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 a child in womb to save the life of the Mother. The latter happened to me with my fourth child and my husband and I made the final decision to terminate our baby life When the baby was in me, I was so weak, I felt the baby was distressed and I felt such sorrow. Afterwards, I felt empty but I knew it was for the best. I will see both of my babies in heaven.
Definition of Euthanasia: Euthanasia is an attempt to prevent painful, excessive or prolonged death. It may be passive (stop treatment) or direct acts aimed at terminating life (active). The latter is wrong because it does not see God, as the taker of life Job 1:21; 38—41 Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. There are different euthanasia laws in each country, Voluntary, Legality of euthanasia, Involuntary and Non Voluntary for more information go to the cite listed at the end of this paragraph.
Sanctity of Life: God has given it and He sustains it. Because it is his gift, we must treat it with care and not discard it. To treat it lightly is a supreme act of ingratitude, but it also suggests that we think we own our life, when in fact God gave it and owns it. Christians have traditionally used this argument against suicide. It seems relevant as well to euthanasia in general. Finally, a further biblical indication of the sanctity of life is the prohibition against life-taking. Killing is condemned both in the OT (Exod 20:13) and the NT (Matt 5:21; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9). While there are exceptions to the rule (e.g., killing in self-defense, capital punishment, just war), what is unexceptional is the prohibition against the deliberate, intentional taking of innocent life. In most cases, euthanasia is the deliberate taking of innocent life. Biblical teaching renders those cases morally unacceptable.
Not so fast, don’t push that button – I have a Living Will! People need to a signed a living will to that effect or granted power of attorney to one’s family to make decisions on your health care, the absent of this document on one’s right to die it they unable to make a decision on how they want live out the rest of their life when all hope is gone and to prevent suffering. No reasonable expectation of recovery from physical, mental, or spiritual disability, he/she asks to be allowed to die rather than to be kept alive by artificial means or heroic measures. In some states living wills are not legally binding, but those who sign them hope friends and family will feel morally bound to honor them. In addition, by 1990 some thirteen states had power of attorney laws that allow individuals to name a proxy to make health-care decisions if the individual becomes incapacitated.
Conclusion: A tendency of abuse Today in many countries there is a shortage of hospital space. Medical personnel and hospital beds could be used for people, whose lives could be saved instead of continuing the lives of those who want to die, thus increasing the general quality of care and shortening hospital waiting lists. It is a burden to keep people alive past the point they can contribute to society, especially if the resources used could be spent on a curable ailment. In addition, there is the likelihood of abuse when views such as above become common place people may expand further and set limits of the aging, feeble minded people, handicap and by race. It is a slippery slop that could lead to taking people lives because of their perceived usefulness to society, therefore, involuntary take precious live. You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know, William Wilberforce.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, CS. The Case of Christianity. MacMillan ,NY, NY.
Swanson, J., and O. Nave. New Nave's Topical Bible. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1994.
Feinberg, J. S., and P. D. Feinberg. Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993.
Feinberg, J. S., and P. D. Feinberg. Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993. https//www. wikipedia. Org/wiki/Euthanasia? https/www.ikipedia. Org/wiki/Euthanasia?
Lewis, CS. The Case of Christianity. MacMillan ,NY, NY.
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[ 1 ]. CS Lewis, The Case of Christianity, MacMillan ,NY, NY.
[ 2 ]. J. Swanson and O. Nave, New Nave's Topical Bible (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1994).
[ 3 ]. https//www. wikipedia, Org/wiki/Euthanasia?
[ 4 ]. J. S. Feinberg and P. D. Feinberg, Ethics for a Brave New World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), 115.
[ 5 ]. Ibid.
[ 6 ]. Ibid.
