Euthanasia (Summary of the Case)

Proponents of euthanasia believe that it is the compassionate choice. They feel that terminally ill people should have the right to end their pain and suffering with a quick, dignified death. Opponents of euthanasia worry about a "slippery slope" from euthanasia to murder. They value life at all stages and fear that legalizing euthanasia will unfairly target the poor and disabled. Doctors, lawyers, philosophers, and religious leaders have been debating the euthanasia issue for over two millennia.

"Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a person for the benefit of that person. In most cases euthanasia is carried out because the person who dies asks for it, but there are cases called euthanasia where a person can't make such a request. A person who undergoes euthanasia is usually terminally ill, but there are other situations in which some people want euthanasia. Euthanasia has many definitions. The Pro-Life Alliance defines it as: 'Any action or omission intended to end the life of a patient on the grounds that his or her life is not worth living.' The Voluntary Euthanasia Society looks to the word's Greek origins - 'eu' and 'thanatos', which together mean 'a good death' - and say a modern definition is: 'A good death brought about by a doctor providing drugs or an injection to bring a peaceful end to the dying process.'

Religions tell us that life is sacred, and furthermore that it is a sin to take a life. Life is defined as "the quality or state which distinguishes living animals and plants from dead ones" or "the length of time a thing exists or is able to function". The key words in this definition are "quality or state" and "able to function". If a terminally ill person has lost these two criteria, would it be reasonable to assume that they have moved beyond the definition of “Life”? We make no judgment, but could argue that ending the suffering of a person whose condition has removed any quality or state of life to a point where they are no longer able