Euthanasia: Murder or Mercy

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Euthanasia Murder or Mercy?

• By
• Rebecca Recinos, Zoe Seher,
• Mike Kutzscher, Evan Kim, Max Denny

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Goals

• To give people the basic facts about euthanasia.
• To impartially provide arguments for and against
  euthanasia.
• To educate people about the Churchs position on
  euthanasia.
• To explore ethical questions on all sides of the
  issue.
• To create an environment in which thoughtful
  discussion can flourish.
• To get the class to actively participate in
  developing their knowledge and opinions on the
  topic.
• To analyze the ethics involved with Euthanasia

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Ethical Questions

• Are humans born with dignity or is it something
  we earn?
• When is human dignity compromised?
• Is it right to commit suicide?
• Is it ethical for someone else to help?
• Is it right to put others to death at their own
  request or at the request of family members?
• When does a life lose its value or purpose?
• Do we have the right to play God?

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So what do Asian kids have to do with life issues?
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Key Terms

• Euthanasia- the act of putting to death
  painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding
  extreme medical measures, a person suffering from
  a disease or condition.
• Hippocratic Oath- an oath that embodies a code of
  medical ethics and is usually taken by those
  about to begin medical practice
• Mercy killing- euthanasia, esp. for those
  suffering from intolerable pain.
• Terminal illness- A disease or condition that
  will lead to certain or near-certain death an
  incurable and fatal condition.
• Vegetative state- Of or being a state of grossly
  impaired consciousness, as after severe head
  trauma or brain disease, in which an individual
  is incapable of voluntary or purposeful acts and
  only responds reflexively to painful stimuli.

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What is Euthanasia?

• Euthanasia is the act or practice of ending the
  life of a person suffering from a terminal
  illness or an incurable condition.
• Common Terms
• Mercy Killings Physician Assisted Suicide
• Euthanasia is a moral issue because it deals with
  whether it is morally right to commit suicide
  or assist in ending someone's life. Basically,
  who are we to play God?

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Types of Euthanasia

• Voluntary Involuntary Euthanasia
• Voluntary Euthanasia means that the act of
  putting the person to death is the result of the
  persons own free will.
• Involuntary Euthanasia means that the person is
  put to death without explicitly requesting it.
• Active Passive Euthanasia
• Active euthanasia would be actively helping a
  person die by the use of medical drugs, etc.
• Passive euthanasia would be a physician
  withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining
  medical treatment at the patients request, and
  letting the patient die passively of natural
  causes.

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Medical Perspective

• Much like most of the world, the medical world
  has not reached a consensus on the issue of
  Euthanasia
• Euthanasia goes against the Hippocratic oath, yet
  some doctors do perform the act

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The Hippocratic Oath

• I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who
  asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to
  this effect.
• -Hippocrates, the father of medicine

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Church View

• The catechism of the Catholic Church states
  Whatever its motives and means, direct
  euthanasia consists in putting an end to the
  lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It
  is morally unacceptable.
• Catholic religion views each and every life as
  significant in its own particular way.
• Sin of conforming to Gods roles and powers
• Specific life plan for each person on this world.
  
• Being in this world is about love and hope.
  Dying unnaturally is not the real solution.
  Loving others, finding a reason to live, and hope
  are the true answers.

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Pros

• The sacredness of human life is degraded when
  quality of life is reduced for the sake of
  extending quantity of life.
• When a patient loses his/her meaning in life
  (dreams, aspirations, etc.), he/she remains a
  human, but his/her overall personhood is
  compromised. In such cases, it is morally
  acceptable to end a patients life.
• The Hippocratic Oath does not explicitly state
  that a physician must preserve the patients life
  at all costs.
• Possibility to save vital organs to save other
  patients.
• Between suffering and death, death is the lesser
  of two evils.

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Cons

• Miracle cures and recoveries have been known to
  occur in rare cases.
• Many religions do not allow suicide or
  intentional killing of others.
• Insurance companies would pressure doctors to
  euthanize patients to keep costs low.
• Doctors are fallible humans too, and an incorrect
  diagnosis could lead to the end of a life that
  could have been saved.

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Euthanasia Legislation

• Euthanasia is regulated at the state level.
• In most states, euthanasia is illegal.
• Many states allow the refusal of treatment
  leading to death.
• States such as Oregon have legalized voluntary
  euthanasia.

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Discussion Questions

• What is your own view on euthanasia?
• If you were faced with a difficult situation
  (i.e. a parent suffering from a terminal illness)
  how would your view change?
• How much of your outside forces (i.e. church,
  school, peer influences) affects your views?
• What is your definition of love and caring?
• What is your reaction to the Churchs teaching
  and views towards this subject?

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Sources

• Hinman, Lawrence. "Ethics Updates." Euthanasia
  and End-of-Life Decisions.
• 17 Aug 2006. University of San Diego. 22 Oct 2006
  lthttp//ethics.sandiego.edu/Applied/Euthanasia/ind
  ex.aspgt.
• http//catholicism.about.com/od/euthanasia/a/viewo
  neuthan05.htm
• The American Heritage Stedman's Medical
  Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 25 Oct.
  2006. ltDictionary.com http//dictionary.reference.
  com/