Euthanasia

[Dancing With Myself]

Hey,

For those who don't know what Euthanasia is:

Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is considered an act or practice of painlessly putting to death a person suffering from painful and incurable disease or incapacitating physical disorder.

So lets say you have a friend that is going to die (inevitably) and is in extreme pain, would you want to end his life to shorten the suffering or make him live until his last breath...? It is currently illegal to perform such an act in about 99% of the world's countries.


I'm writing a position paper about Euthanasia and since it's a very controversial topic, why not post which side you are on? Are you pro or against it.

Euthanasia can be either active or passive.

Active: Active euthanasia means that a physician or other medical personnel takes a deliberate action that will induce death, such as administering an overdose of morphine, insulin, or barbiturates, followed by an injection of curare.

Passive: Passive euthanasia means letting a patient die for lack of treatment, or suspending treatment that has begun. Examples of passive euthanasia include taking patients off a respirator (a breathing apparatus) or removing other life-support systems. Stopping the food supply—usually intravenous feeding to comatose patients—is also considered passive.

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: Euthanasia

[...]I'm writing a position paper about Euthanasia and since it's a very controversial topic, why not post which side you are on? Are you pro or against it.

"I know, lets' get those Brothers and Sister over at Landover to write my "Position Paper", whilst I sit and watch Fox."

Hmm, seems like a good idea.

All you have done so far is to be wishy-washy and cover one or two points.

I tell you what, when you've finished your "Position Paper", post it here and we'll comment.

[Pastor Billy-Reuben]

Re: Euthanasia

I'm writing a position paper about Euthanasia and since it's a very controversial topic, why not post which side you are on? Are you pro or against it.

Of course I'm against it. I'm a Christian, therefore I believe that murder is wrong.

The whole business about ending suffering is just a red herring. God will call the person home (or send them the other way) when He is ready, in His own time. Whatever "suffering" the person is enduring now is nothing compared to what awaits them in Hell if they don't take the time they have now to get saved.

Here is a link to everything you need to about euthanasia to write your paper.

Pastor Billy-Reuben

[Dancing With Myself]

Re: Euthanasia

"I know, lets' get those Brothers and Sister over at Landover to write my "Position Paper", whilst I sit and watch Fox."

Hmm, seems like a good idea.

All you have done so far is to be wishy-washy and cover one or two points.

I tell you what, when you've finished your "Position Paper", post it here and we'll comment.

I just wanted to open the topic up and see what you guys have to say about it. Here is my draft so far (keep in mind that this is my first draft):

We live in a world where Euthanasia has been a very serious problem since before Jesus Christ’s time. Right now Euthanasia is illegal in 99% of the world’s countries, however; people are still practicing it even though it’s illegal. People mainly perform such an act out of compassion for their love ones but there have been reported cases of when people use Euthanasia as an excuse to claim heritage money or where people have been Euthanized without their consent. If Euthanasia would be legalized then it would be harmful to society and therefore should remain illegal because it can become a means of reducing medical expenses by sacrificing someone’s life, it can become non-voluntary and is a rejection of the importance and value of human life.


Since 400bc, people have been practiciing euthanasia but it was still illegal back then as it still is now. The father of medicine, Hypocrates, was quoted saying "-I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel." (www.euthanasia.com). From the 14th century through to the 20th century, an excerpt written by the Chief Justice Rehqnist wrote that "more specifically, for over 700 years, the Anglo American common law tradition has punished or otherwise disapproved of both suicide and assisting suicide." (www.euthanasia.com)


Euthanasia may become a means of saving money at the expense of someone’s life. Since health care is already very expensive, Euthanasia can easily become a cheaper way of dealing with patients without spending a lot of money. “It could take $40,000 to keep a dying patients alive”. Insurance companies and hospitals will often try to limit the patient’s time alive slightly earlier than estimated to save money. Also, one of the incentives to do it is to avoid line ups of patients waiting hours on end to get treated. If hospitals had the right to Euthanize, they would most likely abuse their privilege.


