...THE CHURCH, EUTHANASIA and ASSISTED SUICIDE Euthanasia also known as “mercy killing” and assisted suicide are worldwide controversial issues. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word euthanasia comes from Greek, meaning easy death (eu: easy, thanatos: death). Euthanasia means to end the life of a person who is terminally ill or suffering from severe pain, in a deliberate way. At the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) webpage, in the section Ethics guides, under the title of Forms of Euthanasia, Religions and Death? (2009), different types of euthanasia are described, such as indirect, active, passive, voluntary, involuntary and non voluntary. On the other hand, assisted suicide is usually performed with the help of a health professional; that is why; it is usually called Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS). The main controversy is over the different opinions on whether it is the sick patient’s decision or if it is a legal, ethical or religious issue to be considered by a third party. In order to practice assisted suicide in a country where it is legal, many factors should be present, such as the moral and religious beliefs of the patient and the physician or the patient’s family and the physician, as well as the legislation of the country where it is going to be carried out. At present, in countries where euthanasia is not legalized yet, it is very difficult to obtain legal permission to practice it. As regards the ethical...
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...IssUEs Of EUThANAsIA: ARGUmENTATIvE EssAy Bilal S. H. Badr Naga Majd T. Mrayyan (1) Bilal S. H. Badr Naga., MSN, RN, Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim, Saudi Arabia (2) Majd T. Mrayyan., Prof, RN, The Hashemite University, Jordan Correspondence: Bilal S. H. Badr Naga., MSN, RN, Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim, Saudi Arabia Email: Bilal_badrnaga@yahoo.com Case scenario Abstract Euthanasia is one of the issues that has been the subject of intense debate over time. It has been a pertinent issue in human rights discourse as it also affects ethical and legal issues pertaining to patients and health care providers. This paper discusses the legal and ethical debates concerning both types of euthanasia. It focuses on both the supporter of euthanasia and the opponent of euthanasia. Several statements for the Euthanasia argument arediscussed: a merciful response that alleviates the suffering of patients which is sometimes wrongly perceived to be otherwise unrelievable; the autonomy in which the patient has the right to make his own choices; the regulation and legislation of existing practices of euthanasia to protect health care providers and patients. In this heated debate religious, political, ethical, legal and personal views are also included. Among all these, those who desperately want to end their lives because they simply cannot go on in any way, are the ones who suffer. Every individual or group has a different viewpoint regarding euthanasia. Euthanasia is considered...
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...Euthanasia Debate May 24, 2010 Professor Melissa Green, M.H.A. Euthanasia Debate Every day in the field of medicine professionals are faced with an ethical decision or problem. The advancements in medicine and technology are raising questions and concerns never once thought of. Controversy over euthanasia is on the forefront of today’s health care platform. With the present change occurring with the American Heath Care Reform health care providers and society need to be informed of the options available in end of life care. This paper will present a debate about human euthanasia. Euthanasia will first be defined. Support for each side of the debate will be presented. Each side will be provided with questions from the opposing side, with the opposing teams response presented. Each side will then present a closing statement, again to support their side from the result of the debate. Euthanasia defined Euthanasia is the practice of mercifully ending a person's life to free someone from a deadly disease. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek word "good death." The term euthanasia is being used synonymously with the term Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), although they are not one and the same. PAS generally refers to a practice in which the physician provides a patient with a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient's request, which the patient intends to use to end his or her own life (University of Washington School of Medicine, 2010). Voluntary...
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...P393 26 June 2013 Put Out to Pasture: The Problem with Euthanasia I have decided to write my paper on Euthanasia as the topic elicits all types of opinions and conversion on the matter. It is definitely a hot button topic when it comes to Ethical dilemmas, theories, principles, and how society should precede with this in application of law and legislation. I believe that allowing for Euthanasia globally and nationally will begin to further erode the very moral and ethical fiber that separates man from animal. I further support my stand with the example of abortion, and even though opinion hasn’t changed much in the 40 years since Roe vs. Wade allowed for abortion to take place, still millions of babies have been killed despite to negative opinions about it. My hypothesis on this issue is that if nationally legalized it would lead to an untold amount of elderly, handicapped, ill, poor, and lonely people vulnerable to being put to death against their wishes and before their time. The aim of this paper it too show that indeed legalizing “Euthanasia” or “Patient Assisted Suicide” would indeed lead us down the “slippery slope. This first step for me in this paper would be to talk about the theories and principles behind not being pro-euthanasia. There are a number of ethical principles that are deontological in nature, are part of the natural moral law, and relevant to the kinds of dilemmas that occur in euthanasia cases.Four of them are as follows: 1. The Principle of Autonomy...
