Euthanasia or not? (moral, contraceptives, abortion, moral, death penalty)

[gordon]

One story this year in the news broke my heart. It was that of a young lady called Terri who was British (where euthanasia is illegal). I cannot remember her surname but that doesn’t matter. She had become very ill indeed and slowly became unable to look after herself. In her final months she couldn’t even feed or water herself but still she lived on with the aid of an intravenous drip supplying the necessary nutrients to live. This in itself seemed a reasonable way to deal with such a difficult and potentially controversial situation. The final few weeks of this lady’s life were the ones that really drew my attention. Terri could no longer move, speak or even attempt to pull a facial expression and yet she was still “allowed to live on”. I understand that with a boyfriend who’d rather end his loved one’s life and see her die with some dignity, and parents who want their daughter to live whatever the circumstances, decisions aren’t easy to make. This did not explain the “politically correct” decisions in the last 13 days of her life. Once the decision to allow her to die had been made, instead of simply administering a drug to put her out of such misery, the feeding tube was removed and Terri was left to starve for nearly two weeks. In my mind this was totally unacceptable and a completely immoral thing to do. Was it really allowing her to die, or was it an alternative method of killing her? I leave you with that question.

[Victor]

Any physycal matter that is directly and crucially involved with the production of a human life cannot be terminated by human intervention. Unless, in the rare case that an incarcerated person is still causing grave damage to human lives by continuing to kill because the government is unable to contain him/her. His life may be terminated. Intervention with someone who is dieing by natural means (starving to death is not natural) is permissible IF it has been decided there is no remedy or solution for the person.

This pretty much covers alot of topics like:
1. Abortion
2. Contraceptives
3. Euthanasia
4. Death Penalty

Sure looks like we are the generation of death rather then life. Sad...

~Victor

[michel]

It sounds to me like you are talking about Terry Shiavo;
The following thread was a rather harrowing one about her............
Religious Education / Debate / General Debates
US judge rules Schiavo should die.
US judge rules Schiavo should die.

[JerryL]

It sounds to me like you are talking about Terry Shiavo;

Similar, but Shiavo went from "fine" to PVS suddenly and remained status-quo until life-support was stopped. There was no slow trickle of debilitation.

Once the decision to allow her to die had been made, instead of simply administering a drug to put her out of such misery, the feeding tube was removed and Terri was left to starve for nearly two weeks. In my mind this was totally unacceptable and a completely immoral thing to do. Was it really allowing her to die, or was it an alternative method of killing her?

It's the norm, though personally I dislike it. The purpose seems to be to make a bright-line test to avoid a moving standard. If we can kill people who would not die on their own at that moment, where does the line get drawn? The simpler, if less humane, act is to simply deny "extraordinary care". People who die do so "on their own", simply for a lack of care.

Technically speaking, she didn't starve; she dehydrated.

[Bishka]

I don't support Euthansia.

[michel]

Originally Posted by beckysoup61

I don't support Euthansia.

On Religious, or on Moral grounds ?

[gordon]

moral grounds?

[Bishka]

Both on religious and moral grounds. I believe that you should let the person die, that's how how bodies were naturally created weren't they?

[Ormiston]

I do believe in a person's right to die and think euthanasia is preferable to a slower, "natural" death. I also have absolutely no idea how either can work in society. It's easy to look at an elderly person who seems to be in their right mind and is also in a lot of pain and say that they should have the right to die. On the other hand, if my daughter was 18 years old and had emotional problems, I could never let her end her own life. The problem with people taken off of life support seems to be that the family members and officials can never agree on the proper result. Who, in their right mind, would be willing to authorize a fatal injection when the person's parents have brought the entire news media into the picture? So, I guess, the rules are the rules because there is little alternative.

[Victor]

You can take my right to die any day. I wanna live...

~Victor