People will argue that a patient who will inevitably die or not gain consciousness can be taking a spot from another patient who might be able to benefit from it. This is wrong because the number one reason as to why people don’t want to pull the plug is because they always hope that somehow the patient will pull through and come out alive. Therefore families will be inclined to avoid euthanasia because of this hope.
At the International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, three women with disabilities spoke about their concerns relating to how legalizing euthanasia would affect the attitude towards people with mental and/or physical disabilities. A speaker from Holland, whose grandfather was euthanized against his will, reminded us that the most recent Dutch government report recorded 550 cases where patients were euthanized without their consent in 2005.At the same Symposium, experts have indicated their concerns that with legalized euthanasia; fragile people who are near death and people with disabilities may feel unwanted and request euthanasia. “This may make the right to die become the duty to die.” Also, one of the problems which involves making Euthanasia legal may make suiciding seem like a normal and acceptable thing to do.


It is very hard to know whether a person who is mentality unstable wants to be euthanized or not because by the time the officials ask him, he may not be in a proper state of mind to make such a decision. As to knowing the same thing for children, it’s a completely different subject that might clash into abortion. Most of the time, children aren’t smart enough to know what they want and aren’t aware of what’s happening most of the time. Since people cannot always express themselves, euthanasia may be the best option they will resort to. The number one worry about euthanasia is that there is always a chance of mistakes which will result in the loss of somebody’s life which is considered to be murder. This is why euthanasia should remain illegal.


Practicing Euthanasia is already against all religions because it is considered to demoralize society therefore putting somebody’s life at stake. Performing an act of Euthanasia is illegal in law and in religion. From the Catholic Church’s point of view, if you euthanize somebody, you are breaking the 6th commandment being “Thou shall not murder”. Lawfully, it is also illegal because the government doesn’t want to be responsible for any false actions and to avoid a list of problems that could occur. A counter argument would state that by keeping a person alive, you may be keeping them in pain which will make their life very difficult until the end. With our current medical development, we can avoid pain very easily in most cases.


A famous case in the United States recorded that Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to eight years of prison time for having been charged of Second Degree Murder. He assisted the suicide of 130 patients who were inevitably going to die. In the late 1980s, he wrote several medical articles which explained his thinking on the ethics of euthanasia. And by 1987, he publicly advertised in Detroit newspapers that he was a physician consultant for death counselling. Based on what “Dr. Death” claims to believe; euthanizing patients is ethical and should be practiced because it prevents pain and relieves suffering. This may be so but there are other ways to avoid euthanasia. One being to inject the dying patient with morphine until he dies because it will most importantly relieve the patient of pain.
Euthanasia is a form of rejection of human life and life values. By performing Euthanasia, it might reduce the perception of how somebody views life and if it is done so commonly, it will almost be considered like performing surgery. People say that if you keep a dying patient live, you are only keeping them in pain and making their life very difficult. However, by somebody’s life earlier than expected, we may never know if this person would have ever fully recovered.

[Pastor Billy-Reuben]

Re: Euthanasia

I just wanted to open the topic up and see what you guys have to say about it. Here is my draft so far (keep in mind that this is my first draft):

When writing a position paper, aren't you required to take a position?

[Dancing With Myself]

Re: Euthanasia

When writing a position paper, aren't you required to take a position?

Yes, I've mentioned it towards the middle. Although my thesis statement might not seem clear enough.

[WickedWitch]

Re: Euthanasia

I'm writing a position paper about Euthanasia and since it's a very controversial topic, why not post which side you are on? Are you pro or against it.

I had to write a paper like that. It was dialectic, meaning we had to pick a controversial topic, and then write an essay for it, and another against it. Both essays had to be based soley on fact, and could have nothing to do with religious views or any other source of bias. And to finish the project, we had to state our position on the issue, once again, based ONLY on fact. I ended up picking euthanasia as my topic, and both my essays ended up being like, 5 pages long (I tend to write a little too much). Is your project like that? It's fun; it gets you thinking about things in ways you wouldn't normally, it helps you understand both sides of an issue.

