Our Right To Die: Religion and Euthanasia

Friday, April 23, 2010

Religion and Euthanasia

I believe it would be foolish to assume that there is one specific belief system that is above the rest. Our wold is made up of many different cultural aspects; mainly religion. I take a "to each's own" opinion on the topic of religion. Regardless of what religion one choses to follow, it basically boils down to this: religion is not only a way for us to know how to live, it also gives us somewhat of a guideline on how we die because most religions believe in an after-life. How then do the different religions feel about the intentional taking of life?

The Christian faith seems to be predominately against euthanasia because it is God's choice as to when we die and not ours. Christian's maintain faith that the sick are not suffering as we suspect, and that God is comforting them until He takes them to heaven. In Ecclesiastes 8:8 it says, "No man has the power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death."

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Terminology...

Active Voluntary Euthanasia: The action of one person directly helping another to die on request. --(Humphry, 1993)
Assisted Suicide: Providing the means by which a person can take his or her own life.--(Humphry, 1993)
Euthanasia: Help with a good death.--(Humphry, 1993)
Mercy Killing: Ending another person's life without his or her request in the belief that it is a compassionate act.--(Humphry, 1993)
Living Will: Popular name for an advance directive by which a person requests a physician not to connect, or to disconnect, life-support if this procedure is merely delaying an inevitable death.--(Humphry, 1993)
Negotiated Death: An agreement between family and physicians (including hospital management and attorneys for both sides) that life support systems to an incompetent person will be disconnected at a certain point in the best interests of the patients.--(Humphry, 1993)

Palliative Care: Medical term for hospice. Measures which do not attempt to treat the illness but to relieve the pain and other discomfort accompanying it.--(Humphry, 1993)
Passive Euthanasia: The deliberate disconnection of life support equipment, or cessation of any medical procedure, permitting the death of a patient.--(Humphry, 1993)
Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS): Action by a medical doctor to end the life of a patient, sometimes referred to as Physician aid-in-dying.--(Humphry, 1993)
Rational Suicide: Ending one's own life for considered reason as opposed to emotional or psychological ones.--(Humphry, 1993)
Right to die: Popular general term reflecting a basic belief that end of life decisions should be a person's choice.--(Humphry, 1993)
Right to life: Popular general term for belief that death should only come about by the will of a deity, or the belif that life is the prevailing value, regardless of conditions or desires to end it for whatever reason.--(Humphry, 1993)
Self-deliverance: A person irreversibly ill who makes a rational decision to end his or her own life. This term is preferred by those who consider that equating this action with "suicide" to be inaccurate and unfair.--(Humphry, 1993)
Silent suicide: Starving oneself to death. Usually carried out in extreme old age.--(Humphry, 1993)
Slippery slope: Theory that the sanctioning of an act that, in itself, may not be morally repugnant or illegal but could lead to acts which are.-(Humphry, 1993)
Suicide: Ending one's life.--(Humphry, 1993)

The Death with Dignity Act:

Waiting Period: "A request to die must be make by an enduring request. An enduring request for aid-in-dying expressed on more than one occasion" (Humphry, 1993, p. 113) *It is felt that a period of 24-72 hours will allow a patient sufficient time to reflect on their decision.
Witnesses: "A request to end ones life must be witnessed by two person not related to declarent by blood, marriage or adoption." (Humphry, 1993, p. 113) *This is to ensure no one serving as witness will receive financial gain from the patient's death.
Written Directive: "Determines patients long-term thinking (i.e., Living Will), and is part of the documentary evidence which is essential to the whole procedure to protect haste and abuse. The directive is merely preparing the way for the two verbal requests…which constitutes the true test of eligibility for voluntary euthanasia. (Humphry, 1993, p. 115)
Family Notification: this portion of the directive leaves responsibility upon the patient for informing their family. "By signing the consent form…I acknowledge that it is solely my responsibility to inform my family of my intentions." (Humphy, 1993, p. 118) It must be acknowledged that some patients are estranged from their family and do not wish them to know of their impending death. This frees physicians of responsibility to inform next of kin.
Psychological Evaluation: "An attending physician who is requested to give aid-in-dying may request a psychiatric or psychological consultation if that physician has any concern about the patient's competence, with the consent of a qualified patient." (Humphry, 1993, p. 119)
Pain Control and Alternatives: "There is no empirical evidence that all physical suffering associated with incurable illness can be relieved." (Humphry, 1993, p. 121) "It is important that we allow ample latitude for terminally ill patients, if mentally competent, to judge for themselves when it is no longer tolerable to continue to live." (Humphry, 1993, p. 122)
Documentation and Reporting: "Hospital and other helath providers who carry out the directive of a qualified patient shall keep a record of the number of these cases, and report annually to the State Department of Health Services the patients age, type of illness and the date directive was carried out." (Humphry, 1993, p. 122)
Video or Audio Taped Wishes: This type of documentation would provide a safeguard for the patient and doctor. "A video tape of the encounter would add weight in a subsequent dispute." (Humphry, 1993, p. 124)
Physician Qualifications: Would include only "attending physicians (i.e., physicians selected by or assigned to the patient) who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient." (Humphry, 1993, p. 125)
Second Opinion: "A second physician must be asked to agree that the patient is terminal and close to death." (Humphry, 1993, p. 127)

Our Right To Die

Friday, April 23, 2010

Religion and Euthanasia

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