Euthanasia Essay

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Recommended: strengths and weakness of passive euthanasia

Euthanasia is one of the most complicated issues in the medical field due to the debate of whether or not it is morally right. Today, the lives of many patients can be saved with the latest discoveries in medicine and technology. But we are still unable to find cures to all illnesses, and patients have to go through extremely painful treatments only to live a little bit longer. These patients struggle with physical and psychological pain. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. discusses the topic of just and unjust laws in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which brings into question whether it is just to kill a patient who is suffering or unjust to take that person’s life even if that person is suffering. In my opinion people should have the right, with certain restrictions, to end their lives in the way they see fit if they are suffering from endless pain.
Euthanasia comes from the Greek words Eu: "good" and Thanasia: "death". It refers to the practice of intentionally ending the life of a human being to eliminate suffering for his benefit. For example, if a person has a terminal disease, and all the types of treatments have been practiced, but the patient is still in pain: euthanasia could be an option. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King explains that “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” (592) With King’s description of what is just and unjust euthanasia would fall under unjust for the fact that it contradicts with the moral law because someone is taking another person’s life despite it being for good intentions.
Euthanasia is put into two categories: Passive and Active. In Passive Euthanasia, doctors will i...

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... reconsider the position when we have cases of patients who developed Aids and the treatment is so severe that their lives become unbearable. Those patients should not be forced to take treatments that will end their lives in the worst way. Death is seen sooner or later, it should be respected if the patient prefers death as opposed to suffering. Suffering without any mean to stop it, is such cruel act humans can imposed on one another. God sent us to learn and live the life he showed us, but also he demonstrates compassion and forgiveness during these times.
Despite euthanasia being depicted as unjust in terms of Kings definition I believe that ending a patient’s life in order to relieve pain and suffering is ‘just’ only if the patient has made the decision and doctors have done all they could. Besides, a happy death sounds a lot better than a painful death.

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