End of Life Issues

"Physician-assisted suicide (and euthanasia) is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks." -American Medical Association

Abortion is no longer the only attack on life that pro-lifers must stand against. More and more, the value of human life is being cheapened across the whole spectrum. The end of life is being threatened by the overall perception that humans must be judged by their utility and quality of life. Because of that, many in society clamor for acceptance, both morally and legally, for assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Definitions

  • Physician Assisted Suicide- when a physicians provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this intention.
  • Euthanasia- the physician taking the life of the patient.
    • Euthanasia can be done by:
      • Direct action, such as lethal injection, or
      • Omission of ordinary care, commonly referred to as food, water, and shelter
    • Euthanasia is broken down further into:
      • Voluntary- when the patient has requested to be killed by the physician.
      • Non-Voluntary- when the patient made no request, gave no consent, or the request was unknown.
      • Involuntary- when the patient has stated not to be kill

Our Core Principles Regarding End of Life:

  • Right to Life- consistent with the foundational principles of the right to life, we believe that no ones life should be taken against their will because they are deemed unworthy by society.
  • The Role of Physician- The Hippocratic Oath states, “I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel.” The Physician’s role should not be degraded by participating in purposely bringing about the death of a patient.
  • Public Policy Implementation- For voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide, the patient is to be judged mentally competent to make the decision. However, with “competence” being a very elusive word, how sure can are we of uniform implementation? Because of this elusiveness
  • Wish for Death not a Free Choice- Research shows that a personal desire to commit suicide or be killed is made out of a state of mental illness. People do not need to be helped to death, but assisted to defeat depression or other. Go here for more detail.