Why Euthanasia is Wrong

1251 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Legalization of assisted suicide

“Thou Shalt Not Kill” (Exodus 20: 13-14).

One of the Ten Commandments put forward by God to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. The killing of another human being is morally wrong and unacceptable. No one has the right to take away another persons life, whether it be through hatred and disgust, or compassion and love. Murder is murder. So why should those select few who work in the clinics of Switzerland, whose occupation is to assist in a person’s suicide, become immune from this law against murder. It is them who provide the patient with, and administer, the method of how they are going to die. To me, that sounds like murder.

What gives someone else the right to take away another human being’s life?

Euthanasia is wrong and immoral for so many reasons. It devalues human life. Human life isn’t an object, it’s not just a possession that can be discarded of once finished with. But that’s what euthanasia treats a person’s life as, as an object. An object that, once too useless to do anything with, should be got rid off. People who are at risk from this type of thinking, are those with disabilities and those who are so sick, they are a burden to care for. Not only does this put their lives at risk, but it presents them as being inferior while they are alive. As some disabled people might be able to be taken advantage of easily, if they are mentally handicapped and can’t think for themselves, they could easily be killed. If their carer finds that caring for them isn’t worth the money or time and thinking that because of their disability they are unable to enjoy life, it would be better if they were dead. This wouldn’t be out of compassion or love, but out of selfishness. This brings me onto my next point.

An effect called the “slip...

... middle of paper ...

...ng pain and suffering, but I see it as murder. I am also against it as a Christian as well because suffering and death is all part of our lives which must be dealt with. We shouldn’t be able to cut our lives short as soon as it starts to get difficult. Life comes with its difficulties, but euthanasia must not be an option in which to escape them. The difficult and painful times in our lives are all part of the life experience and without them in early life, some of us may not have grown into the people we are today. In early life when we did experience these problems, we weren’t jus able to cut them out, we had to deal with them. So why at the end of our lives should we have this easier option?

Like I said suffering and, eventually, death are all part of the life experience and must not be cut out because life simply becomes a little too hard to bear.

Show More
Related

  • Euthanasia: Should Be Illegal in All 50 States

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    .... As the Church says, euthanasia goes against the dignity of a living person and is a crime against humanity (“Euthanasia Statement”).

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Christians Should Oppose Euthanasia

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Christians, we believe that life is the most basic gift of a loving God--a gift over which we have stewardship but not absolute dominion. Our tradition, declaring a moral obligation to care for our own life and health and to seek such care from others, recognizes that we are not morally obligated to use all available medical procedures in every set of circumstances. But that tradition clearly and strongly affirms that as a responsible steward of life one must never directly intend to cause one's own death, or the death of an innocent victim, by action or omission. Euthanasia and willful suicide are offenses against life itself which poison civilization.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia and Whether Dying Is or Isn't a Right

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    March 31, 1976 was the day the New Jersey Supreme Court gave the parents of Kathleen Quinland, a young comatose woman, permission to take her off of life support systems. This is the day which is believed to be the birth of the modern right-to-die movement. Euthanasia, commonly known as mercy killing, is a way to end the agony of those who are suffering from terminal illnesses and should be legalized instead of having to be preformed in secrecy.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia and the Right to Die

    2072 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Oxford English Dictionary defines euthanasia as “the action of inducing a gentle and easy death” (Oxford English Dictionary). Many people around the world would like nothing more than to end their lives because they are suffering from painful and lethal diseases; suffering people desperately seek doctors to help them end their lives. Many people see euthanasia as murder, so euthanasia is illegal in many countries. Euthanasia is an extremely controversial issue that has many complex factors behind it including medical costs, murder and liberty rights. Should people have the rights to seek euthanasia from doctors who are well trained in dealing with euthanasia?

    Read More

  • Ethics of Euthanasia

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    As patients come closer to the end of their lives, certain organs stop performing as well as they use to. People are unable to do simple tasks like putting on clothes, going to the restroom without assistance, eat on our own, and sometimes even breathe without the help of a machine. Needing to depend on someone for everything suddenly brings feelings of helplessness much like an infant feels. It is easy to see why some patients with terminal illnesses would seek any type of relief from this hardship, even if that relief is suicide. Euthanasia or assisted suicide is where a physician would give a patient an aid in dying. “Assisted suicide is a controversial medical and ethical issue based on the question of whether, in certain situations, Medical practioners should be allowed to help patients actively determine the time and circumstances of their death” (Lee). “Arguments for and against assisted suicide (sometimes called the “right to die” debate) are complicated by the fact that they come from very many different points of view: medical issues, ethical issues, legal issues, religious issues, and social issues all play a part in shaping people’s opinions on the subject” (Lee). Euthanasia should not be legalized because it is considered murder, it goes against physicians’ Hippocratic Oath, violates the Controlled

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Euthanasia

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our values, opinions and beliefs depend on what culture, religion and the society we come from. People who are against view euthanasia as murder and that we must respect the value of life. Those who are in favor of euthanasia believe that doing such act eliminates the patient’s pain and suffering. Also, the right to die allows the person to die with dignity. Euthanasia may involve taking a human’s life, but not all forms of killing are wrong nor consider as murder. It depends on the underlying reasons and intentions. If you value a person’s life and the cause of death is for the patient’s benefit and not one’s personal interest, then euthanasia is permissible.

