Preview

Christian Argument Against Euthanasia

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2278 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Christian Argument Against Euthanasia
The struggle to avoid suffering has been a part of the human condition since the beginning of time. Figuring out how to help those who are suffering has been a central struggle for just as long. One of the ways humans have attempted to figure out how to help others is through Christian theological teaching and practice. However, despite theological teaching, the effort to help others is not always clearly defined or easy. In situations where humans experience the most intense suffering, some have turned to euthanasia as an answer. However, euthanasia is an immoral act based on Christian theological teaching because it seeks to offer compassion to a patient by avoiding suffering whereas the Christian idea is to offer compassion in suffering. …show more content…
According to Miller (2013), if one takes death into the hands of their own they are denying God and what He stands for. Christians would agree that life and death are a part of God’s creation. As the Bible reads, God created everything in seven days and claimed all was good (Genesis 2). Altering the process of death as euthanasia does would be going against what He created. Just as it is said in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.” Turning to Euthanasia would be going against God’s timing for He has a plan for everyone and everything He created. The book of Deuteronomy discusses the choice of life or death. God was giving Israel the choice to choose between following him or turning their back on him and is compared to life and death. (Deut 30:11-20). The meaning of this passage is that at times life will gives everyone choices and Christians should always remember to live in God’s way. Miller (2013), summarized that when patients choose the act of euthanasia they would be turning their back on God’s plan and choosing death instead of life in relation to this passage in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The most important things to Christains is the birth and death are part of life which God has created, so we should respect them. Therefore, no humans being has the authority to take away any innocent person, even if that person want killed. They belive that if you kill another human and you are christian, to god you will become unpure. Another reson why cchristians think euthanasia think is wrong is because human beings are very important. They are made in God's image.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Certainly, most would want their lives, by reasonable means, sustained until the end of their lives inevitably approached. Thereupon, most would wish for a “good” or “peaceful” or “happy” death. Such desires are not controversial, but what constitutes both “reasonable” means and a “good” death is, especially in situations involving the purveyance of the latter by the former. Viewed through the lens of a religious tradition, these controversies can become even more problematic. However, when facing these dilemmas, religious disciplines display both diligence and caution in their ethical reasoning, while working to discern and define all morally problematic aspects, to identify the principles and values with which those aspects conflict, and to provide a resolution which enacts those values. In this essay, I will define euthanasia, a particular practice involved in end of life situations; outline how it opposes the principles and values of two…

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The issue concerning assisted suicide is an extensively debated ethical affair. The debate stems from different viewpoints first concerning when the act is considered appropriate and then what the resulting consequences would look like if the act were permissible (Lo, 2005). Ethical decisions in assisted suicide are debated along the lines concerned with the worthy nature of life and on what is entailed in a life that is worth living and consequently, who ultimately decides this. Many religions, however, hold that life is Gods’ gift, which should not be interfered with let alone be destroyed (Lo, 2005).…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Euthanasia is currently legal in the United States, but still considered cruel to some people. Animals that are in agony and need mercy are euthanized. Some think that it's cruel to put animals out of there misery, but some think it's cruel not to. Euthanasia, mercy killing used on animals, is fair to animals in suffer. If a dog got hit by a car and was in great pain, you could either wait until it dies on its own, or euthanize the dog, putting it out of its misery.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The act of killing is restricted by all religions. Religions possess that life is a gift from God and human beings are valuable. Islam totally opposes euthanasia. Furthermore, The Qur’an says that Allah created all life and everything belongs to him. In addition, Christianity also is against euthanasia. The arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. However, some churches emphasize the significance of not being involved with the natural procedures of death. For instance, choosing the time and place of a person's death is God's decision. Yet, if doctors were to seek medical…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some religious people are against euthanasia because they believe its against the will and word of God who created us and they believe that he should be the one to destroy us. Secondly euthanasia weakens society’s respect for the sanctity of life. Another reason which religious people are against euthanasia is because they believe that Voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that might leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rough Draft On Euthanasia

