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Why Euthanasia Should Be Legal: Analysis of Arguments and Counterarguments

Categories: Assisted Suicide Euthanasia Right to Die

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Published: Aug 14, 2023

Words: 1865 | Pages: 4 | 10 min read

Introduction, why euthanasia should be legal, works cited, counterarguments.

Corder, Mike. “Dutch Euthanasia Center Sees 22% Rise in Requests in 2019.” WAVY.com, 7 Feb. 2020, www.wavy.com/news/health/dutch-euthanasia-center-sees-22-rise-in-requests-in-2019/. Accessed 10 March 2020.
Davis, Jacky. “Kevin Davis Deserved Choice.” Dignity in Dying, www.dignityindying.org.uk/story/kevin-davis/. Accessed 13 March 2020.
De La Torre, Esther B. The Right to Assisted Suicide, www.lonestar.edu/rightto-assist-suicide.htm. Accessed 19 March 2020.
“Euthanasia Laws - Information on the Law about Euthanasia.” Information on the Law about Euthanasia - Suicide, Life, Act, and Mercy - JRank Articles, law.jrank.org/pages/11858/Euthanasia.html. Accessed 10 March 2020.

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158 Euthanasia Topics & Essay Examples

If you’re writing a euthanasia essay, questions and topics on the subject can be tricky to find. Not with our list!

📑 Aspects to Cover in a Euthanasia Essay

🏆 Best Euthanasia Essay Examples & Topics

💡 clever euthanasia titles, 🎓 simple & easy euthanasia essay titles, ✅ most interesting euthanasia topics to write about, ❓ euthanasia essay questions.

Our experts have prepared a variety of ideas for your paper or speech. In the article below, find original euthanasia research questions and essay titles. And good luck with your assignment!

📑 Aspects to Cover in an Euthanasia Essay

Euthanasia is the process of intentional life ending. Its goal is to stop patients’ suffering and pain. In today’s world, euthanasia is a debatable topic, and there are many questions about it.

Euthanasia essays can help students to raise awareness of the process and its aspects. That is why it is crucial to research this issue and write papers on it.

You can discuss various problems in your essay on euthanasia, as there is a broad variety of related issues. You can choose the one you are the most concerned about, search for euthanasia essay questions online or consult your professor.

Here are some examples of euthanasia essay topics and titles we can suggest:

The benefits and disadvantages of a physician-assisted suicide
Ethical dilemmas associated with euthanasia
An individual’s right to die
Euthanasia as one of the most debatable topics in today’s society
The ethical dilemma around euthanasia
The ethics associated with voluntary euthanasia
Can euthanasia be considered murder?
Euthanasia debate: Should the government legalize this procedure?
The legality of physician-assisted suicide in today’s society

Once you have selected one of the euthanasia essay titles, you can start working on your paper. Here are some important aspects to cover:

Start from developing a solid euthanasia essay thesis. You should state the main idea of your paper and your primary argument clearly. A thesis statement can look like this: Euthanasia is beneficial for patients because it prevents them from suffering. Euthanasia can be equal to murder.

Remember to include a definition of euthanasia and related terms, such as physician-assisted suicide. Your audience should understand what you are talking about in the essay.
Do not forget to include the existing evidence on the issue. For instance, you can research euthanasia in different countries, the debates around its legalization, and all other aspects related to the problem. Support your claims with facts and cite your sources correctly.
Legal and ethical questions are some of the most significant aspects you should cover in the essay. Discuss the potential benefits and disadvantages of the procedure, as well as its impact on patients’ families and medical professionals.
If you are writing an opinion paper, do not forget to state your opinion clearly. Include relevant experience, if possible (for example, if you work at a hospital and patients have asked you about the procedure). Have you met people who could have benefited from euthanasia? Include their stories, if applicable.
Do not forget to cover the legal aspects of euthanasia in your state. Is it legal to perform some form of euthanasia where you live or work? Do you think it is beneficial for the patients?
Remember to look at the grading rubric to see what other aspects you should cover in your paper. For example, your professor may want you to state a counter-argument and include a refutation paragraph. Make sure that you follow all of your instructor’s requirements.
If you are not sure that you have covered all the necessary questions related to your issue, check out related articles and analyze the authors’ arguments. Avoid copying other people’s work and only use it as an inspiration.

Please find our free samples below with the best ideas for your work!