    Read More

  • The Case for Euthanasia

    2340 Words  | 5 Pages

    ... greater pain and anguish for longer periods of time than my father did, I believe euthanasia is the only compassionate form of relief we can provide. I believe it is morally important to allow an individual to die with respect for his or her dignity, while respecting his or her autonomy. Because of these reasons, euthanasia is morally justified when administered under strict controls.

    Read More

  • Argument in Favor of Euthanasia

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    Today, medical interventions have made it possible to save or prolong lives, but should the process of dying be left to nature? (Brogden, 2001). Phrases such as, “killing is always considered murder,” and “while life is present, so is hope” are not enough to contract with the present medical knowledge in the Canadian health care system, which is proficient of giving injured patients a chance to live, which in the past would not have been possible (Brogden, 2001). According to Brogden, a number of economic and ethical questions arise concerning the increasing elderly population. This is the reason why the Canadian society ought to endeavor to come to a decision on what is right and ethical when it comes to facing death. Uhlmann (1998) mentions that individuals’ attitudes towards euthanasia differ. From a utilitarianism point of view – holding that an action is judged as good or bad in relation to the consequence, outcome, or end result that is derived from it, and people choosing actions that will, in a given circumstance, increase the overall good (Lum, 2010) - euthanasia could become a means of health care cost containment, and also, with specific safeguards and in certain circumstances the taking of a human life is merciful and that all of us are entitled to end our lives when we see fit.

    Read More

  • A Defense of Euthanasia

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    More than likely, a good majority of people have heard about euthanasia at least once in their existence. For those out there who have been living under a rock their entire lives, euthanasia “is generally understood to mean the bringing about of a good death – ‘mercy killing’, where one person, ‘A’, ends the life of another person, ‘B’, for the sake of ‘B’.” (Kuhse 294). There are people who believe this is a completely logical scenario that should be allowed, and there are others that oppose this view. For the purpose of this essay, I will be defending those who are for euthanasia. My thesis, just by looking at this issue from a logical standpoint, is that if someone is suffering, I believe they should be allowed the right to end their lives, either by their own consent or by someone with the proper authority to make the decision. No living being should leave this world in suffering. To go about obtaining my thesis, I will first present my opponents view on the issue. I will then provide a Utilitarian argument for euthanasia, and a Kantian argument for euthanasia. Both arguments will have an objection from my opponent, which will be followed by a counter-objection from my standpoint.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia Should Be Legal

    2051 Words  | 5 Pages

    Euthanasia has been an ongoing debate for many years. Everyone has an opinion on why euthanasia should or should not be allowed but, it is as simple as having the choice to die with dignity. If a patient wishes to end his or her life before a disease takes away their quality of life, then the patient should have the option of euthanasia. Although, American society considers euthanasia to be morally wrong euthanasia should be considered respecting a loved one’s wishes. To understand euthanasia, it is important to know the rights humans have at the end of life, that there are acts of passive euthanasia already in practice, and the beneficial aspects.

    Read More

  • Religious Tradition view of Euthanasia

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Christian view of Euthanasia is that it is wrong. They understand, the pain and emotional suffering, caused in the case of terminally ill, but believe that a hospice is a better solution and that to commit Euthanasia is murder and a degrading act upon human life.

    Read More

  • Three Reasons Why Euthanasia Should Be Legalized

    452 Words  | 1 Pages

    First of all, euthanasia saves money and resources. The amount of money for health care in each country, and the number of beds and doctors in each hospital are limited. It is a huge waste if we use those money and resources to lengthen the lives of those who have an incurable disease and want to die themselves rather than saving the lives of the ones with a curable ailment. When we put those patients who ask for euthanasia to death, then the waiting list for each hospital will shorten. Then, the health care money of each country, the hospital beds, and the energy of the doctors can be used on the ones who can be cured, and can get back to normal and able to continue contributing to the society. Isn’t this a better way of using money and resources rather than unnaturally extend those incurable people’s lives?

    Read More

  • Argument Against Euthanasia

    477 Words  | 1 Pages

    Euthanasia is a medical procedure which speeds up the process of dying for people with incurable, painful, or distressing diseases.  The patient’s doctor can stop treatment and instead let them die from their illness.  It come from the Greek words for 'good' and 'death', and is also called mercy killing.  Euthanasia is illegal in most countries including the UK .  If you suffer from an incurable disease, you cannot legally terminate your life.  However, in a number of European countries it is possible to go to a clinic which will assist you to die gracefully under some very strict circumstances.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia: Not Morally Acceptable

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the following essay, I argue that euthanasia is not morally acceptable because it always involves killing, and undermines intrinsic value of human being. The moral basis on which euthanasia defends its position is contradictory and arbitrary in that its moral values represented in such terms as ‘mercy killing’, ‘dying with dignity’, ‘good death’ and ‘right for self-determination’ fail to justify taking one’s life.

    Read More

  • Is Euthanasia Justified?

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world is full of people, some of which are suffering every day from pain. Even with the advancements that have been made with medicine, it’s not enough to cure many diseases or to heal a person’s pain. Euthanasia is commonly referred to as a “mercy killing”. It is the intentional act of putting a person to death quietly and painlessly who has an incurable or painful disease, it is intended to be an act of mercy. According to (ANA, 2013), Euthanasia is the act of putting to death someone suffering from a painful and prolonged illness or injury.

    Read More

More about Why Euthanasia is Wrong

Open Document