EUTHANASIA

MERCY KILLING

DEFINITION
termination of the life of a person suffering
from a painful and incurable medical
condition
From the Greek words:

eu
(good/well)

thanatos
(death)

= GOOD DEATH

DEFINITION |

ACTIVE

when the patient cannot

give consent, somebody
else makes the decision
for them.

Kinds

Volun
tary
Eutha
nasia

when the patient is

directly killed at his
own request.

Assist
ed
Suicid
e

where the doctor actively

assists or provides the
means for the patient to
kill himself.

Non
Volun
tary
Eutha
nasia

DEFINITION |

Kinds

PASSIVE

the patient dies because the medical

WITHDRAWAL
TREATMENT
professionalsOF either
don't do something
- the
doctor withholds
life- alive, or they stop
necessary
to keep the patient
sustaining
doing treatment.
something that is keeping the patient alive.

HISTORY
5th Century B.C.-1st Century B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans Tend to
Support Euthanasia
12th Century-15th Century Christian Views on Euthanasia
Reinforce Hippocratic Oath
13th Century - During Middle Ages
Christians and Jews Tend to
Oppose Euthanasia

HISTORY
May 1995 | Australia
- Rights of the Terminally Ill (ROTI)

November 2000 | Netherlands

- legalized by legislative decree

November 1994 | Oregon

- Death with Dignity Act

ADVANTAGES
CHOICE
Choice is a fundamental principle for
liberal democracies and free market
systems

QUALITY OF LIFE
The pain and suffering a person feels during a disease
can be incomprehensible to a person who has not gone
through it
It is often difficult for patients to overcome the emotional
pain of losing their independence

ADVANTAGES
ECONOMIC COSTS AND HUMAN RESOURCES
Shortage of hospital space
The energy of doctors and hospital
beds could be used for people
whose lives could be saved instead
of continuing the life of those who
want to die
It is a burden to keep people alive
past the point they can contribute to
society

DISADVANTAGES
PROFESSIONAL
Unduly compromise the role of health care workers
Violate the Hippocratic oath: "I will not give a lethal
drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a
plan" (though it has fallen out of use)

DISADVANTAGES
MORAL AND THEOLOGICAL
Euthanasia is viewed as
murder,
and
voluntary
euthanasia as suicide
A violation of the sanctity of
human life
That humans should not be the
ones to make the choice to end
life

DISADVANTAGES
NECESSITY
Where there is life, there is hope:
for a cure,
remission, or even answer to prayer
The correct action is to attempt to bring about a cure or
engage in palliative care

DISADVANTAGES
FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION
To be voluntary, a patient must be mentally
competent to make the decision
Competence can be difficult to determine or even
define

DISADVANTAGES
WISHES OF FAMILY
Family members often desire to spend as
much time with their loved ones as possible
before they die
Their wishes ought to be considered

DISADVANTAGES
CONSENT UNDER PRESSURE
Once euthanasia becomes an
acceptable health procedure, it
will be subject to economic
considerations
Hospital
and
insurance
personnel will have an economic
incentive to advise or pressure
people
toward
euthanasia
consent

IN THE CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
Life comes from God, to take it is murder
As such He has the sole right to dispose of it - Ac 17:25,28
Human life is sacred because we are made in His image Gen
9:5-6
Suicide, in general, is an act of murder which is immoral - Exo
20:13

Our bodies belong to God, not us

This is especially true of Christians - 1Co 6:19-20
We no longer live for ourselves, but for God - Ro 14:7-8; 2Co
5:15
We might prefer death, but the Lord may have a different plan Php 1:21-24

IN THE CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
Men of God chose to endure pain rather than end life
prematurely
Job
Who suffered not for sin - Job 2:7-10
Who longed for death, but would not kill himself Job 6:8-9
Jeremiah
Who suffered with those who had sinned - Lam 3:38-41
Who could have fled to Babylon, but chose not to - Jer 40:4
Jesus
Who suffered for all who sinned - 1Pe 3:18
Who endured the cross - He 12:2

IN THE CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
It is God who remains the
sovereign master of life. We are
obliged to accept life gratefully
and preserve it for His honor and
the salvation of our souls. We are
stewards, not owners of the life
God has entrusted to us. It is not
ours to dispose of."

CONCLUSION
Euthanasia, even when one is suffering, can be viewed
as
An act of ingratitude toward God who gives us both life
and suffering for our good
A violation of our duty to serve God all the days of our
lives
A misguided effort to escape an aspect of life that God
intends for us to experience
A selfish act that hurts those closest to us, depriving
them of our example and influence

CONCLUSION
Arguments for or against euthanasia
that are based upon moral or
religious beliefs, which can change
over time. Some practices that were
considered barbaric before are now
acceptable. One of the issues
regarding euthanasia is weighing
society's obligations to provide an
easier access to death against
society's obligations to provide the
means for lessening pain and
suffering.

DEFINITION
Murder is the
unlawful killing of a
human being, or a
fetus, with malice
aforethought.

DEFINITION

KILLING & MURDER

Killing becomes murder when (and only when) it is
not properly justified, and the justifications are
clear

JUSTIFICATION
FOR

HOMICIDE

accident
self-defense
preventing someone from
committing violent felony
protecting an innocent

FACTORS

Motive
Intent
Justification

DEGREES
First Degree or
Capital Murder
Second Degree
Murder
Felony Murder

CASES
Roughly 1 in 15,000 people is murdered in the
Philippines each year
Homicide rates vary predictably from culture to culture
In the United States the rates of killing are much higher
than in many industrialized nations, exceeding those in
Canada, many western European nations, and Japan. In
many other countries, including Venezuela, Colombia,
and South Africa
The homicide rates in industrialized nations are much
lower than in many non-industrialized cultures.

PATHOLOGICAL
THEORIES
Pathology theories of murder propose that people
commit murder when their thinking is abnormal. The
causes of cognitive malfunctions vary, as do the
forms of abnormal cognition they produce.

IN THE CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE

Sixth Commandment says "thou shalt not kill."

"You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13, NKJV
throughout)

IN THE CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
Woe to that society that fails to
punish
evildoers
with
a
punishment that fits the crime .
Woe to that nation that fails to
defend itself and its borders
against terrorist groups and
tyrannical nations who are bent
upon destroying the very fabric of
our society. (Romans 13:1-5)

CONCLUSION
Murder involves killing unlawfully with premeditated malice. It involves
a deliberate, planned, pre-mediated attack against a fellow human
being for the purpose of taking his life for reasons that are purely
sinful. As a country under God, it would be our rightful obligation to
take a few ideas to heart so that we may truly show the world how a
real country under God presents itself, and how it comes about its
daily problems such as homicide, and the death penalty. A human life
is something to be cherished. No one has the right to tell someone
else who is guilty, and who deserves to die. Human life is precious
and to be highly valued, for man is made in the image of God. We live
in a society which gives little respect to human life, as demonstrated
by rampant abortion rate and the frightful and widespread allowance
of euthanasia, etc. While the taking of a human life is never to be
taken lightly, nevertheless the consistent teaching of the Scripture is
that there are times when the taking of human life is justified.