Euthanasia: Advantages and Disadvantages The most heavily criticized of all such similar actions is involuntary euthanasia which bears the brunt of all severe protests against the issue, with involuntary euthanasia being dubbed as the deprivation of an individual of […]
Arguments in Favor of Euthanasia Due to the sensitivity of the issue, laws that will protect the rights of both the patient and the physicians who practice euthanasia should be put in place.
Consequentialism: Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide People against euthanasia view the consequences of legalization as a gateway to other unethical practices being accepted, which is a slippery slope that could lead to adverse consequences to the fundamental principles and values of […]
Euthanasia as Self-Termination Velleman believes that a person should not have the right to end their life as it can make other people suffer, but there is an objection to his opinion related to that person’s own pain.
An Argument Against Euthanasia 5 Generally, it is contrary to the duty of the subject of euthanasia and that of those who intend to perform the mercy killing to take one’s life based on their own assessment of the […]
Advantages and Disadvantages of Euthanasia in Modern Society In its turn, this points out to the fact that, in the field of health care, the notion of medicinal compassion organically derives out of the notion of scientific progress, and not out of the […]
Why Active Euthanasia is Morally Wrong The issue of active euthanasia has come to the attention of the public over the past decades as more people demand for the right to be assisted to die.
The Problem of Euthanasia in Animal Shelters Animal shelters are forced to euthanize animals for a number of reasons which includes: Lack of funds to treat sick animals, overcrowding as a result of the increased number of animals brought in by owners […]
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide The final act that results in the death of the person is however usually performed by the person intending to die after the provision of information, advice and even the ways through which he or […]
Euthanasia: Legalisation of a Mercy Killing The fact that the minority of countries and only several states in the US accept euthanasia proves that today people are still not ready to accept it as a mercy.
Euthanasia: Fighting for the Right Cause Sommerville is a renowned Samuel Gale Professor of Law at the McGill University in Montreal, the Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, and the Founding Director of the Center for Medicine, Ethics, and Law. The […]
The Death Definition and the Need for Euthanasia If the concept of the soul is to be believed in, then one’s death is simply a process that detaches the soul from the body.
Euthanasia as a Polarizing Issue The example of a plethora of countries shows that the inclusion of assisted suicide is not detrimental to the broad society.
Rachel’s Stance on Euthanasia: Passive and Active Killing Despite the appealing nature of Rachel’s argument, his claims of equity of killing and letting a person die are not ethically right. A major distinction between killing and witnessing death is the level of responsibility […]
Euthanasia for Terminally Ill People: Pros & Cons Despite the fact that euthanasia causes a lot of controversy, every person should have the right to end suffering. Permission of euthanasia is the realization of a person’s right to dispose of their body.
Euthanasia: Arguments for and Against If the disease has reduced a person to a vegetative state and deprived them of consciousness, then their life is no longer fully human and therefore is not considered a blessing.
Analysis of Ethical Dilemma: Euthanasia One of these is the right to live, which includes much more than the ability to simply exist, and suggests an adherence to a minimum of quality and self-determination.
Euthanasia-Related Ethical and Legal Issues There are no discussions about whether the person has the right to commit suicide or not because most individuals agree that it is the decision of the adult person who can dispose of their life.
Euthanasia: Legal Prohibitions and Permits In addition, it is necessary to take into account the right of a suffering person to get rid of the suffering of loved ones.
Euthanasia: Why Is It Such a Big Problem? Thus, according to the utilitarian viewpoint, there is no problem with euthanasia as along as it is better for the patient. Who is it to decide what is better for the patient?
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as a Current Issue in Nursing Nowadays, even in nations where the procedure of euthanasia and assisted suicide has been legal for decades, this topic continues to be controversial due to ethical and policy issues. However, in the light of the […]
Euthanasia and Its Main Advantages However, after realizing the condition is untreatable and having the consent of both the sick person and the relatives, undertaking assisted suicide will enable the patient to evade extreme suffering.
Euthanasia: Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Death The weakest part of the article is that most of the participants did not clearly define the concept of euthanasia, which casts doubt on the reliability of the sampled data.
Right to Die With Euthanasia Methods The possible answer is to develop the functionality of both ordinary public hospitals and hospices that are located in their departments. In addition, it is critical to specify the desirable methods of euthanasia.
“Active and Passive Euthanasia” by James Rachels The second issue about euthanasia that Rachels raises is the difference between killing and allowing one to die. For Rachels, it is necessary to emphasize that killing is sometimes even more humane than allowing one […]
Arguments Against Legalization of Euthanasia Although the PAS/E should be offered voluntarily to a patient, in some cases it is offered in secret by physicians to patients who are perceived to be dying.
Euthanasia: The Terri Schiavo Case Analysis The long-term judicial resolution of the Terri Schiavo case was related to the bioethical problem of the humanity of euthanasia, which had many opponents and supporters.
Can Euthanasia Be Considered Ethical Consequently, from this perspective, the act of euthanasia would be regarded as violence to someone else’s life. As a result, euthanasia is likely to be considered unethical from the point of view of any of […]
“Active and Passive Euthanasia” and “Sexual Morality” According to Scruton, morality is a constraint upon reasons for action and a normal consequence of the possession of a first-person perspective. For Scruton, sexual morality includes the condemnation of lust and perversion that is, […]
Nursing Role in Euthanasia Decision and Procedures The weakest point is the lack of analysis of other factors’ influence on the process of euthanasia. The researchers discovered that the role of nurses in euthanasia is underestimated.
Aspects of Nursing and Euthanasia The subject of the research by Monteverde was to ask people who work in the medical sphere and face the necessity for euthanasia, whether they are for or against it, and why.
Pros and Cons of Euthanasia from an Ethical Perspective Primarily, this is apparent on American soil, in which some states decriminalized euthanasia, although the supreme court maintained that there is no law that legalized the practice nor the ban of the mentioned act.
Euthanasia in the Context of Christianity The questions addressed in the paper include the notions of fall and resurrection as means of interpreting suffering, the Christian stance on the value of human life and euthanasia, and the discussion of possible solutions […]
Nursing Practice and Euthanasia’s Ethical Issues Effective healthcare management is the involvement of all stakeholders, such as CMS, and the federal government in the decision-making process to improve the sustainable growth in the effectiveness of Medicaid.
Counseling on Euthanasia and End-of-Life Decision The immediate dynamic killing is a clinical demonstration coordinated to the hardship of life, while a doctor helped self-destruction is a demonstration of the doctor where he gives the patient a medicament for taking life.
Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Articles According to the methods of application, there are two main types of euthanasia: “active”, which consists in performing certain actions to accelerate the death of a hopelessly ill person, and “passive”, the meaning of which […]
Legal and Ethical Issues of Euthanasia Davis argues that there exists a challenge on how to establish a consensus in the competing views regarding the desire for patients to have the choice to die with dignity while under pain and distress […]
Debates on Euthanasia – Opposes the Use Therefore, the legal system should work hand in hand with healthcare shareholders in distinguishing the limits between the patients’ rights and the physicians’ accountability based on the possible life-limiting treatment choices.
Active Euthanasia: Ethical Dilema In case of active euthanasia, it is the patient who requests the medical practitioner to end his or her life and the former abides by the wish.
Euthanasia: Every For and Against Jane L Givens and Susan L Mitchell “Concerns about End-of-Life Care and Support for Euthanasia” Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Article in Press FOR The authors state socio-demographic characteristics of the people are the […]
Pro Euthanasia in the United States The discussions of euthanasia implementation in the United States began in the early 19th century after the development of ether, which was applied to pain-relieving.
Human Euthanasia Should Be Allowed It is stated that there is a shift in a social attitude towards human euthanasia, where people are beginning to realize that people’s lives are their rights.
The Euthanasia in Humans The moral and ethical aspects of medical practice include not only the features of interaction with patients and other interested parties but also deeper nuances. In particular, one of the controversial and acute topics is euthanasia and its acceptability from different perspectives, including both patients’ and healthcare employees’ positions. In addition, religious issues are involved, […]
Euthanasia: Philosophical Issues at Stake in Rodriguez I will argue that the prohibition of euthanasia contradicts utilitarianism and the principle of quality of life in particular, and can hardly be supported by paternalism since the ban does not benefit an individual’s life.
“Euthanasia Reconsidered” by Deagle In more detail, there is a clearly discernible introduction that provides the background to the topic, introduces the thesis statement, and state the opinion of the author of the topic discussed.
Euthanasia Movement in Modern America Euthanasia movements in modern America perfected the art of rhetoric in their communication and this worked for them in terms of winning the heart of the public.
Euthanasia: The Issue of Medical Ethics In this respect, the position of a physician under the strain of extreme circumstances should be weighed about the value of compassion.
The Dilemma of Euthanasia It is at this point, when it becomes a contention of professional ethics and moral considerations on the part of Jack and his wife on the one hand, and personal choice on the part of […]
David Velleman’s Views on Euthanasia Velleman is correct in his conviction that in this case, the patient’s decision will be the outcome of a federal right to die; the situation with euthanasia is common to that of abortion with the […]
Euthanasia: Ethical Debates When a patient is in the final stage of life, sometimes, the disease or the conditions of the patient, cause a lot of physical and psychological suffering.
Euthanasia Moral and Ethical Agitation If grandma were a dog, most all would agree that the only humane option would be to ‘put her to sleep.’ U.S.citizens are guaranteed certain rights but not the right to wouldie with dignity.’ This […]
Life-Span Development: Terri Schiavo’s Euthanasia Case Euthanasia is the process of stopping the medical maintenance of a patient’s life when the patient/herself does not want to suffer anymore and the doctors are sure that no improvements in the patient’s condition are […]
Euthanasia and Other Life Termination Options However, there is a strong case for helping terminally ill patients spend the remainder of their lives with care provided by the medical fraternity and with support from the state and insurance companies. And in […]
The Problem of Euthanasia Nevertheless, we must recognize that the interruption of life, alone or with the help of doctors, is contrary to one of the basic tenets of Christianity: the more people suffer on earth, the easier it […]
Euthanasia: Allow Them to Be Free From Body Euthanasia, the practice of deliberately bring about an easy, painless, and moderate death to a person who is in the last days of his life and can no more bear the pain of living, has […]
Palliative Medicine Replacement for Euthanasia Euthanasia is not about helping ill and dying people to end their pain and bring comfort. Euthanasia undermines the core values of life and decreases the motivation to provide care for the dying.
Euthanasia in Christian Spirituality and Ethics By examining Christian’s views on the fallenness of the world, the hope of resurrection, and the value of a person’s life, one can see that euthanasia is not a morally acceptable option for a Christian […]
Euthanasia: A Legalized Right to Die Nothing could be further from the intent of those who favor a limited reconsideration of public policy in the areas of assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia.
Euthanasia and Suicide Issues in Christian Ethics Based on the two perceptions of euthanasia, theological and professional, it is valid to say that assisted suicide is probably not the best way out.
Euthanasia: Morals, Ethics, and the Value of Life James Rachels however disagrees with the position taken by doctors when it comes to active Euthanasia and argues that, given a case where the patient is in intolerable pain and is certain to die in […]
Euthanasia. Arguments of Opponents The request of the patient to relieve them from Karma and sufferings that is clarification and healing, nobody gives the right to break life of a physical body.
Attitudes Related to Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Among Terminally Ill Patients Consequently, the outlined safeguard becomes the first line of defense in making sure that only the right individuals with chronic and incurable medical conditions benefit from assisted death.
Active Euthanasia Legalization Controversy While many people present the notions of medical ethics, the right to life, and the availability of palliative care to oppose active euthanasia, there are those who support it since it is evidence-based in nature […]
Dying With Dignity: Euthanasia Debate On the other hand, the supporters of the law claim that assisted death is not a suicide, and it allows more end-of-life options for terminally ill patients. The majority of people are concerned with control […]
Euthanasia Legalization as an Unethical Practice The decision to legalize euthanasia is an idea that societies should ignore since it places many global citizens at risk, fails to provide adequate safeguards, diminishes social values, and undermines the teachings of Islam.
The Ethics of Euthanasia In the analysis of the claims in favor and against euthanasia, the cause and effect relationships between the factors affecting the choice of euthanasia should be established.
Today’s Moral Issues: Euthanasia To ensure that the right to life is respect, the law was amended to include assisted or aided suicide as a criminal offense.
Controversial Issues of Euthanasia Decision We now had to make this difficult decision to end his life and relieve him of all the pain that he was undergoing.
Confronting Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia It was because of that pain that led my mother and I to bring her to a Chinese holistic healer who treated her with some sort of secret Chinese medical injection.
Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Rights in Canada The article asserts that in the year 1993, Rodriquez petitioned in vain to the Supreme Court of Canada to allow her to undertake euthanasia. In the article, the author asserts that, in the year 1993, […]
Euthanasia: “Being a Burden” by Martin Gunderson As it was implied in the Introduction, in his article, Gunderson argues in favor of the idea that it is utterly inappropriate to even consider the legalization of voluntary euthanasia, due to a number of […]
Euthanasia as a Way of Painless Termination of Life The introduction of the Hippocratic School led to the abolishment of the practice. According to the approach, taking human life is unethical and violation of the core right to life.
Euthanasia and Other Life-Destroying Procedures From this perspective, it is unethical to decide in favor of an end-of-life procedure on the condition that there are at least minimal chances for a patient’s survival.
Ethics of Euthanasia and Pain-Relieving This leads to the historical argument that voluntary euthanasia is often the beginning of a slippery slope that gives rise to unintentional euthanasia and the murder of people who are unwanted in society.
Euthanasia Legalization: Public Policy Debates The requirements of physicians to perform euthanasia and consideration of the second opinion eliminate the violation of legal and ethical stipulations, and thus, control the performance of euthanasia in health care environment. Opponents of euthanasia […]
Euthanasia: Moral Rationalist View Human beings rely on the available evidence to generate beliefs about life and goals that should be attained, and thus the use of reason leads to success in these objectives.
Euthanasia: Is It Worth the Fuss? In order to grasp the gist of the deliberations in this essay, it is important to first apprehend what the term euthanasia means and bring this meaning in the context of this essay.
Active and Passive Euthanasia Analysis and Its Concept The issue of morality is one of the things that have to be mentioned when discussing the concept of euthanasia. In this instance, both the patient and the doctor know that there is no cure […]
Euthanasia in Today’s Society Euthanasia is the deliberate termination of life with the intention of relieving a patient from pain and suffering. If the prognosis of a patient is gloomy, medical care providers may find it more compassionate to […]
When Ethics and Euthanasia Conflict? The main aim is to reduce the lifetime of a patient who is terminally ill. There is a deep mistrust of the motivations that fuel euthanasia.
Religions Views on Euthanasia This essay highlights religious thoughts with regard to the whole issue of euthanasia, bringing into focus the extent to which our society has been influenced by courtesy of the Dr.
Euthanasia as the Key Controversy of the XXI Century The fact that in the present-day society, human life is put at the top of the entire list of values is a major achievement of the civilization and the fact that the current society is […]
Euthanasia: Is It the Best Solution? In twentieth century, various agencies erupted to address the practice of euthanasia such as Voluntary Euthanasia Legislation Society in 1935, which was advocating for its legalization in London and the National Society for the Legalization […]
Legalizing Euthanasia The are supporters of the idea that only God has the right to take human’s life, on the other hand, the sufferings of the person may be unbearable and they may ask for euthanasia to […]
Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die Euthanasia or mercy killing as it is informally referred is the act of ending a person life if it is deemed to be the only way to help a person get out of their suffering.
A New Fight to Legalize Euthanasia Before settling down on the conclusion of the need to adopt the practice of euthanasia in our state, it is important to visit some basic aspects that are very key in the issue of euthanasia.
The Morality of Euthanasia In the meantime the medication and the doctors are not trivial anymore in stopping the pain and the victim despite all the sufferings, he or she is in a vegetative state and there is nothing […]
The Ethics of Active Euthanasia In support of the euthanasia action, the argument is that there are circumstances when the rule of natural life can be violated.
Is Euthanasia a Morally Wrong Choice for Terminal Patients? It is imperative to note that for both the opponents and proponents of euthanasia, the quality of life is usually the focal point, even though there is no agreement on the criteria of defining quality […]
The Right to Life and Active Euthanasia The god of every individual should be the only one to bring death to a person and no person should have the authority to accept dying no matter the situation he/she is in.
Singer’s Views on Voluntary Euthanasia, Non-voluntary Euthanasia, and Involuntary Euthanasia Hence, if a person consciously consents to die, there are no chances for recovery, and killing is the only way to deprive a patient from pain and suffering, euthanasia can be regarded as voluntary.
Euthanasia Authorization Debate Euthanasia, which is equivalent to the termination of life, can be equated to a total breach of the principle of the sacredness of life, as well as the breach of the legal right of human […]
Moral and Ethical Concerns of Euthanasia in Healthcare In the matter of euthanasia, professionals ought to decide between the overall good of the dying patient and that of other stakeholders.
Good and Harm to Humanity of the Use a Euthanasia An Overview of Euthanasia The meaning of euthanasia has changed over the years from how it was originally construed to what it means to the contemporary world.
Euthanasia and Meaning of Life The meaning of life is the most general aspect of judging about the requirements that must be set out by laws and people’s morals in regarding to the voluntary or involuntary taking of that life.
Euthanasia: Your Right to Die? Although both positions can be supported with a lot of arguments, people should change their absolutely negative vision of euthanasia because the right to die with the help of physicians can be considered as one […]
Euthanasia and Human’s Right to Die Trying to support human life with the help of modern equipment is a good idea, however, not in case there are no chances for a person to live without that equipment.
Euthanasia Moral Permissibility Secondly, the application of voluntary euthanasia should not be regarded as the only way of reducing the pain that a patient can experience.
Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) In some circumstances, the family and friends of the patient might request the hospital to terminate the life of the patient without necessarily informing the patient.
Euthanasian Issues in Modern Society Is it possible to find the relief in the life which is full of pain and agony for those people who suffer from serious diseases and have only a little chance to get rid of […]
Euthanasia From a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Today’s World Another form of euthanasia is that of Assisted Suicide where the person intending to end his/her life is provided with the necessary guidance, means as well as information as to how to go about the […]
Euthanasia and Modern Society Towards this end Battin asserts that “the relief of pain of a patient is the least disputed and of the highest priority to the physician” in direct reference to sole and major reason of carrying […]
Euthanasia: Moral Issues and Clinical Challenges Therefore, any law that rejects euthanasia is a bad one because it denies the patients the right and the liberty to die peacefully.
Ethical Issues Surrounding the Choice of Euthanasia in the United States
The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Legalization of Euthanasia
Confronting Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
The Difference Between Active and Passive Euthanasia
Euthanasia: Current Policy, Problems, and Solution
The Permit and Legalization of Euthanasia for the Terminally Ill Patients
Moral and Religious Differences Between Euthanasia and Suicide
The Criticisms and Opposition of Euthanasia in Australia
Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia It Is Not Murder, It Is Mercy
The Factors That Influence the Legalization of Active and Passive Euthanasia in the United States
Roman Catholic Church’s Teachings on Abortion and Euthanasia
The Different Reasons Why People Are Against Euthanasia
Religious and Ethical Arguments in Favour of Euthanasia
The Moral and Ethical Views on the Goal of Euthanasia
Euthanasia and the Role of Politics and Religion
The Philosophical, Legal, and Medical Issues on Euthanasia
General Information About Euthanasia and the Legality of Suicide in Australia
The Nazi Euthanasia Programme Based on Racial Purity Theories
Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s Role in Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Utilitarian and Libertarian Views on Euthanasia
The Moral and Religious Differences, if Any, Between Euthanasia and Suicide
Biblical World View About the Euthanasia, Suicide, and Capital Punishment
The Truth About Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Tracing Back the Origins of the Practice of Euthanasia During the Greeks and Roman Times
The Causes and Effects of Euthanasia and the Moral Right To Die
The Arguments Against Euthanasia From a Standpoint of a Catholic Christian in the United States of America?
Why Should Active Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legalized?
What Are the Good and Bad Sides of Euthanasia?
Do People Have To Commit Suicide by Euthanasia (Suicide by a Doctor)?
What Is the Difference Between Passive and Active Euthanasia?
What Are the Social Issues and Ethical Values of Euthanasia?
What Is the Current Legal Situation Regarding Euthanasia?
How Does Prohibition of Euthanasia Limit Our Rights?
What Is the American Medical Association’s Attitude to Euthanasia?
Can Hegelian Dialectics Justify Euthanasia?
What Are the Viewpoints and Studies of the Legalization of Euthanasia in the United States?
Why Does Parenting Make Euthanasia More Acceptable?
What Are the Negative Arguments Against Euthanasia?
Voluntary Euthanasia: What’s Right and Wrong?
Why Can Christians not Accept Euthanasia?
Can Euthanasia Help the Terminally Ill?
What Are the Top Ten Reasons for Legalizing Euthanasia?
Should Non Voluntary Euthanasia Be Legal?
What Is the Difference Between Doctor-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia?
Why Should Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Be Legalized?
What’s Wrong With Involuntary Euthanasia?
Why Are There So Different Views on Abortion and Euthanasia?
How Would Christians Respond to the Issue of Abortion and Euthanasia?
What Are the Objections To Legalizing Euthanasia in Hong Kong?
How Does Euthanasia Devalue Human Life?
What Are the Views and Arguments About Euthanasia?
How May the Christian Faith Inform the Debate Over Euthanasia?
What Does Euthanasia Mean to Society Today?
What Are the Religious and Ethical Considerations to the Issue of Euthanasia?
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide – Who Wants It?
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IvyPanda. (2024, February 28). 158 Euthanasia Topics & Essay Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/euthanasia-essay-examples/