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...CONTROVESY IN MINISTRY PAPER Euthanasia October 5, 2013 THESIS STATEMENT: Now is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it. Introduction: When I see the word euthanasia, my thoughts immediately takes me back to a program I saw on the TLC Network about co-joined siamese twins and to a gut-retching experience of my own. .The first case was about Siamese twins. These twins description: one had a full head and body while the other twin had only a head. The doctors called this head a parasite with some flesh that had a dysfunctional body. The dependent baby relied on the normal baby to sustain her life and this was taxing on the normal baby system because she was functioning for two instead on one. If nothing was done both babies would die. The dependent baby had a normal face and was always crying and her eyes were open and she also appeared, to me, to show emotions. What makes this case so sad, the parents decided to separate them even though it meant that the dependent baby will surly die. And they chose to spare the baby who had the better chances of survival. Upon separation, the dependent baby dies and the normal baby go on to live a normal life. I believe in Euthanasia under circumstances when the mercy killing of one who have no hope of surviving to save the life of the abled body if they are attached to each other or in cases when it involves the death of...
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...Methodology * Objectives * Hypothesis * Research questions Chapterisation * Chapter 1:Defination of euthanasia and its types. * chapter 2:Voluntary death from religious perspective. * Chapter 3:Position of euthanasia in other countries. * Chapter 4:Arguments in favour of legalizing euthanasia. * Chapter 5:Arguments against legalizing euthanasia.Conclusionbibliography | 6781011-1611121314151718 | INTRODUCTION Part III of Indian Constitution contains a long list of fundamental rights. And one of the major fundamental rights among them is Article 21. This article 21 of our constitution deals with "Protection of Life and Personal Liberty". The Article 21 read as follows: "No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty expect according to procedure established by law." According to this article right to life means the right to lead meaningful, complete and dignified life. The object of the fundamental right under Article 21 is to prevent any restriction by the State to a person upon his personal liberty and deprivation of life except according to procedure established by law. But can The right to life be interpreted to such an extent which leads to its self destruction(right to die) ? This is the crucial point where the debate arises. When a person ends his life by his own act we call it suicide but to end life of a person by other on the request of the deceased is called mercy killing or euthanasia. It means applying such methods and means which...
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...University Press 0521804167 - Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy: An Argument Against Legalisation John Keown Frontmatter More information EUTHANASIA, ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY An Argument against Legalisation Whether the law should permit voluntary euthanasia or physicianassisted suicide is one of the most vital questions facing all modern societies. Internationally, the main obstacle to legalisation has proved to be the objection that, even if they were morally acceptable in certain hard cases, voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide could not be effectively controlled; society would slide down a slippery slope to the killing of patients who did not make a free and informed request, or for whom palliative care would have offered an alternative. How cogent is this objection? This book provides the general reader (who need have no expertise in philosophy, law or medicine) with a lucid introduction to this central question in the debate, not least by reviewing the Dutch euthanasia experience. It will interest readers in any country, whether for or against legalisation, who wish to ensure that their opinions are better informed. john keown is Senior Lecturer in the Law and Ethics of Medicine, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. His previous publications include Abortion, Doctors and the Law (1988) and Euthanasia Examined (1995). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521804167 - Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy:...
