| Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide |
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This article outlines several of the key questions about euthanasia and assisted suicide.
What is the difference between Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide?Euthanasia and assisted suicide are similar in that death occurs in both instances. They differ in who performs the last act that results in death. When a third party intentionally performs the last act that causes a patient’s death, it is called euthanasia. An example would be giving a patient an injection which causes death. When the person who dies performs the last act, it is called assisted suicide. An example would be when a person swallows an overdose of drugs provided by a doctor for the purpose of causing death. Why do people advocate euthanasia and assisted suicide?The most common argument is that death offers the only means of attaining comfort or dignity for suffering patients, such as those with terminal, painful, or debilitating illnesses. What about competent, terminally ill people who say they really want assisted suicide?Suicidal wishes among the terminally ill, as well as the able-bodied, are linked to treatable depression. When their pain, depression and other problems are addressed, there is generally no more talk of suicide. If we respond to a death wish in one group of people with counseling and suicide prevention, and respond to the same wish in another group by offering them lethal drugs, we make the choice that some people's lives are objectively not worth protecting. Why are people with disabilities worried about euthanasia and assisted suicide?Many people with disabilities have experienced negative attitudes on the part of able-bodied people, including physicians, who say they would "rather be dead than disabled." Such attitudes could easily lead families, physicians and society to encourage death for people who are depressed and emotionally vulnerable as they adjust to life with a serious illness or disability. These individuals could feel pressured into accepting euthanasia or assisted suicide because they have no worth as human beings. What does the Church teach about euthanasia and assisted suicide?The Church teaches that those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible. Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia and assisted suicide involve putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable and constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, our Creator. How many States have passed or have attempted to pass assisted suicide laws?Oregon passed an assisted suicide law in 1994. The law permits an adult who is capable, is a resident of Oregon, and has been determined by the attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, and who has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, to make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life. Washington passed an assisted suicide law in 2008. The law is identical to the one passed in Oregon Since 1994, the following States have attempted to pass assisted suicide laws (some of these States have tried multiple times):
Why shouldn't euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalized?To approve the taking of innocent human life is contrary to a primary purpose of law in an ordered society. Legalizing assisted suicide would demean the lives of vulnerable patients and expose them to exploitation by those who feel they are better off dead. Such a policy would harm the medical profession, whose ethical code calls on physicians to serve life and never to kill. The voiceless or marginalized in our society -- the poor, the frail elderly, the chronically ill, the disabled -- would be the first to feel pressure to die. Where can I learn more?This information on euthanasia and assisted suicide came from United States Catholic Conference of Bishops and International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide web documents. For more information on these topics, please visit the following websites: United States Catholic Conference of Bishops |