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IvyPanda . "158 Euthanasia Topics & Essay Examples." February 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/euthanasia-essay-examples/.

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Arguments for and Against Physician-Assisted Suicide

The right to legally end your own life is a heavily debated issue..

Posted September 16, 2020 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

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Although September is designated National Suicide Awareness Month, there are those who think about suicide 12 months of the year. They may be survivors of suicide loss—the family and friends of those who have taken their own lives—or they may be people who often contemplate suicide or have already made attempts. Articles and anecdotes of suicide published during the month of September and at other times most often focus on prevention. But there’s another side to the story.

Many people believe that ending one’s own life is a human right, particularly for those who are terminally ill and suffering from indescribable pain or impairment. In the United States, however, it is only a right for those in the nine places where physician-assisted death is now legal when strict guidelines are followed. In Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Maine, Hawaii, California, Colorado, New Jersey, or the District of Columbia, eligible, terminally ill patients can legally seek medical assistance in dying from a licensed physician. In all of these places, a physician can decide whether or not to provide that assistance. At the same time, other states—Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah—have, in recent years, strengthened their laws against assisted suicide. In 2018, for instance, Utah amended its manslaughter statute to include assisted suicide.

In a nutshell, it works like this: The patient orally requests legal medical assistance in dying from a qualified physician. That physician must assess and confirm the patient’s eligibility and also inform the patient of alternative treatments that provide pain relief or hospice care. At that point, a second physician must confirm the patient’s diagnosis and mental competence to make such a decision. If deemed necessary, either physician can require the patient to undergo a psychological evaluation. The patient must then make a second oral request for assistance. Once approved, the original physician writes a prescription for lethal medication (usually a high-dose barbiturate powder that must be mixed with water) that the patient can self-administer when and where they choose, as long as it is not in a public place. Some people never fill the prescription or fill the prescription but never take the medication. Those who do generally fall asleep within minutes and die peacefully within a few hours.