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...PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE: LEGALITY AND MORALITY Wednesday - May 8th, 2002 By Martin Levin, 107 Irving Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (617)-497-6828 mlevin@levinlaw.com On Sunday, June 21, 1992, Jennifer Cowart, age thirty-two, and her brother George Kowalski, age twenty-eight, traveled to Pensacola Beach, Florida, for a day of relaxation. At the end of the day, Jennifer and George were heading back to their vehicle when Jennifer noticed a go-kart track. The two entered the track, bought tickets, and began riding. Within one minute, Jennifer’s go-kart bumped into one of the side guardrails, flipped on its side, and burst into flames. Jennifer was seat-belted in the go-kart and could not get out. George tried to run into the fire to save his sister, but the flames were too intense. Bystanders attempted to use a fire extinguisher, but it did little to lessen the inferno. Jennifer was trapped in the burning go-kart for two minutes when her seat-belt finally burned through and she fell to the ground. George grabbed his sister and pulled her away from the fire. Jennifer was alive. She was lying on the asphalt alert, oriented, and coherent. She had suffered 3rd and 4th degree burns covering ninety-five percent of her body. She was suffering the worst pain imaginable. At the scene, Jennifer begged the rescue personnel to “let me die.” Instead, Jennifer was flown to a burn center in Mobile, Alabama, where she remained for one year until she was overcome by an infection...
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...April-June 2012, Vol. 34, No. 2 ISSN 0971-0973 Review Research Paper Euthanasia Revisited: The Aruna Shanbaug Verdict *Arsalaan. F. Rashid, **Balbir Kaur, ***O.P. Aggarwal Abstract Euthanasia and its procedure have long history of locking horns as a vexed issue with laws of countries across the world. Every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his/her own body. It is unlawful to administer treatment to an adult who is conscious and of sound mind, without his consent. In patients with Permanently Vegetative State (PVS) and no hope of improvement, the distinction between refusing life saving medical treatment (passive euthanasia) and giving lethal medication is logical, rational, and well established. It is ultimately for the Court to decide, as parens patriae, as to what is in the best interest of the patient. An erroneous decision not to terminate results in maintenance of the status quo; the possibility of subsequent developments such as advancements in medical science, the discovery of new evidence regarding the patient’s intent, changes in the law, or simply the unexpected death of the patient despite the administration of lifesustaining treatment, at least create the potential that a wrong decision will eventually be corrected or its impact mitigated. Key Words: Consent, Permanent Vegetative State, Passive Euthanasia, Parens patriae Introduction: Euthanasia is the intentional premature termination of another person’s...
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...Physician-assisted suicide (PAS), also known as active euthanasia; involves the hastening of death through administration of a lethal dose of pharmaceutical drugs, at the request of the terminally-ill patient (Law Digest, 2013). This practice fueled debates about legal and ethical practices in the medical field. Suffering has always been a part of human existence, along with request’s to end these conditions. Death through PAS or euthanasia has been continuously controverted since the beginning of medicine. Advocates of physician assisted suicide feel they have the right to avoid excruciating pain, prolonged suffering, and embrace a timely and dignified death. Adversaries of PAS contend that physicians have a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive as determined in the Hippocratic Oath (one of the oldest binding documents written in history, still bring used by physicians). In 1990, Physician- Assisted Suicide became better known to the public when retired pathologist, Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted his first patient, Janet Adkins, into death. News of Adkins’ death made him a national celebrity and criminal, but ultimately encouraged Kevorkian to rebel and proceed with what he considered, his duty. Murad Kevorkian, better known as Dr. Jack Kevorkian was born on May 26, 1928, in Pontiac, Michigan. He was the middle of 3 children (two girls and himself), born to Levon and Satenig Kevorkian; Armenian immigrants and refugees. Jack had appreciation for his strict...
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...PHI 115- Ethics 5/7/2014 Euthanasia The purpose of this research paper is to prove that the process of euthanasia is wrong, it is against the natural and moral end of human’s life , and the most of all , it is unethical. Euthanasia from Greek: “good death” or “mercy killing”, is the practice of ending of life intentionally to relieve intractable problem of suffering. There are plenty of ethical issues to discuss, regarding this one. Proponents of euthanasia consider that death filled with suffering is wrongful and bad death. That is why these people are for legalization of euthanasia. On the other hand, opponents( including my person) of euthanasia would say that any deliberate effort to cause death is wrong and against eternal law ( God’s law). Ethics and morality, basically state the same to many people and they mean exactly one. For Instance, morality refers to personal character, belief and behavior, ethics is the reflection on morality with that person’s actions and his /her professionalism. When we say an ethical person or a moral person, that is the same meaning. Very often, in or common life we can hear both terms like medical ethics or bioethics, they both describe the same and have the same meaning. These are the guidelines...
