Is Euthanasia Morally Wrong?

[LukeyLuke]

While considering the teachings within the Bible (or not, if you aren't Christian) and/or the medical implications of a patient thinking of euthanasia, is euthanasia morally wrong? Explain your reasoning.

[Donald]

First off, everybody suffers in life. There is not one person on this earth who does not suffer. We need to accept this as a fact of life. The problem is people usually do not know how to suffer and still maintain peace of mind, inner happiness, and joy of life. They need Jesus Christ in their life because without Him, we are nothing and that leads to suicide and in some cases euthanasia. Both are immoral actions because we are God's Temple and anyone who destroys God's Temple, God will destroy him or her. Suffering brings meaning to life because it draws us closer to Jesus Christ, who suffered on the Cross for our sins. So if we open our hearts to Jesus and suffer for His Sake, He will give us peace and tranquility and we will be able to live out our lives regardless how much we suffer. We are not called to live a life on earth without suffering because someday, God will call on us to enter Heaven where there is no suffering. And that is the ultimate goal anyway as Christians.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

[Donald]

[Replying to post 2 by Haven]

[Donald]

First off, everybody suffers. There is not one person on this earth who does not suffer. The problem is usually, people do not know how to suffer with peace of mind, inner happiness, and joy of life. That only comes when we Know Jesus so we can know ourselves. To just give up and end life prematurely with suicide or in some cases, euthanasia is sinful. Both are immoral actions because destroying God's Temple, which are bodies represent, is the worst sin in the world for anyone who destroys God's Temple, God will destroy him or her.

We need Jesus Christ in our lives because without Jesus, we are nothing and that can lead to depression, which leads to suicide or euthanasia. If Jesus can suffer on the Cross for our sins and redeem us, than we can suffer for Him because suffering is the imprint human brings leave on earth. It is our responsibility to suffer for Jesus's Sake so He can give us peace and tranquility while developing a deeper relationship with Him. When it comes to suffering, we are one with Jesus and He understandings all the suffering we live, day in and day out. So open your heart today and reach out to Him when we suffer. It may be the difference between life or death, OR Heaven or Hell.

[Donald]

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

[myth-one.com]

While considering the teachings within the Bible (or not, if you aren't Christian) and/or the medical implications of a patient thinking of euthanasia, is euthanasia morally wrong? Explain your reasoning.

While considering the teachings within the Bible (or not, if you aren't Christian) and/or the medical implications of a patient thinking of euthanasia, is euthanasia morally wrong? Explain your reasoning.

About ten years ago, I answered a phone call from the hospital expecting that it was time for me to go and pick up my sister-in-law and take her back to her assisted living lodging.

But the call did not go as expected. She had been rushed back to ICU, placed on a ventilator, and had been "restarted" seven times using a defibulator. If we wanted to see her, we needed to rush to the hospital.

I quickly called my wife who was substituting teaching, informed her, and rushed to the hospital.

A few minutes after we arrived in ICU, her heart started to fail again. It was not like what I would have thought. The monitoring equipment would show the beats per minute increasing. One of the attendants (there were about six) shouted "Get Ready -- Here we go again!"

Someone shouted for us to leave, "You do not want to see this!"

My response was, "Yes, we need to see it."

Her heart rate then started its climb off the chart to 200-300 beats per minute. Alarms were sounding, and one young man was standing close at hand with the defib paddles ready to perform the shock.

Suddenly, the monitor equipment emitted a constant whistle alarm as the heart beats went from overload to a flat lining zero.

Someone screamed "Stand back" and as she was shocked her overweight body jumped seemingly a foot into the air. She emitted a loud groan as the heart beat came back on the monitor.

I asked the doctor if she was in any pain, and he said he did not know.

[dianaiad]

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Moderator Comment

Welcome to the forum, Donald.

One of the interesting things about this forum is that it is a debate forum; this means that there are quite a few non-believers posting here, and they don't accept the bible, or any book accepted as scripture, as authoritative. Using them without commentary could be considered 'preaching,' and is also against the rules.

Using scripture verses to explain why you believe something, and adding your own commentary, is fine, but it's important that you add your own commentary as well as simply post the scriptures.



Please review the Rules.


______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster. Any challenges or replies to moderator postings should be made via Private Message to avoid derailing topics.

[Danmark]

Suicide is illegal I think in every state in the US and in most countries, although I think it may be legal in Ireland.

Of course, we should be talking about attempted suicide, not suicide.
The second part of this statement, about Ireland is correct. The first part is incorrect.

"Some American legal scholars look at the issue as one of personal liberty. According to Nadine Strossen, former President of the ACLU, "The idea of government making determinations about how you end your life, forcing you...could be considered cruel and unusual punishment in certain circumstances, and Justice Stevens in a very interesting opinion in a right-to-die [case] raised the analogy."
See more from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_legislation re: how this issue is treated from State to State, country to country.

You may find a State or country where attempted suicide is still a crime. Usually it is just discouraged. But I would be very interested in hearing about any case in the United States in the last 50 years where anyone was prosecuted for attempting suicide. The idea is that if one attempts suicide, punishing them is not likely to discourage a 2d attempt.

Here's the very real dilemma that some have faced, and I felt forced to consider.
Suppose your father is 100% disabled. He cannot move. He is in lasting pain and his condition is permanent. You know he wants to die, but will not consider suicide because of his strong religious faith. The son does not want to assist his father's death without his consent; yet he knows his father will not consent solely due to his religious faith. I think the son shows greater love for his father by assisting his father's death without demanding his father consent and thereby violate his religious conscience.

Essentially this is what many physicians and families do in a very vague way re: the administration of morphine and other pain killers. The patients' loved ones nudge into that gray area where they every so slightly are willing to issue a bit too much pain relief, rather than too little.

[Donald]

I would edit those scriptures to add to my post, just ABOVE, but I cannot edit. Why Not?

[Donald]

But then you have a problem with being addicted to painkillers if they are used too much Danmark. Too many people trust in pain pills to relieve their pain and end up killing themselves anyway without meaning too if they have a religious conscience. With new laws now, it is much harder for patients to receive pain pills that are highly addictive, such as oxycodone. As a result, less people end of dead over a painkiller overdose.

What about alternative medicine? Why not try traditional methods that focus not only on the physical aspect, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects as well. The problem with modern medicine is that it is incomplete. It only focuses on the symptoms displayed, NOT the cause of the symptoms. I have a huge fascination with anceint cultures, like the Mayan Civilization, that covers the entire human being, not just the physical. What do you think?

[Danmark]

But then you have a problem with being addicted to painkillers if they are used too much Danmark. Too many people trust in pain pills to relieve their pain and end up killing themselves anyway without meaning too if they have a religious conscience.

I think you've missed the point by a wide margin. We're talking about physician subscribed pain killers for people who are about to die. Becoming addicted on your last day on Earth is not a concern. The very point is that using the pain killers may hasten their death and alleviate their pain.

The fear of euthanasia when someone's death is imminent forcing a loving child or spouse or brother to deprive his loved one from spending his last hours or days in agony, so one can happily congratulate himself of 'playing strictly by the book,' seems immoral to me. It's a great example of straining gnats while swallowing camels.