Several organizations have been formed to both support and oppose physician-assisted dying for moral, ethical, and legal reasons. Groups such as Death with Dignity and Compassion and Choices are in favor of what they call “medical aid in dying” and work to provide assistance and lobbying efforts to initiate legal “right to die” programs in every state. They support patient autonomy and choice, particularly in the case of terminal illness. To these groups and their supporters, most of whom come to this side of the issue as a result of agonizing personal experience, death with dignity is a human rights issue and those who are suffering are entitled to a peaceful death.

On the other side of the debate, groups like the Patients Rights Council and Choice Is an Illusion work to tighten laws against euthanasia and medical aid in dying. They fear a complete lack of oversight at the moment of death, as well as normalization of the process to the degree that patients will feel they must relieve their families of the burden they are inflicting by living with their illness. They are concerned that decisions will be made by others on behalf of those too ill to speak for themselves. These groups believe the job of a physician is to find ways to eliminate patients’ suffering, not the patients themselves. They do not believe a physician is qualified to make the decision to assist in ending a life.

In the end, no group really wants assisted suicide to be the final answer, but those who favor medical aid in dying see little recourse for those living with unbearable chronic pain , who are terminally ill, and who have no hope of improving the quality of their lives because medical science has not yet caught up with our modern potential for longevity.

Compassion and Choices: https://compassionandchoices.org/

Death with Dignity: https://www.deathwithdignity.org/

Patients Rights Council: http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/

Choice is An Illusion: https://www.choiceillusion.org/2019/04/in-last-ten-years-at-least-nine-…

Susan McQuillan is a food, health, and lifestyle writer.

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Essay - Is Euthanasia Wrong?

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International philosophical quarterly

Craig Paterson

Abstract: All too often in applied ethics debates, there is a danger that a lack of analytical clarity and precision in the use of key terms serves to cloud and confuse the real nature of the debate being undertaken. A particular area of concern in my analysis of the bioethics literature has been the uses to which the key terms" suicide,"" assisted suicide," and" euthanasia" are put. The modest aim of this article is to render a contribution to the applied ethics debate on these topics by seeking to delimit the scope and meaning of these terms. ...

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Should an individual, in addition to the right to live, have a right to die? The debate of euthanasia has been a globally controversial and overheated issue for many decades. The word 'euthanasia' is derived from Greek 'euthanos' meaning 'a gentle and easy death'. However, it is now used to refer to the killing of patients who are incurably ill and in great pain and distress, in order to relieve them of their sufferings. Euthanasia can be of three types: voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide or mercy killing (euthanasia performed with patient's consent), non-voluntary euthanasia (when the patient is unable to give consent) and involuntary euthanasia (which is performed on a patient against his will). Euthanasia can be carried out either by administering a lethal dose of a suitable drug (active euthanasia) or letting the patient die by withholding treatment (passive euthanasia). While passive euthanasia is considered legal in many countries (India, Australia, Germany, England, etc) active euthanasia is only legal in Netherlands and Belgium. The person seeking euthanasia often argues that in a civilized society giving everybody the right to a 'dignified death' without pain is ethically acceptable as a universal principle. However, there are many social, political and moral dilemmas legalizing euthanasia. In this dissertation few of them is highlighted.

Dragan Pavlovic

Background: It has been suggested that the word euthanasia should be abandoned because widespread imprecise use of the word “euthanasia” deprived it of its precise meaning. Methods: On the basis of the primary necessary condition for euthanasia – that it be in the interests of the one who will die – we examine the use and meaning of the expression. Discussion: We demonstrate that above suggestions rely upon flagrant misuse or inappropriate use of the word. The attention of the reader is drawn to morally problematic consequences should the expression “euthanasia” be abandoned and the argument that abandoning the term would be justified is rejected. Conclusions: Instead of abandoning the word “euthanasia,” care should be taken to use the term correctly in the future. The original meaning of the word “euthanasia” would, thereby, be preserved and we could only benefit from the rich tradition that impregnates that ancient word.

The Person and the Challenges. The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law and Social Studies Inspired by Pope John Paul II

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The subject of the study is the ethical aspects of euthanasia. The framework of the article does not allow for a comprehensive and complex analysis of the issue presented in the title. In view of the above, the purpose of the article has been limited to two aspects. The first one is the clarification of terminology and an attempt to draw out the classification of euthanasia. The second one is showing the arguments that supporters and antagonists take in the ongoing debate on the subject of euthanasia. In the author’s opinion, the subject that strictly corresponds to the subject matter in the study remains the legal regulations of individual countries regarding euthanasia. This issue has been highlighted at the end of the article and may constitute a contribution to the discussion.

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Euthanasia and assisted suicide: An in-depth review of relevant historical aspects

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Ivan David Lozada-Martinez

b Grupo Prometheus y Biomedicina Aplicada a las Ciencias Clínicas, School of Medicine, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia

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c Department of Medicine, RedSalud, Santiago de Chile, Chile

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d Department of Medicine, Keralty Salud, Bogotá, Colombia

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Luis rafael moscote-salazar.

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f Department of Intensive Care, Regions Hospital, Minnesota, USA

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g Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

End-of-life care is an increasingly relevant topic due to advances in biomedical research and the establishment of new disciplines in evidence-based medicine and bioethics. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are two terms widely discussed in medicine, which cause displeasure on many occasions and cause relief on others. The evolution of these terms and the events associated with their study have allowed the evaluation of cases that have established useful definitions for the legal regulation of palliative care and public policies in the different health systems. However, there are still many aspects to be elucidated and defined. Based on the above, this review aimed to compile relevant historical aspects on the evolution of euthanasia and assisted suicide, which will allow understanding the use and research of these terms.

• The history of euthanasia and assisted suicide has been traumatic.
• The church and research have been decisive in the definition of euthanasia.
• The legal framework on the use of euthanasia and assisted suicide has been strengthened.

1. Introduction

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are two topics discussed throughout history, mainly because they fall within the scope of life as a human right, which has been universally defended for many years [ 1 ]. However, the mean of the word euthanasia as good death generates conflicts at social, moral, and ethical levels. Mainly because death is a loss, it is difficult to understand it as something positive and; additionally, several historical events such as the Nazi experiments related the term euthanasia more to murder than to a kind and compassionate act [ 1 ]. More current texts mention that euthanasia is the process in which, through the use or abstention of clinical measures, the death of a patient in an incurable or terminal condition can be hastened to avoid excessive suffering [ 2 ].

The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is that in the latter, the patient takes the final action; however, both practices can be combined in the term assisted death [ 2 ]. At present, several countries authorize assisted death, including Holland, Luxembourg, and Canada [ 3 ]. Belgium and Colombia have regulations that decriminalize only euthanasia; other places where assisted suicide is legal are Switzerland and five states of the United America states, specifically Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California, and Montana [ 2 , 3 ]. Spain recently joined the list of countries that have legislated on euthanasia through the organic law March 2021 of March 24 that regulates euthanasia in that state in both public and private institutions [ 4 ]. The fact that more and more countries were joining the legislation on euthanasia and assisted suicide has brought to light the opinion of thinkers, politicians, philosophers, and physicians. Several nations have initiated discussions on the matter in their governmental systems. Latin America is trying to advance powerfully in this medical-philosophical field. Currently, in Chile, the “Muerte digna y cuidados paliativos” law, which seeks to regulate the issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country, is being debated in Congress [ 5 ].

It is essential to know the point of view of physicians on euthanasia and assisted suicide, especially taking into account that these professionals who provide care and accompany patients during this moment, which, if approved, would involve the medical community in both public and private health systems. Although it seems easy to think that physicians have a position in favor of the act of euthanasia because they are in direct and continuous contact with end-of-life situations, such as palliative care, terminally ill, and critically ill patients. It is important to remember that the Hippocratic medical oaths taken at the time of graduation of professionals are mostly categorical in mentioning the rejection of euthanasia and assisted suicide [ 6 ]. Furthermore, it is also important to note that many of the oldest universities in the Western world originated through the Catholic Church; and just this creed condemns the practice of euthanasia and continues to condemn it to this day. This situation generates that many medical students in these schools have behaviors based on humanist principles under the protection of faith and religion and therefore reject the possibility of euthanasia [ 7 , 8 ].

The relevance of the topic and the extensive discussion that it has had in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic added to the particular interest of bioethics in this topic and the need to know the point of view of doctors and other health professionals on euthanasia and assisted suicide.

2. Origin and meaning of the term euthanasia

The word euthanasia derives from the Greek word “eu” which means good, and the word “thanatos” which means death; therefore, the etymological meaning of this word is “good death”. Over time the evolution of the meaning has varied; even as we will see below was considered a form of eradication of people categorized under the designation of leading a less dignified life. Assisted suicide is a condition in which the patient is the one who carries out the action that ends his life through the ingestion of a lethal drug but has been dispensed in the context of health care and therefore called assisted. This care is provided by a physician trained in the area. However, it requires the prior coordination of a multidisciplinary team and even the assessment by an ethics committee to determine that the patient is exercising full autonomy, free from coercion by the situation he/she is living and free from the fatalistic desires of a psychiatric illness [ 9 ]. In a more literary sense, the word euthanasia meaning of “giving death to a person who freely requests it in order to free himself from suffering that is irreversible and that the person himself considers intolerable” [ 9 ].