[One-eyed Jack]

Re: Euthanasia

Hypothetical: A man is wounded, in terrible pain, and slowly dying from exposure. He has no chance of survival. Of course it would be merciful to kill him...

...except that the man in this hypothetical question is JESUS the CHRIST!

See here: God had His own Son tortured to death. How can anyone say that they deserve a merciful, quick death after seeing the way that God ordained for his own son to die?

SHAME! Shame on promoters of euthanasia! If agony was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for everyone!

The pain avoided by euthanasia in the mortal life will be paid for with an eternity of agony being endlessly scorched by HELLFIRE!

I live in Oregon, USA, the only state in America which has legalized euthanasia. I look at the hollow, God-hating eyes of the people around me as they trudge through lives that they will END with a NEEDLE before they have fully experienced everything God has in store for them...and I think, "Have the courage to suffer, you swine! Have the courage to spend several days slowly choking to death as the cancer twists your lungs!"

Oh, it is terrible, the way people try to avoid God's loving plan for their lives.

~~ OEJ

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: Euthanasia

What year of junior high school are you in?

Since 400bc, people have been practiciing euthanasia but it was still illegal back then as it still is now.

Practicing Euthanasia is already against all religions because it is considered to demoralize society therefore putting somebody’s life at stake.

I was homeschooled and I can do better than that. Seriously, pal.

[Dancing With Myself]

Re: Euthanasia

I had to write a paper like that. It was dialectic, meaning we had to pick a controversial topic, and then write an essay for it, and another against it. Both essays had to be based soley on fact, and could have nothing to do with religious views or any other source of bias. And to finish the project, we had to state our position on the issue, once again, based ONLY on fact. I ended up picking euthanasia as my topic, and both my essays ended up being like, 5 pages long (I tend to write a little too much). Is your project like that? It's fun; it gets you thinking about things in ways you wouldn't normally, it helps you understand both sides of an issue.

We're open to talk about pretty much anything and but it has to be at least 5-10 pages long (words only).

What year of junior high school are you in?



I was homeschooled and I can do better than that. Seriously, pal.

Just a draft.

[Brother Temperance]

Re: Euthanasia

I had to write a paper like that. It was dialectic...

Typical. I knew the Canuckistanis were sickeningly debauched, but I didn't realise they taught Marxism-Leninism-Mao-Zedong Thought in the high schools over there. Still, it's hardly a surprise.

Personally, I oppose euthanasia for cripples and vegetables, but am strongly in favour of euthanasia for sodomites and Muslims. Seems fair enough to me.

[Wide-Open]

Re: Euthanasia

Never forget!



Enough said.

[Old Iron Crotch]

Re: Euthanasia

Hey,

For those who don't know what Euthanasia is:

Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is considered an act or practice of painlessly putting to death a person suffering from painful and incurable disease or incapacitating physical disorder.

So lets say you have a friend that is going to die (inevitably) and is in extreme pain, would you want to end his life to shorten the suffering or make him live until his last breath...? It is currently illegal to perform such an act in about 99% of the world's countries.


I'm writing a position paper about Euthanasia and since it's a very controversial topic, why not post which side you are on? Are you pro or against it.

I'd say that it depends on the person's beliefs and wishes. I have instructed my husband that if I am in a persistent vegetative state with little or no hope for meanigful recovery, then I wish to be allowed to die, and my organs harvested for people in need of transplants.
I also have a living will in place.

And if I had a terminal disease, and was in extreme pain, with little or no hope of relief or cure, then I would most definitely take my own life. I should have the right to end my own suffering.

[Brother Temperance]

Re: Euthanasia

I'd say that it depends on the person's beliefs and wishes. I have instructed my husband that if I am in a persistent vegetative state...

How would anyone be able to tell?

[Old Iron Crotch]

Re: Euthanasia

How would anyone be able to tell?

I'd start talking and acting like a TC.