Christian attitudes to euthanasia

Page 1

Catholics (and many Liberal Protestants) believe that assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia are all wrong. However they believe that life-support machines, not giving treatment that could cause distress, and giving dying people painkillers which may shorten their life are not euthanasia. They have this attitude because:

believe in the sanctity of life; life is created by God and so it is up to God, not humans, when people die

regard euthanasia as murder; forbidden by Decalogue

if doctors say someone is brain-dead, then they have already died; switching off the machine is accepting what God has already decided

doctrine of double effect; if you give painkillers to a dying person in great pain and they kill the person, this is not murder because your intention was to remove their pain not to kill them

Some Christians believe any form of euthanasia is wrong including switching off life-support machines, the refusal of extraordinary treatment or the giving of large doses of painkillers. They have this attitude because:

they take Bible teachings literally and the Bible forbids suicide

euthanasia includes switching off life-support machines, the refusal of extraordinary treatment and giving of large doses of painkillers because life is being ended by humans not God

all forms of euthanasia are murder, which is banned by the Ten Commandments

they believe that life is sacred and should only be taken by God; the Bible says that life and death decisions belong to God alone

A few Christians accept euthanasia in certain circumstances because:

medical advances mean it is hard to know what God's wishes about someone's death are; God may want someone to die but doctors are keeping them alive

teaching of Jesus on loving you neighbour can be used to justify assisting suicide, because it might be the most loving thing to do

basic human right to have control over your your body and what people do to it; people have a right to refuse medical treatment, so why not a right to ask for euthanasia