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...The Colorado End of Life Options Act Jasmine Shaw Denver College of Nursing Abstract This paper is intended to provide an overview regarding the Colorado End of Life Options Act. This paper includes information regarding what it is, who qualifies to use it, and what the entirety of the process looks like. The ultimate goal of this paper, however, is to provide enough information regarding the Colorado End of Life Options Act to ensure that a general understanding of the basic requirements/qualifications, processes, individuals involved, and dilemmas surrounding physician assisted suicide is obtained. Keywords: Colorado, End of Life Options, Physician assisted suicide The Colorado End of Life Options Act The concept of physician...
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...Euthanasia: Quality Above Quantity Inin Life and Death Leanna Smith Cuyahoga Community College ENG 1010 Professor Neel July 20, 2014 Author Note This outline research paper’s final draft was prepared as part of a research project for English 1020, taught by Professor Neel. Abstract Euthanasia is commonly known as physician-assisted suicide. This is the act of a physician providing a terminally ill patient with lethal drugs and administers the drugs in a safe environment. Assisted suicide on the other hand is when the physician or pharmacist prescribes the lethal drugs for the terminally ill patient to take at a time of his or her own choosing. Assisted suicide is legal in 3 states in the United States, while euthanasia is illegal in every state. There are many arguments for and against this debate. The objections are mainly moral or ethical. There are many benefits to allowing assisted suicide in the United States, a couple of them are: less suffering for the patients, keeping the patients’ debts low, and keeping medical resources available for those with hope for more than 6 months to live. Oregon has provided the United States a good example of a state providing an opportunity for a terminally ill patient to control his or her own future. Hopefully with the first 3 states leading the way, the rest of the country will follow. Euthanasia: Quality Above Quantity in...
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... ABSTRACT Problem Statement: A conference to discuss on ethical dilemmas is thought to be a good way of airing out issues. It is unfortunate that at times a patient in our care may die no matter what we do. Profound ethical questions on end of life issues confront the medical personnel as they watch and wait helplessly. This paper touches on ethics, law, social and public policy as they affect nursing practice. Setting: This is a conference proceedings report augmented with a case study of Nelly from a local setting and compares it with two others from elsewhere which were also presented during the conference. Conference was organized by Federation of African Medical Students Associations (FAMSA), Eldoret 2011. The author was a presenter and discussant. This paper is a compilation of the ideas, inspirations and reflections of the significant sessions and also fulfills some of the recommendations resulting from the distinguished panelists. Objectives: - i) To explore ethical dilemma issues on end of life which have a heavy bearing on Nurses and other health care providers. ii) To explain euthanasia as it relates to...
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...AS Religious Ethics Some key terms: Teleological – the idea that the ‘end’ (effect) of an action should be considered when deciding whether the action is right or wrong. Relativism – morality depends on the situation an individual is in. So one thing can be right in one situation and wrong in another. This approach is adaptable to the situation and it is natural to think of the effects of our actions, however we cannot always accurately predict the effects of our actions. Deontological – the idea that acts are inherently right or wrong; they are right or wrong by their very nature. Absolutism – the idea that things are right or wrong, and remain so in all situations. This approach is clear-cut as it leads a list of what is right and wrong, however it is inflexible; it doesn’t consider the situation, and who decides what is right and wrong? Subjective morality – when moral judgements are based on individual opinions. Respects individual opinions and people can take responsibility for their own actions, however do all individuals opinions deserve respect? This may lead to disagreements. Objective morality – when moral judgements are based on external values/systems/rules. This approach gives authorities the ability to give guidance and advice, however there is disagreement about which authorities to trust. Utilitarianism (Teleological/Relativist): Is an ethical theory, which aims to help us work out what is right, and what is wrong. It focuses on bringing...
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