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This response of the christians have stated that they are not forced to do things, but also it’s not right to legalise euthanasia. As I was looking towards religious perspectives, it’s been said in the bible that the word “murder” it’s it the ten commandments. Do people who commits any type of suicide go to heaven? Well as it has been explained that if you accept Jesus Christ as your number one personal savior, then you’ll go to heaven. When reviewing all this about christians, God doesn't forgive the ones who assistant suicide or suicide in their…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Conversely, many believe that a person is alive as long as the heart is beating via technical help or not. There are many sides to the controversy of rather or not euthanasia should be administered. There is the question of morality, the question of active versus passive euthanasia and the question of when euthanasia should be properly carried out. None of these questions are without backlash and consequences. There seem to be more loopholes within this issue than there are cut and dry. Yet when you look at the problem on a personal level with the actual individuals involved, some of those loopholes almost disappear…seemingly. God put people on this earth to live and be prosperous-to be fruitful and multiply, as the Bible says. Some believe that when it gets to the point where the quality of person's life gets so dark that they can no longer function in the world without severe medicinal help, then there is no reason to coerce that person to stay alive (please consider the money that it would cost to warehouse this individual-when money could be allocated to helping children).…

    • 1527 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The study of Bioethics involves the consideration of ethical issues arising from advancements in medicine and/or biology. The study of bioethics helps with determining the proper decision in regard to medical or biological issues. Bioethics is highly influential in academia, where scholars investigate the various scenarios arising from advancements, but is also influential in the applied realms of biology and medicine. Albert Jonsen, in his book Bioethics, claims "This field has established itself as an integral part of practical or applied philosophy and as a valuable adjunct to health policy and medical practice" (Jonsen 4). When dealing with the human body, ethics must be considered in order to preserve the value of human life. A highly…

    • 1545 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people believe that euthanasia is a patient’s right. According to ProCon.org, “… a terminally ill person has a protected liberty interest in choosing to end intolerable suffering by bringing about his or her own death” (ProCon.org, “Top 10 Pros and Cons”). Claiming that everyone has the right to choose their death. The website also went deeper into the matter by bringing the Hippocratic Oath, “do no harm” (ProCon.org, “Top 10 Pros and Cons”). It…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia is a significant debate amongst Christians, but has gained support over the years due to the idea that we have progressed as autonomous individuals. As humans, we have the right to choose the moment we want to ease our suffering and end the fight against terminal illness by seeking assistance to die (Badham 5). He explains that many medical procedures are carried out yet there is no realistic hope that the patient will recover and return to an independent life (Badham 11). He supports Arthur Clough’s quote “Thou shalt not kill; But need’st not strive, Officiously to keep alive”. This refers to the philosophy behind palliative care and hospice. It helps one accept the inevitability of death and live out their final days with as much dignity as possible. He goes on to discuss the question of whether there is a significant difference between letting a person die or assisting a person in death. He believes there is none (Badham 13). Badham believes that individuals should have a right to their own choices (Badham 16). No individual should be forced against their will to undergo burdensome, unbeneficial treatments (Badham 14). Badham discusses multiple personal experiences that led him to his support of Euthanasia. A major contributor to this factor was his grandmother who had dementia. She wanted to go to heaven to be with Jesus and he did not see a reason to not let her. I could personally relate to this instance because my grandfather recently passed away from Alzheimer’s. It was extremely hard to watch him suffer from the accompanying aliments of these incurable diseases. Badham eventually discusses Dignity in Dying to insist on the need for precautions in any proposal for legalizing euthanasia. He believes this is too restrictive and that one who is incompetent can equally…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The entirety of the problem of euthanasia and physician assisted suicides is not so much that unhappy people are dying, but that no effort or attempt is made to make them better. In every case, the request for assisted suicide stemmed from depression, anguish, desperation, or fear of abandonment. In other words, terminally ill patients sought euthanasia or assisted suicide for the same reasons that healthy people do. In the same case of healthy people, their suffering could be palliated, and their longing for death quelled, by proper use of medicine, lovingkindness, and what some have called the ministry of presence. The answer to anguish and desperation is not to coldly dispatch the anguished and desperate, but rather to enfold them within the bonds of a community that sees in them intrinsic, rather than merely utilitarian value (Assisted 5).…

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The concept of intentionally ending a life through assisted suicide or euthanasia is a controversial topic. There are many moral, practical, and religious arguments either for or against these acts, making it difficult to find any easy answers to these issues. There are a variety of perspectives on euthanasia and assisted suicide that have developed and have been put into policies in some states or countries. This paper will explore what is meant by euthanasia and assisted suicide, some of the arguments for and against intentionally ending a life, and my own values and beliefs surrounding these issues.…

    • 1907 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Assisted Suicide Debate

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages

    One of the big problems people have with the topic of assisted suicide is that we, as Christians or believers of God, should not be able to play the role of God. Many people agree that the moral ethics of being able to kill one’s self are wrong and we, as human beings, should not be able to make that decision. People of the Christian faith believe that we shall die when God…

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays