By: Maribel B. Evasco
[EditorialEssay]
Euthanasia is one of the biggest controversies that people today are dealing with. It will not be wrong to say that euthanasia is responsible for the increase of death among people. Have you already heard about euthanasia?
It is universally condemned but some advocate its legalization based on humanitarian sentiments. In the Philippines there is no law dealing specifically with the matter but the general sentiment is that it is contrary to the principle that “no person has the right to end his own life; much less can he delegate such right to another”.In Netherlands, Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, Canada, and Britain, euthanasia is legal.
[EditorialEssay]
Euthanasia is one of the biggest controversies that people today are dealing with. It will not be wrong to say that euthanasia is responsible for the increase of death among people. Have you already heard about euthanasia?
It is universally condemned but some advocate its legalization based on humanitarian sentiments. In the Philippines there is no law dealing specifically with the matter but the general sentiment is that it is contrary to the principle that “no person has the right to end his own life; much less can he delegate such right to another”.In Netherlands, Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, Canada, and Britain, euthanasia is legal.
First, let’s define euthanasia. Euthanasia is the intentional killing of a person, for compassionate motives, whether the killing is by a direct action, such as a lethal injection, or by falling to perform an action necessary to maintain life. For euthanasia to occur there must be an intention to kill.
Euthanasia is a broad term for ‘mercy killing’, but how can we say that there’s a mercy of killing, when there is none? It can be also associated with ‘good death’. But what is good of being dead? Right? Motives and methods do not change the outcome, it does not alter the fact that a life ends unnaturally. There are two types of euthanasia, the active, and the passive euthanasia. The Active Euthanasia is an act of commission; it is taking some actions that lead to death like fatal injection. Active euthanasia is illegal in nearly every state on earth, because if this would be legalize the doctors will not be punished anymore when they help the person to die. In Passive euthanasia, it is an act of omission; it is letting a person die by taking no action to maintain life. Passive euthanasia can be withholding as withdrawing water, food, drugs, medical or surgical procedures, resuscitation like CPR, and life support such as the respirator. Active and passive euthanasia are both illegal because the intention behind them is the same, taking life.
There are two issues that I want to raise against euthanasia. First, is the church, in euthanasia it contradict one of the most basic principle of morality, which is that killing is wrong. Viewed from a traditional Christian point of view, euthanasia is a murder and a blatant violation of the biblical commandment, “Thou shall not kill”. One of the principal purposes of law is to uphold the sanctity of human life. Remember, Jesus suffered on the cross – He didn’t cut short his suffering, therefore not down to us to end our own life. Second, is the medicine, which involves the doctors, physicians, medical experts and other professional health care. There is no sense in performing euthanasia in as much as there is no physical pain so severe that modern medication available today cannot substantially provide relief. The physician may be mistaken in the diagnosis of impending death. In medical ethics, it states that the duty of a physician is to save life, not to end it. It is their job to try, save, protect, and preserve life. But asking doctors, nurses or any other health professional to carry out acts of euthanasia or assist in a suicide would be a violation of fundamental medical ethics.
Allowing euthanasia will open the floodgates, murders, disguised as acts of euthanasia will proliferate and none of us will be safe once we reach old age or become disabled.
So, I firmly believe that euthanasia is immoral, unethical, illegal, and irrational, it is a crime. Why?Because euthanasia is responsible for devaluation in standards of human life. Giving palliative care for a dying person when cure is not possible is more appropriate than having them to be euthanize. Palliative care is giving the physical, emotional and spiritual care, it also includes compassion and support for family and friends.
We should always remember that money should not be an issue here, because life matters most, no matter what. We exist, so we have value.
Euthanasia is a broad term for ‘mercy killing’, but how can we say that there’s a mercy of killing, when there is none? It can be also associated with ‘good death’. But what is good of being dead? Right? Motives and methods do not change the outcome, it does not alter the fact that a life ends unnaturally. There are two types of euthanasia, the active, and the passive euthanasia. The Active Euthanasia is an act of commission; it is taking some actions that lead to death like fatal injection. Active euthanasia is illegal in nearly every state on earth, because if this would be legalize the doctors will not be punished anymore when they help the person to die. In Passive euthanasia, it is an act of omission; it is letting a person die by taking no action to maintain life. Passive euthanasia can be withholding as withdrawing water, food, drugs, medical or surgical procedures, resuscitation like CPR, and life support such as the respirator. Active and passive euthanasia are both illegal because the intention behind them is the same, taking life.
There are two issues that I want to raise against euthanasia. First, is the church, in euthanasia it contradict one of the most basic principle of morality, which is that killing is wrong. Viewed from a traditional Christian point of view, euthanasia is a murder and a blatant violation of the biblical commandment, “Thou shall not kill”. One of the principal purposes of law is to uphold the sanctity of human life. Remember, Jesus suffered on the cross – He didn’t cut short his suffering, therefore not down to us to end our own life. Second, is the medicine, which involves the doctors, physicians, medical experts and other professional health care. There is no sense in performing euthanasia in as much as there is no physical pain so severe that modern medication available today cannot substantially provide relief. The physician may be mistaken in the diagnosis of impending death. In medical ethics, it states that the duty of a physician is to save life, not to end it. It is their job to try, save, protect, and preserve life. But asking doctors, nurses or any other health professional to carry out acts of euthanasia or assist in a suicide would be a violation of fundamental medical ethics.
Allowing euthanasia will open the floodgates, murders, disguised as acts of euthanasia will proliferate and none of us will be safe once we reach old age or become disabled.
So, I firmly believe that euthanasia is immoral, unethical, illegal, and irrational, it is a crime. Why?Because euthanasia is responsible for devaluation in standards of human life. Giving palliative care for a dying person when cure is not possible is more appropriate than having them to be euthanize. Palliative care is giving the physical, emotional and spiritual care, it also includes compassion and support for family and friends.
We should always remember that money should not be an issue here, because life matters most, no matter what. We exist, so we have value.