Some authors go deeper into the definition and consider that for the meaning of euthanasia, are necessary to consider elements that are essential in the word itself; such as the fact that it is an act that seeks to provoke death and that carried out to eliminate the suffering in the person who is dying. Other elements with a secondary character in the definition are the patient's consent (which must be granted respecting autonomy and freedom in the positive and negative sense; that means the fact must be not be coerced in any way). Another element is the terminal nature of the disease, with an irreversible outcome that generates precariousness and a loss of dignity. The third secondary element is the absence of pain of the death through the use of drugs such as high-potency analgesics, including opioids, high-potency muscle relaxants, and even anesthetic drugs. Finally, the last element is the health context in which the action is performed (essential in some legislations to be considered euthanasia) [ 10 ]. According to the World Health Organization, the union of these two components is the current definition of euthanasia, which describes as “the action performed by a person to cause the painless death of another subject, or not preventing death in case of terminal illness or irreversible coma. Furthermore, with the explicit condition that the patient must be suffering physical, emotional, or spiritual and that affliction is uncontrollable with conventional measures such as medical treatments, analgesics, among others; then the objective of euthanasia is to alleviate this suffering” [ 11 ]. Unfortunately, the term euthanasia has been misused over the years, and other practices have been named with this word. An example of this situation occurred during the Nazi tyranny when the word euthanasia concerned the murder of people with disabilities, mental disorders, low social status, or gay people. At that time, euthanasia was even a simultaneous practice to the Jewish genocide [ 11 ].

Not only has the term been misused; also exists an enormous variability of terms to refer to euthanasia. For example, the laws created to regulate euthanasia have different names around the world; in the Netherlands (Holland), the law that regulates this practice is known as the law of termination of life; in Belgium, it is called euthanasia law, in France, it is called euthanasia law too. In Oregon (USA), it is called the death with dignity act; in California, it is the end of life option act. In Canada is called the medical assistance in dying act. Victoria (Australia) is the voluntary assisted dying bill, but all these denominations refer to the already well-known term euthanasia [ 11 ].

3. Evolution of euthanasia and assisted suicide: digging into historical events

To understand the evolution and relevance of these concepts should analyze the history of euthanasia and assisted suicide; from the emergence of the term, going through its first manifestations in antiquity; mentioning the conceptions of great thinkers such as Plato and Hippocrates; going through the role of the Catholic Church; mainly in the Middle Age, where following the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, self-induced death or death contemplated by own will, was condemned. Later, with the renaissance age and the resurgence of science, technology, and the arts, the term euthanasia made a transition to a form similar to what we know today from thinkers such as Thomas More and Francis Bacon. Finally, the first signs of eugenics were known in London, Sweden, Germany, and the United States in the twentieth century. There was a relationship with the term euthanasia that was later used interchangeably, especially in the Nazi regime, to denote a form of systemic murder that sought to eradicate those who were not worthy of living a life.

Since the sixties, with emblematic cases, the path towards the decriminalization of euthanasia began in some countries, especially concerning the cessation of extreme support measures in cases of irreversible illness or a terminal condition. The practice has progressed to the appearance of laws on euthanasia in several countries.

4. Euthanasia and assisted suicide in ancient times

In book III of Plato's “The Republic”, the author stated that those who live their lives amidst illnesses and medicines or who were not physically healthy should be left to die; implying that it was thought that people in these conditions suffered so much that their quality of life diminished, which seemed understandable to these thinkers. However, other authors such as Hippocrates and his famous Hippocratic oath sought the protection of the patient's life through medicine, especially in vulnerable health conditions prone to fatal outcomes. This Hippocratic oath is the same oath that permeates our times and constitutes an argument among those who mark their position against euthanasia and assisted suicide [ 12 , 13 ].

Other texts that collect thoughts of Socrates and his disciple Plato point out that it was possible and well understood to think of ceasing to live in the face of a severe illness; to consider death to avoid a long and torturous agony. This fact is compatible with the conception of current euthanasia since this is the end of this health care procedure [ 13 ].

In The Republic, the text by Plato, the physician Heroditus is also condemned for inventing a way to prolong death and over manage the symptoms of serious illnesses, which is currently known as distanasia or excessive treatment prolongs life. This kind of excessive treatment prolongs the sick person's suffering, even leading him to maintain biological signs present but in a state of alienation and absolute dependence on medical equipment such as ventilators and artificial feeding [ 13 ]. However, the strongest indication that Euthanasic suicide was encouraged in Greece lies in other thinkers such as the Pythagoreans, Aristotelians, and Epicureans who strongly condemned this practice, which suggests that it was carried out repeatedly as a method and was therefore condemned by these thinkers [ 12 , 13 ]. According to stoicism, the pain that exceeded the limits of what was humanly bearable was one of the causes for which the wise man separates himself from life. Referring to one of the nuances that euthanasia touches today, that is, at a point of elevated suffering, the dignity and essence of the person are lost, persisting only the biological part but in the absence of the person's well-being as a being. In this sense, Lucius Seneca said that a person should not love life too much or hate it; but that person should have a middle ground and end their life when they ceased to perceive life as a good, worthy, and longed-for event [ 1 , 12 ].

During the Roman Empire and in the territories under its rule, it was believed that the terminally ill who commit suicide had sufficient reasons to do so; so since suicide caused by impatience and lack of resolution to pain or illness was accepted, when there was no access to medicines. In addition, there was little development in medicine during that time, and many of the sick died without treatment [ 12 ]. This situation changed later with the emergence of the Catholic church; in this age, who attempted against own life, was deprived of burial in the ground. Saint Augustine said that the suicide was an abominable and detestable act; from 693 AD, anyone who attempted against his physical integrity was excommunicated. Rejecting to the individuals and their lineage, depriving them of the possibility of attending the funeral and even expelled from cities and stripped of the properties they owned [ 12 , 13 ].

4.1. Euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Middle Age

During the Middle Age, Catholicism governed the sciences, arts, and medicine; the sciences fell asleep. Due to this solid religious tendency and the persistence of Augustinian thought, suicide was not well seen. It was not allowed to administer a lethal substance to a person to end the suffering of a severe or terminal illness [ 9 , 12 ]. People who took their own lives at this time could not be buried “Christianly”; therefore, they did not have access to a funeral, nor to the accompaniment of their family in a religious rite. Physical suffering and pain were then seen as a path to glorification. Suffering was extolled as the form that god purified the sin, similar to the suffering that Jesus endured during his Calvary days. However, a contrary situation was experienced in battles; a sort of short dagger-like weapon was often used to finish off badly wounded enemies and thus reduce their suffering, thus depriving them of the possibility of healing and was called “mercy killing” [ 12 ].

5. Euthanasia in renaissance

With the awakening of science and philosophy, ancient philosophers' thoughts took up again, giving priority to man, the world, and nature, thus promoting medical and scientific development. In their discourse, Thomas More and Francis Bacon refer to euthanasia; however, they give a eugenic sense to the concept of euthanasia, similar to that professed in the book of Plato's Republic. It is precise with these phylosophers that the term euthanasia got its current focus, referring to the acceleration of the death of a seriously ill person who has no possibility of recovery [ 12 ]. In other words, it was during this period that euthanasia acquired its current meaning, and death began to be considered the last act of life. Therefore, it was necessary to help the dying person with all available resources to achieve a dignified death without suffering, closing the cycle of life that ends with death [ 13 , 14 ].

In his work titled “Utopia”, Thomas More affirmed that in the ideal nation should be given the necessary and supportive care to the dying. Furthermore, in case of extraordinary suffering, it can be recommended to end the suffering, but only if the patient agrees, through deprivation of food or with the administration of a lethal drug; this procedure must be known to the affected person and with the due permission of authorities and priests [ 12 , 13 ]. Later, in the 17th century, the theologian Johann Andreae, in his utopia “Christianopolis”, contradicts the arguments of Bacon and Moro, defending the right of the seriously ill and incurably ill to continue living, even if they are disturbed and alienated, advocating for the care based on support and indulgence [ 15 , 16 ]. Similarly, many physicians rejected the concepts of Plato, Moro, and Bacon. Instead, they focused on opposing euthanasia, most notably in the nineteenth century. For example, the physician Christoph Hufeland mentioned that the doctor's job was only to preserve life, whether it was a fate or a misfortune, or whether it was worth living [ 16 ].

5.1. Euthanasia in the 20th century

Before considering the relevant aspects of euthanasia in the 20th century, it is vital to highlight the manuscript by Licata et al. [ 17 ], which narrates two episodes of euthanasia in the 19th century. The first one happened in Sicily (Italy) in 1860, during the battle of Calatafimi, where two soldiers were in constant suffering, one because he had a serious leg fracture with gangrene, and the other with a gunshot wound. The two soldiers begged to be allowed to die, and how they were in a precarious place without medical supplies, they gave them an opium pill, which calmed them until they died [ 17 ]. The second episode reported by Licata et al. [ 17 ] was witnessed by a Swedish doctor named Alex Munthe; who evidenced the pain of many patients in a Parisian hospital. So he decided to start administering morphine to help people who had been seriously injured by wolves and had a poor prognosis; therefore, the purpose of opioid use was analgesia while death was occurring.

It is also important to highlight the manuscript entitled “Euthanasia” by S. Williams published in 1873 in “Popular Science Monthly”, a journal that published texts by Darwin, Edison, Pasteur, and Beecher. This text included the report for the active euthanasia of seriously ill patients without a cure, in which the physicians were advised to administer chloroform to these patients or another anesthetic agent to reduce the level of consciousness of the subject and speed up their death in a painless manner [ 16 ].

Understanding that euthanasia was already reported in the nineteenth century, years after, specifically in 1900, the influence of eugenics, utilitarianism, social Darwinism, and the new currents of thought in England and Germany; it began in various parts around the world, projects that considered the active termination of life, thus giving rise to euthanasia societies in which there were discussions between philosophers, theologians, lawyers, and medical doctors. Those societies discussed diverse cases, such as the tuberculous patient Roland Gerkan, who was considered unfit and therefore a candidate to be released from the world [ 16 ]. The scarcity of resources, famine, and wars were reasons to promote euthanasia as a form of elimination of subjects considered weak or unfit, as argued in texts such as Ernst Haeckel's. However, opponents to the practice, such as Binding and Hoche, defended the principle of free will in 1920 [ 16 ].

5.2. Euthanasia in the time of the Nazis

As mentioned above, the term euthanasia was misused during this period; approximately 275,000 subjects (as reported at the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal 1945–1946), who had some degree of physical or mental disability, were killed during Adolf Hitler's Euthanasia program [ 13 ]. However, the Nazis were not the first to practice a form of eugenics under the name of euthanasia, since the early 1900s in London had already begun the sterilization of the rejected, such as the blind, deaf, mentally retarded, people with epilepsy, criminals, and rapists. This practice spread to different countries like Sweden and the United States [ 13 , 16 ].

For the Nazis, euthanasia represented the systematic murder of those whose lives were unworthy of living [ 13 ]. The name given to this doctrine was “Aktion T4”. At first and by law, from 1939, the hospitals were obliged to account for all disabled newborns, which led to the execution of more than 5000 newborns utilizing food deprivation or lethal injection [ 12 , 18 ].

A year before that law, in 1938, one of the first known cases of euthanasia in children arose in Germany. That history called the story of child K, in which it was the father of the minor who asked Hitler in writing for euthanasia for his son because the child had a severe mental disability and critical morphic disorders. Hitler gave his consent to carry out the procedure on child K, and thus the program began to spread throughout the Aleman territory. Since then, physicians and nurses had been in charge of reporting the newborns with alterations, arising the “Kinderfachabteilugen” for the internment of children who would be sentenced to death after a committee's decision [ 12 , 18 , 19 ]. A list of diseases and conditions that were considered undesirable to be transmitted to Hitler's superior Aryan race was determined; thus, any child with idiocy, mongolism, blindness, deafness, hydrocephalus, paralysis, and spinal, head, and hip malformations were eligible for euthanasia [ 19 ].

Subsequently, the program was extended to adults with chronic illness, so those people were selected and transported by T4 personnel to psychiatric sanatoriums strategically located far away. There, the ill patients received the injection of barbiturate overdoses, and carbon monoxide poisoning was tested as a method of elimination, surging the widely known gas chamber of the concentration camp extermination; this situation occurred before 1940 [ 12 , 19 ]. Again, physicians and nurses were the ones who designated to the patients to receive those procedures; in this case, these health professionals supported Nazi exterminations. They took the patients to the sanatoriums, where psychiatrists evaluated them and designated with red color if they should die and with a blue color if they were allowed to live (this form of selection was similar in children) [ 12 , 13 , 19 ]. In this case, the pathologies considered as criteria for death were those generating disability such as schizophrenia, paralysis, syphilis with sequelae, epilepsy, chorea, patients with chronic diseases with many recent treatments, subjects of non-German origin and individuals of mixed blood [ 19 ]. Once in the sanatoriums, they were informed that they would undergo a physical evaluation and take a shower to disinfect themselves; instead, they were killed in gas chambers [ 12 , 13 ]. Despite the church's action in 1941 against Nazis and after achieving suspension of the Aktion T4 project; the Nazi supporters kept the practices secretly, resuming them in 1942, with the difference that the victims were killed by lethal injection, by an overdose of drugs, or left to starve to death, instead of the use of gas chambers. This new modified form of euthanasia, which did not include gas chambers, became known as “savage euthanasia” [ 12 , 13 , 19 ].

5.3. Euthanasia since the 1960s

In September 1945, trials began for crimes perpetrated by Nazi supporters; the victorious Allied forces conducted these trials at the end of the war. During these tribunals, cases of human experimentation were identified and the public exposure of the Nazi euthanasia program. After the Nuremberg trials and the abolition of Nazi experiments, a series of seven documents emerged, among which the Nuremberg code containing the ten basic principles for human research stood out [ 20 , 21 ].

After these judgments, biotechnology was accelerated, with the apparition of new techniques to intervene in the health-disease process. Additionally, the increase in life expectancy and the appearance of diseases that chronically compromise the state of health of people generated a change in the conception of the critically ill patient and the terminal state of life [ 20 , 21 ]. Cases such as Karen Ann Quinlan brought to the forefront the issue of euthanasia and precisely the control of extreme treatment measures. Karen, a young American woman, was left in a vegetative state due to severe neurological damage following alcohol and barbiturate intoxication. After six months in that state and under the guardianship of a Catholic priest, Karen's parents requested the removal of the artificial respirator, arguing that in her state of consciousness prior to the incident, she had stated that she disagreed with artificially maintaining life in comatose patients. The hospital refused to remove the ventilator, arguing the legal issues for the date, and the parents went to court, which in the first instance granted the hospital the right. Nevertheless, the New Jersey Supreme Court granted Karen Ann's right to die in peace and dignity. Despite the withdrawal of the artificial respirator, he continued to live until 1985, when he finally died [ [21] , [22] , [23] ].

Another important case was Paul Brophy, which also occurred in the United States. Paul was a firefighter in Massachusetts and went into a deep coma due to the rupture of a basilar artery aneurysm; initially, his family advocated for support measures but later requested the hospital to disconnect these means to allow death, as Paul had indicated when he was still conscious. The hospital refused to carry out this procedure, so the family went to court, where the removal of the support measures (gastrostomy) was initially denied. Hence, the family went to the state supreme court, achieving the transfer of Paul to another medical center where the gastrostomy was removed, leading to his death within a few days [ 23 ].

The case of Arthur Koestler, an influential English writer and activist diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and later with leukemia, who served as vice-president of the voluntary euthanasia society (Exit) and wrote a manual book with practical advice for euthanasia called “Guide to Self-Liberation”. He stood out because he applied one of his advice and ingested an overdose of barbiturates, causing his self-death. According to his writings, Koestler was not afraid of death but of the painful process of dying [ 23 ]. In this sense, it was a relevant case because it involved someone who held an important position in an association that advocated euthanasia, in addition to being the author of several works, which made him a recognized public figure [ 23 ].

Baby Doe was a case that also occurred in the United States; it was a small child with Down syndrome who had a tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia; in this case, surgery was necessary. On the advice of the obstetrician, the parents did not allow surgery, so the hospital managers took the case before a judge who ruled that parents could decide to perform or not the surgery. The case was appealed before a county judge who upheld the parents' power to make the decision, in the course of which the case became public and many families offered to take care of the child; however, before the case reached the supreme court, the child died at six days of age [ 23 ].

In the case of Ingrid Frank, a German woman who was in a quadriplegic state by a traffic accident, who initially sought rehabilitation but later insisted on being allowed to die; it was provided with a drink containing a cyanide solution that she drank. At the same time, she was filmed, which shows a kind of assisted suicide. For that reason, this is another case that deals with this issue and is important to know as background in the development of euthanasia and assisted suicide [ 22 , 23 ].

6. Current and future perspectives

The definition of brain death, the rational use of the concept of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and scientific literacy are the objectives of global bioethics to regulate euthanasia and assisted suicide, which can be accessible in all health systems [ [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. End-of-life care will continue to be a subject of debate due to the struggle between biomedical principles, the different existing legal frameworks, and the general population's beliefs. Medical education and preparation in the perception of death, especially of a dignified death, seems to be the pillar of the understanding of the need to develop medical-legal tools that guarantee the integrity of humans until the end of their existence [ 31 , 32 ]. This is the reason why the new generations of physicians must be trained in bioethics to face these ethical conflicts during the development of their professional careers.

In addition, although the conception of bioethics belongs to the Western world, it is crucial to take into account the point of view of other cultures and creeds, for example, a study carried out in Turkey, where nursing students were questioned, found that many of them understood the reasons for performing euthanasia; however, they know that Islam prohibits it, as well as its legislation, and therefore they would not participate in this type of procedure [ 33 ]. Furthermore, Christianism and Islam prohibit euthanasia, but Judaism also prohibits it; in general, the so-called Abrahamic religions are contrary to any form of assisted death, whether it is active euthanasia, passive, or assisted suicide [ 34 ].

7. Conclusiones

The history and evolution of euthanasia and assisted suicide have been traumatic throughout human history. The church, politics, and biomedical research have been decisive in defining these concepts. Over the years, the legal framework and bioethical concepts on euthanasia have been strengthened. However, there is still much work to educate the general population and health professionals about end-of-life care and dignified death.

