are some basic things to keep in mind. There have been major improvements in palliative care and pain management that should absolutely be used. Also, we should be clear that no treatment is mandatory. Even life-saving medications can be refused by the patient at any time. The hospice nurse we had for my dad was very clear with me that I was not to force him to take his meds, something his wife has never forgiven me for. He reached a point when it was his choice to decide what he would accept and reject. The key is to make a person as comfortable as possible without actively promoting death. It's a very fine line at times.

Ultimately, I think your understanding of it will come down to whatever philosophy or religion you adhere to. As for me, as much as I love my pets they simply do not have the same standing in my moral universe as a human person. And as human persons, we don't have the right to kill, not even ourselves.

JuliaKay · Post by **JuliaKay** » 02 Oct 2018, 14:43

Physician-assisted suicide is stomach-turning for me, something that I would never consider, but then again, I have a phobia of dying and question the afterlife. However, if someone who is already dying but suffering while they wait is comfortable with it and is at peace with it, I feel like it should be their choice. I know there are a lot of people who would prefer to die with their dignity intact.

bear_6743 · Post by **bear_6743** » 02 Oct 2018, 18:07

Euthanasia is a troubling issue and I feel that even though there is much suffering it should still be left up to a higher power. It is a complex problem as I do believe in free will and choice but ultimately, I would say that it is still best left up to God.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 03 Oct 2018, 02:46

I definitely do not agree with it.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 03 Oct 2018, 04:03

I don't agree with that at all. Life is a precious gift and nothing or nobody is allowed to take it away no matter what challenge or tribulation one faces.

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 03 Oct 2018, 12:23

I am a person who personally support euthanasia. So I agree with Mcdowell's vision. I have seen many people at death bed (I am a medical student, graduating in next february) who will really benefit by death. I think euthanasia has to be offerd in each and every country

MrsCatInTheHat · Post by **MrsCatInTheHat** » 03 Oct 2018, 20:33

I don't agree with the way Hiram approached euthanasia by killing Jeremy. However, if his parents had wanted to, it would have been fine to withdraw feeding tubes, fluids, etc if there is no hope for the medical situation to change. Death would come pretty quickly that way. It wasn't Hiram's decision to make.

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 04 Oct 2018, 08:06

joykan++2014 wrote: ↑02 Oct 2018, 05:34 I do not agree with McDowell's view of euthanasia. Though the perpetrators may justify it as a compassionate act to eliminate suffering, it is wrong to take someones life. Life is full of second chances hence no need to aid the death of another person just because they are ill. In the world we live today, such systems are likely to be abused. Thus, euthanasia should not be allowed unless the due process is followed when the suffering is too much to bear.

This is very true. Euthanasia can be abused and it is a big subject when it comes to ethics.