Brittany Maynard's Arguments Against Euthanasia

Brittany Maynard was only twenty four years old when she was diagnosed with a stage four malignant brain tumor and labelled terminally ill. Considering her limited options, Brittany decided to end her life “with dignity” via medically assisted suicide as opposed to suffering the remainder of her life. Mrs. Maynard died Nov. 1, 2014 in her home in Portland, Ore. after taking lethal drugs prescribed by her physician. Portrayed as an adventurous, outgoing individual, Brittany Maynard also acted as an advocate for Compassion and Choices and established the Brittany Maynard Fund which seeks to legalize medically assisted death. This particular case of euthanasia – the intentional killing of the sick, dying or elderly – garnered substantial attention
Catholicism teaches that life is a sacred gift from God that should never be intentionally destroyed. Only in the case of legitimate defense can a human cause the death of another, and even then such action must not involve any intent to kill. The Catechism of the Catholic Church claims that “those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect” and that “whatever its motives or means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons… [and so] is morally unacceptable.” Even if the purpose of euthanasia is to end pain and suffering, and is therefore done with “good intentions,” the Catholic Church does not view this rationale as reason enough to sanction the murder of another or oneself. The only “exception” to the ban on euthanasia is the cessation of extraordinary medical procedures for the terminally ill. The Catechism does teach that the “discontinuation of risky medical procedures is allowable if one does not intend the death of another, but merely accepts one’s inability to impede such death.” In sum, the Catholic Church teaches that euthanasia is immoral, no matter the
Different people, operating under different viewpoints, maintain diverse beliefs regarding the issue of euthanasia. While some, such as the Buddhists, have more fluid beliefs toward medically-assisted death, others, such as the Catholics, remain firmly opposed. Personally, I agree with the Catholic Church’s perspective on euthanasia. While I know I am not in the position to preach understanding of the pains associated with certain terminal illnesses, I firmly believe that all life, even a life of suffering, is precious and purposeful. As humans are not the true origin of life, neither should we choose when to end our lives. Buddhism suggests that one can become enlightened enough to choose to end their life, but as we were never involved in our initial creation, such enlightenment would be impossible. Patients such as Brittany Maynard seek to end their lives with dignity, as opposed to dying in pain and agony, but death is not meant to be dignified. As our life on earth ends, we should be humbled and fully realize our dependence on God. While I remain open-minded to the reasoning behind euthanasia, my current perspective does not morally support