It is also important to remember that life is a concept that goes beyond biology. Currently, bioethics seeks to prioritize the concept of dignity, which must be linked to the very definition of life. Although the phrase is often heard that it is not necessary to move to be alive, what is important is that person feels worthy even if they have limited movement. The person's treatment must be individualized in bioethics since each individual is a unique unit. Therefore, medical paternalism must be abandoned. Instead, the subject must be more involved to understand their context and perception of life and dignity.

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All authors equally contributed to the analysis and writing of the manuscript.

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Sabrina Rahman. Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. [email protected] .

Declaration of interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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4 Non-Religious Reasons Why Euthanasia is Wrong

You are a member of the first generation of doctors in the history of medicine to turn their backs on the oath of Hippocrates and kill millions of old useless people, unborn children, born malformed children, for the good of mankind ― and to do so without a single murmur from the august New England Journal of Medicine . And do you know what you’re going to end up doing? You, a graduate of Harvard and a reader of the New York Times and a member of the Ford Foundation’s Program for the Third World? Do you know what is going to happen to you? You’re going to end up killing Jews. ― Walker Percy , The Thanatos Syndrome .

It is one thing to speak of the sanctity of life and of human life being created in the image and likeness of God . But what does one s ay when it comes to end-of life issues, and the question of euthanasia comes up? What does one do when a loved one is in immense suffering?

When people talk about whether euthanasia is right or wrong, two questions will inevitably come up:

Why is euthanasia right (or wrong)?
Should we not be able to determine the ultimate disposition of our own bodies?

Even from a non-religious standpoint, euthanasia is wrong for 4 reasons:

Humans have great dignity.
Voluntary euthanasia is a slippery slope.
It puts pressure on “burdensome” individuals.
It makes true palliative care worse.

We will review each of these reasons in detail.

Reason #1: Humans Have Greater Dignity

Some say that if one euthanizes their pets when they are old and suffering, the same should be true for humans. Some go so far as to say that, if humans are unable to choose euthanasia, their pets have more “rights” than they do.

The pain of watching a loved one suffer immensely, particularly in their final days, is indescribable. Understandably, we often wish to do anything to alleviate their suffering.

The fundamental problem with euthanasia is that it violates human dignity.

Human dignity doesn’t come from ability, wealth, mental state, or any other changeable factor. It comes directly from our humanity. This inherent and immutable dignity gives every human life value. Human dignity and the intrinsic value of human life are the bedrock of any sane structure of social ethics.

When we let anyone decide that a life is no longer valuable, even if it’s the individual making that decision, we are treating human dignity like a subjective opinion instead of an immutable reality. The attitude that human dignity is subjective is an essential ingredient to any kind of human rights abuse.

Even in a person’s final moments, even with immense suffering, everyone deserves to die a natural death. Humans have an intrinsic and unique value and worth, and hastening one’s death violates this worth.

Socrates the ancient Greek philosopher under dramatic sky, Athens - OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In their final days, humans should opt for comfort care – or palliative care, as we will discuss below – while accepting a natural death. What is a “natural death?”

Natural death is when an individual allows their ailments to claim their life versus hastening their death or using physician-assisted suicide. By dying a natural death, one is not hastening their death through drugs or lack of food, for example. Instead, they are accepting their end as it comes naturally and living their final moments in the best comfort possible.

Reason #2: Voluntary Euthanasia is a Slippery Slope

Voluntary euthanasia is a slippery slope to involuntary euthanasia. Involuntary euthanasia involves killing a person when they either do not consent or are unable to consent (such as while in a coma).

If we allow individuals to choose physician-assisted suicide when they are suffering, what’s to stop the family of a patient from choosing euthanasia when their loved one is unconscious?

Hand of man hold hands with woman on the hospital bed

The Netherlands legalized euthanasia of newborns who are “defective,” which includes being “severely handicapped.” Killing newborns is not voluntary euthanasia. The newborn lacks the ability to consent.

Indeed, allowing voluntary euthanasia and expecting involuntary euthanasia to still be opposed is dangerous. Involuntary euthanasia can easily go under the radar , especially in the case of newborns and the elderly.

Many oppose the “slippery slope” argument, saying there is no evidence that allowing voluntary euthanasia would lead to involuntary euthanasia. They further argue that creating laws that draw a hard line between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia would prevent the slippery slope fear, that society can support the voluntary while strongly rejecting the involuntary.

However, allowing voluntary euthanasia and expecting involuntary euthanasia to be opposed in all cases is dangerous. A 2022 project concluded that legalized euthanasia presents too great a risk to vulnerable communities, namely, the disabled and terminally ill.

There’s also the concern that involuntary euthanasia will be used for those whose lives are not deemed “worth living,” such as deformed or disabled children, or for those with treatable conditions.

A mother lifts a toddler child in the air above a picturesque sunset sky. A woman and a little girl in a field of lavender flowers

Canada is a Warning for Our Future

Canada’s “progressive” euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide laws are further down the slippery slope than our own. It can serve as a stark, real-life example of the slippery slope argument.

A Canadian veteran was offered euthanasia as the ideal solution when she couldn’t secure a stairlift for her home.

Another veteran was reportedly seeking treatment for PTSD injuries and had been improving when his VA counselor suggested physician-assisted suicide as the best option. What’s the point of having healthcare, if the go-to is euthanasia when someone is suffering?

Canada has expanded their euthanasia laws to include individuals with chronic conditions, even if those conditions are not life-threatening . But the expansion doesn’t stop there. There has been a push to legalize euthanasia for individuals suffering solely from a mental illness, such as depression. This expansion was set to take place in March 2023, but they extended the date to March 2024.

What the future may reap with such policies is bleak. Canada has government-funded healthcare. If euthanasia becomes the norm for illnesses and conditions, will the government stop funding many sectors in healthcare, with the assumption that individuals will choose euthanasia?

A Forbes article addresses concerns felt by doctors:

“Dr. Ramona Coelho, a Canadian family physician told the Associated Press, ‘The whole premise of the legislation is built on a discriminatory approach to people with disabilities. … Most Canadians think that this is a service of compassion offered for people who have nothing left to be offered and are being offered death as a way out. When, in fact, the system is being applied so liberally and so easily in such a short time period that people are dying who would’ve recovered with greater care and resources to live.’ It is a view echoed by Marie-Claude Landry head of the country’s human rights commission who said that euthanasia ‘cannot be a default for Canada to fulfill its human rights obligations.’ Addressing the notion that, when patients are presented with treatment options by doctors, they are likely to be viewing their future life with disability through the lens of economic deprivation, Landry said, “In an era where we recognize the right to die with dignity, we must do more to guarantee the right to live with dignity.”

Word DIGNITY made with wood building blocks,stock image

Related: Is Euthanasia Ever Justified?

Reason #3: Allowing Euthanasia Puts Pressure on “Burdensome” Individuals

Related to Reason #2, if euthanasia is allowed, it indicates that there are individuals in society who we are unwilling to help and care for. Society should be sensitive and caring to those who have more challenges.

Normalized and encouraged euthanasia further puts pressure on these individuals to take their own lives to make life “easier” for the society who spurns them. Such individuals would include disabled, elderly, mentally challenged, or even those who suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression (such as we are seeing in Canada).

Professor Theo Boer is a leading expert in the ethics of euthanasia. He is a member of a review committee that receives information regarding every euthanasia case in the Netherlands. He expressed concern regarding the pressure that normalized euthanasia puts on “burdensome” individuals.

Further, a poll by the disability charity Scope found that 64% of disabled respondents would be concerned with a relaxation of the laws surrounding assisted suicide. They fear that, by having broader assisted suicide services, disabled individuals will be pressured to choose this option.

Biracial big sister lovingly hugging disabled little brother in wheelchair outdoors, smiling

An article on The Guardian on how disabled individuals are pressured to choose assisted suicide:

“Some 5% of people in Oregon dying by assisted suicide cited financial pressures as a cause. Meanwhile, the number citing being a ‘burden on family/friends/caregivers’ increased from 13% in 1998 to 55% in 2017 . This tallies with Scope’s research that the majority of people with disabilities are concerned that legalising assisted suicide might lead to disabled people choosing it in order not to be a burden on others. Under austerity people who are disabled, ill or elderly are constantly taught that funding our health and social care is a burden – that we are inherently a burden.”

Society should never shrug off the responsibility of taking ca re of its members, particularly those who need it the most. There is no limit to how far the ugly arms of euthanasia could reach. But these individuals are loved and valued human beings with intrinsic worth. They should receive the same respect, honor, and kindness as the rest of society.

Indeed, those who choose euthanasia may well be choosing it out of a fear of being “burdensome” to their loved ones. Instead, th ese individuals should be reassured that their lives are worth living and that they have dignity. They are worthy of care, support, comfort, and compassion in their final days. Palliative care is a worthy alternative to euthanasia. It honors the patient’s dignity and gives them comfort as they prepare for their final day.

Front view full body portrait of a sad woman sitting on the floor at home

Which brings us to the final reason euthanasia is wrong.

