Should Euthanasia/assisted dying be allowed?

[Henrik Larsson]

Euthanasia is allowed in Oregon, the netherlands and dignitus( there may be more). Should it be allowed everywhere?. There are many parties to consider i.e the doctors, should everyone follow the route of the netherlands, i.e legal since april 2002, doctor must have known patient for a long time, patient must be terminally ill etc. Should Euthanasia be legal everywhere, what are the benefits and drawbacks, religous viewpoints, is it compassionate for the individual etc?.

 

[Petra]

To be completely honest, if living wills and DNRs are recognized in a country, then assisted suicide needs to be considered as well. HOWEVER, like abortion, a pshysician needs to be able to opt out of being required to learn it as part of their studies or performing assisted suicides.

Beyond that, I think it's a very personal decision between the terminally ill, their loved ones, their doctor, and their higher power. It shouldn't be up to the state or other nosey bodies to keep someone alive just to satisfy their own moral beliefs. Most terminal illnesses don't have dignified ends...allow these poor people to choose to die peacefully and leave their loved ones remembering them before it gets bad.

 

[bahodeme]

In causes such as the final stages of ALS it should be an option for that patient.

 

[Alyssa Rose]

It's allowed for animals so why isn't it allowed for us? If someone is so ill to the point that they can't function at all. Feed themselves, bathe themselves, or even really move why should they have to lay in pain and suffer when the outcome is undoubtedly the same? It just doesnt make sense :dunno:

 

[BlueBalls]

Yes.

 

[Secretease]

I think it should be allowed. Nobody catches a terminal disease out of choice, so a person should have the choice to end their suffering as much as possible on their own terms.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

who owns your life? Is it a God given right to choose when you can die.

Could it lead to the slippery slope, i.e could it lead to involuntary euthanasia.

liberal christians see euthanasia is compassionate, is it?

i believe it should be legalised like in HOlland but the doctor can refuse to administer euthansia. Plus the patient must be terminally ill with no hope of recovery and must be of a sound state of mind

 

[gunslingingbird]

It should be allowed. A person with a terminal condition should be allowed to die with dignity, not as an incontinent, trembling shade of their former selves.

 

[busenbust]

I think -- so long as the individual is declared 'sane' -- then the prerogative of the individual. not an easy one though.

 

[TheOrangeCat]

Yes.

 

[Supafly]

I have been thinkign about this a lot, lately. Because right next door, there was this old couple, and late. late some weeks ago, there were doctors and so on there and in the morning, we learned that the old man was passing away and they even opened his skull right there, trying to bring him back, and they asked his wife if they should try and go on, as he seemed really not able to make it without constant machine help.

She said to let him go.

Now the old lady who lives in our house, she is even 12 years older than him, 93, and she was really taken by those news.

She asked me about some story she heard about a possibility to right down an advance directive, so the doctors treat her like she wants when it's time for her.

I searched for it and printed it out, the Chamber of Doctors (Ärztekammer) has pre-formulated paperwork, where you can check a lot of option what you want and what not.

I am unsure if she finsihed those papers, I offered to sign as a witness, if she would sign mine.

I think this is a good way to settle things in advance

 

[TheOrangeCat]

If there are any members here who need whacking (for health reasons only, obviously ...), I'll be quite willing to assist! (you know who you are .... )

 

[saschaxx]

A clear : YES .

 

[Henrik Larsson]

It is a very moral and delicate issue, the question only csme to my mind after watching the Terry Pratchet programme

 

[TheOrangeCat]

It's my life; it should be my death, my way.

If I want my life ended, and if I need help, that is my decision and mine alone. No state or group has any right whatsoever interfering in the course of my self-determination.

End of fucking story.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

The Roman Catholic church would argue that birth involves the creative action of God and so it is God's choice when to take it away

 

[TheOrangeCat]

The Roman Catholic church would argue that birth involves the creative action of God and so it is God's choice when to take it away

The Roman Catholic Church can kiss my Irish ass (hang on, most of the Priests might like that too much)

Fuck them, and their antiquated superstitious voodoo incantations and nonsense. I'd rather take advice from a mad potato than listen to anything that corruption produced.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

plus it could lead to the slippery slope. You have to take into account both sides, like the doctors who have to give the poison and the patients families

 

[TheOrangeCat]

plus it could lead to the slippery slope. You have to take into account both sides, like the doctors who have to give the poison and the patients families

Doctors end life all the time. It's never talked about - and never admitted - but I have never yet met a doctor (and I have met hundreds in the course of my career to date) who hasn't - one way or another - helped a patient meet their end with dignity and with as little pain as possible

 

[Henrik Larsson]

Doctors believe in the double effect But i recently watched a video in which a Dutch doctor had to administer euthanasia and he hated it, he knew it was compassionate and the patient was suffering. Yet he knew he was killing another human being, every time he gave the injection he could not sleep for that night. Could you purposfully kill someone, could you kill one of your parents?