Reason #4: Allowing Euthanasia Makes True Palliative Care Worse

Euthanasia is, by its nature and definition, in complete opposi tion to the principle of “do no harm.” Thus, euthanasia and palliative care are completely incompatible . Palliative care seeks to provide dignity, comfort, and compassion in a person’s final days. It seeks to minimize or eliminate pain and to give comfort to the patient. Palliative care is thus in perfect accord with the m edical principle of “do no harm.” Not only does it make euthanasia obsolete, but it also makes it unthinkable.

It also can be said that palliative care affords an understanding of one’s own worthiness and dignity, even in the midst of suffering. A 2018 study found that 86% of patients who received palliative care did not request euthanasia. Euthanasia, meanwhile, is the ultimate despair, the la st-ditch effort to make things “easier” for the patient’s family and loved ones. In reality, a family should know their own individual dignity and worth and honor themselves and their family members.

why euthanasia is wrong - Smiling father sitting next to disabled son in wheelchair by hospital bed, talking together

If euthanasia is pushed and normalized, palliative car e is impossible. Having euthanasia as the norm makes it expected, so palliative care becomes unexpected and neglected. Those who do not choose euthanasia may be seen as a burden on the healthcare system. Those who do not have access to needed care may also be pushed towards euthanasia, as seen in Canada with the two veterans. Indeed, we’ve seen assisted suicide suggested for fin ancial reasons .

Dr. Madeline Li, a Canadian psychiatrist who’s helped hundreds of patients with physician-assisted suicide, expressed concern over where Canada is heading with its euthanasia expansions: “Making death too ready a solution disadvantages the most vulnerable people, and actually lets society off the hook. I don’t think death should be society’s solutions for its own failures.”

In countries where the government funds healthcare (thus providing universal healthcare), normalized and pushed euthanasia would encourage the government to limit or even halt funding of end-of-life healthcare beyond euthanasia. In other words, in such countries, the government does not have an interest in paying for palliative services, assuming or wanting the patient to choose euthanasia as the cheaper option.

A large family with cousin grandparent father and kid on a forest

Allowing and normalizing euthanasia takes away from the dignity and worth that palliative care encourages and emphasizes.

Final Thoughts

Humans deserve more than hastening their death in the painful final days. Instead of euthanasia, we should be pushing for improved palliative care to give comfort to individuals in their final days in accordance with their worth and dignity.

This article was originally published in July 2020 by Dr. Brian Clowes and was most recently updated in June 2023 by Marisa Cantu.

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Physician-Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Patients

Is Euthanasia a Slippery Slope?

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6 Types of Euthanasia: Is It Ever Justified?

Human Suffering Does Have a Purpose

Church Teachings on Euthanasia

The Fractured History of the Hemlock Society

Is Nazi Euthanasia Resurfacing in the U.S.?

The Hippocratic Oath: A Pledge to Respect Life

25 Bible Verses and the Problem of Euthanasia

Catholic Bioethics and the Moral Treatment of Human Beings

Brian Clowes, PhD

Dr. Brian Clowes has been HLI’s director of research since 1995 and is one of the most accomplished and respected intellectuals in the international pro-life movement. Best known as author of the most exhaustive pro-life informational resource volume The Facts of Life , and for his Pro-Life Basic Training Course , Brian is the author of nine books and over 500 scholarly and popular articles, and has traveled to 70 countries on six continents as a pro-life speaker, educator and trainer.

Marisa Cantu

Marisa Cantu has an MS in political science and international affairs with a BA in political science and has also studied international studies and French. She has a strong background in nonprofit work, research, writing, and policy proposal and analysis.

In her free time, Marisa enjoys painting, writing, cooking, spending time with her husband and playing with her dog.

Everything you said sounds extremely biased. Not everyone is religious, and as an athiest, I can easily make several of these arguments; I totally agree that under absolutely NO circumstances, should euthanasia be actively encouraged; let alone should it ever be used on a non-consenting human.

I have the same belief for humans as I do for animals: No creature should be forced to surrender their lives, or their organs or anything else, for others “convenience”.

However, I can see where your argument falls apart at the seams: you repeatedly, and emphatically, turn into a “strawman”, as well as a “slippery slope”, and you overemphasize every single time your argument is “proven”, while willfully ignoring anything that could be used as evidence against this.

If laws were put in place to protect all minors, and laws put in place that those seeking euthanasia for non-lethal reasons (including poverty and mental illness) would automatically have to go through various programs that would give their lives dignity (one point I agree with wholeheartedly); and that no matter what, every person would be granted the right to live, and the right to all needed healthcare free of charge; thus protectong all other forms of healthcare, including pallative care (which could, ideally, coexist with patient requested euthanasia, in extremely painful circumstamces); And if we were to simply apply similar to pets as well (pets may receive pallative care, we stop euthanizing healthy individuals no matter the reason, etc); Then we could have a much more friendly, bearable world, that is still quite safe for the living, without being a trap of torture.

The issue I have with your opinion piece is that it is quite intentionally selective in the examples used. They are of the “Supposed brain-dead comatose patient surprises evil doctors and gets up to pick up a puppy” variety.

I’m literally in the middle of experiencing a quite different situation. I am the caregiver for a great friend I’ll call Fred. Fred is an 80-year-old Marine…the “tough as nails” type who never showed a moment of physical pain. He also smoked for over 60 years. He knew that his hacking cough probably meant a bad outcome, so he ignored it for years.

When his body started aching to the point of unbearable pain, he finally agreed to let me take him for a visit to the doctor. It’s now six weeks later. Stage 4 lung cancer, with the pain being caused by the cancer spreading to his bones. I watched as the radiologist showed the CT and PET scans, along with Fred. The technology is amazing. The results were close to horrifying. The computer display took a path that started at Fred’s jawline, and travelled to knee level. The radiologist would pause at each of the affected bones. By “affected”, I mean each area with a mass that was actively eating away at his bones. Fred’s right shoulder blade was missing one-third of it’s bone. The same with both pelvic bones, a few ribs, and quite a few more bones. He had a fracture in his right mid-humerus. The doctor said that, given the fragility of his bones, the fracture could easily have been caused by a sneeze.

Fred is going to die today, tomorrow, likely no more than three days from now. He’s not going to miraculously rise up and pick up a granddaughter or a puppy. I’ll tell you what he IS going to do, and what he’s been doing for five days now: He is going to agonize in a state of semiconciousness while breakthrough pain causes his body to twitch uncontrollably. This tough-as-nails Marine screams every two or three minutes….a long, desperate scream that even makes his nurses cringe. How do I know this? Because I’ve spent hours at his bedside, his hand in mine, praying silently that his body finally succumbs. I wonder how many of the commenters to this article, who opine so stridently and with such conviction, even sat and watched a loved one suffer so brutally.

And the “But in this day and age, with modern pain medications, no one needs to suffer before dying” contention? I speak from first hand observation: It was bull**** 20 years ago when my mother died a very painful cancer death, and it remains so today. Why? Because when you see your loved one in agony, and try to have the pain meds increased, the response is today what it was 20 years ago: “If we give him any more medication, we run the risk of stopping his heart. We aren’t allowed to do that.” And to give you an idea of just how effective those end-of-life drugs are: Fred is receiving a strong dose of morphine EVERY HOUR, along with a daily fentenyl patch. Two of the strongest medications available. His screams of agony as he lies in a fetal position shows just how effective they are. There’s a reason it’s called “breakthrough pain”.

So forgive me if I find your article disingenuous at best, and intentionally misleading at worst. You cite examples of people in comas, while intentionally overlooking that there are some patients who will NOT rise up miraculously. The discussion is one of great nuance, but you paint with a broad brush. I suspect that your mind won’t be changed unless and until you have to hold that loved one’s hand and watch him in agony. You might then realize that your claims that the moment of a person’s death should be “God’s will” ring hollow. To subscribe such mercilessness on God is sacrilegious in and of itself. I also suspect that you will delete this post, as it doesn’t fit easily into your simplistic rationale.

One last thing: I pray that you never suffer as Fred suffers at this moment, and I pray that you never see what I’ve seen.

Peter, We are so very sorry for Fred’s suffering. It is no easy thing to accompany a loved one in his final days, even less so when great suffering is involved. Our sympathy goes out to you both and to all who are dear to Fred and will feel his loss. Fred’s life, and indeed all human life, is a gift from God. I humbly offer my prayers and the following resource to better explain the redemptive power of suffering: https://www.hli.org/resources/slippery-slope-euthanasia/

Peter: 1) I’m so very sorry that you’ve had to endure watching a loved one leave this world like that. While I do not 100% know your pain, I empathize with you very deeply… my mother passed away in 2020 while I was in bootcamp from Stage 4 uterine cancer that, by the time it was discovered, had spread to most of her body. This was about a few years after a very successful surgery that removed a malignant glioblastoma in her brain. 2) I’m very glad you decided to post your comment (and that it remained up), as I found this article left an exceedingly bad taste in my mouth, as well. As you cited, the medical examples used are extremely narrow and all follow one “genre.” I actually couldn’t believe what I was reading, and I could not finish the article, as such. 3) I hope you have the love and support that YOU need after going through such an ordeal with your dear friend.

I would like a printable copy of your this article to share with the Drs who are trying to euthanize my father. We’re fighting for his life and trying to to get him to a safe place out of secular hospitals. We have a very short window to do so. We need to find a pro-life neurologist in CA and a compassionate healthcare facility willing to take him and rescue a living person from the tyranny of wanna-be-god doctors and empowered by corrupt laws.

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