Euthanasia?

MoreCoffee · Jun 26, 2019

Euthanasia is under debate in Western Australia. The Nurses Federation strongly supports it while the Catholic Church strongly opposes it. Other religious and political and union groups have a stand on the matter too. The parliament of Western Australia will be debating the matter soon too with a law permitting it being the topic of their deliberations and debate. Some claim that 88% of the population in Western Australia support the introduction of a law enabling legal assisted dying (euthanasia). What do you think?

What safeguards and provisions would you want to see in such a law?

psalms 91 · Jun 26, 2019

None because I dont want to see such a law.

NewCreation435 · Jun 26, 2019

I couldn't morally support such a law. We belong to God and He alone has the right to decide when my life or anyone else's life ends

Lamb · Jun 26, 2019

Euthanasia is where a Physicians actually gives the shot that ends a patient's life. Assisted dying is where the Physician prescribes something for the patient to use when he/she is ready to end life and not by the hands of the physician.

In the US Oregon is the only state where euthanasia is legal but there are some states that have legalized assisted dying (or assisted suicide).

I'm not sure where I lie on either of those (euthanasia or assisted dying) because things changed for me once I got my cancers and had to deal with my life no longer being the same. I was fortunate that things went well for me even though my body was butchered and I still have the scars. It could have been a lot worse and I was informed of the hardships I could have endured after my surgeries prior to going under the knife. My quality of life could have been very low after surgeries and that realization made me think about how far I wanted future treatments to go. I had to set some boundaries at one point and make plans I never thought I would have to make. I told my husband that if I ever because a vegetable and was on life support to pull that plug. I didn't want the family to incur huge medical bills because of the memories of who I was. But to forcibly die is another thing and I'm not sure I'm ready to make that choice yet of whether I'm for it or not.

Now for other people, I can see where they would want to end the misery that some diseases can impose upon the body. As for what the laws should be...I really have no idea

Josiah · Jun 26, 2019

MoreCoffee said:
Euthanasia is under debate in Western Australia. The Nurses Federation strongly supports it while the Catholic Church strongly opposes it. Other religious and political and union groups have a stand on the matter too. The parliament of Western Australia will be debating the matter soon too with a law permitting it being the topic of their deliberations and debate. Some claim that 88% of the population in Western Australia support the introduction of a law enabling legal assisted dying (euthanasia). What do you think?

What safeguards and provisions would you want to see in such a law?

I agree with the Catholic Church (and my own denomination) on this.... I am morally opposed to the purposeful, deliberate killing of innocent people. The Commandment is "Thou shalt not murder" (I don't see, "Unless they are sick").

Now, unlike abortion, there is at least one better issue here because THEORETICALLY the victim can request this murder whereas a pre-born baby cannot. But the moral issue is the same.

IMO, people who are sick need our love and support, not murder. That 88% of people in Western Australia support this doesn't surprise me, it just makes me very, very sad. It simply reveals that many view each other like cockroaches and rats that can be killed.... our culture of death and of dehumanization continues to advance. And someday, WE may find the doctor entering our hospital room and not know if she is there for help or to kill us.... not know if our family is praying for us or arranging our murder.

I don't think there are any "safeguards" that make this sin not sin.

MoreCoffee · Jun 26, 2019

Lämmchen said:
Euthanasia is where a Physicians actually gives the shot that ends a patient's life.

Or gives the pills or other medication that the patient self administers to end their own life.

Assisted dying is where the Physician prescribes something for the patient to use when he/she is ready to end life and not by the hands of the physician.

In the US Oregon is the only state where euthanasia is legal but there are some states that have legalized assisted dying (or assisted suicide).

I'm not sure where I lie on either of those (euthanasia or assisted dying) because things changed for me once I got my cancers and had to deal with my life no longer being the same. I was fortunate that things went well for me even though my body was butchered and I still have the scars. It could have been a lot worse and I was informed of the hardships I could have endured after my surgeries prior to going under the knife. My quality of life could have been very low after surgeries and that realization made me think about how far I wanted future treatments to go. I had to set some boundaries at one point and make plans I never thought I would have to make. I told my husband that if I ever because a vegetable and was on life support to pull that plug. I didn't want the family to incur huge medical bills because of the memories of who I was.

I understand what you've said and I've seen several friends die from incurable painful conditions. I would not wish such a death even on the worst of people. So I too see why provision of assisted dying and euthanasia are being debated and legislated in numerous lands.

But to forcibly die is another thing and I'm not sure I'm ready to make that choice yet of whether I'm for it or not.

Now for other people, I can see where they would want to end the misery that some diseases can impose upon the body. As for what the laws should be...I really have no idea

MoreCoffee · Jun 26, 2019

Josiah said:
I agree with the Catholic Church (and my own denomination) on this.... I am morally opposed to the purposeful, deliberate killing of innocent

Why only for the innocent and innocent of what? Holy scripture suggests that few (if any) are truly innocent once they have become adults. Why not just leave the innocent out and say "I am morally opposed to the purposeful, deliberate killing of ~~innocent~~ people" but I guess that would preclude capital punishment and make war very problematic.

people. The Commandment is "Thou shalt not murder" (I don't see, "Unless they are sick").

Now, unlike abortion, there is at least one better issue here because THEORETICALLY the victim can request this murder whereas a pre-born baby cannot. But the moral issue is the same.

IMO, people who are sick need our love and support, not murder. That 88% of people in Western Australia support this doesn't surprise me, it just makes me very, very sad. It simply reveals that many view each other like cockroaches and rats that can be killed.... our culture of death and of dehumanization continues to advance. And someday, WE may find the doctor entering our hospital room and not know if she is there for help or to kill us.... not know if our family is praying for us or arranging our murder.

I don't think there are any "safeguards" that make this sin not sin.

RichWh1 · Jun 26, 2019

Euthanasia means ‘good death’ and the only good death is natural death.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MoreCoffee · Jun 26, 2019

RichWh1 said:
Euthanasia means ‘good death’ and the only good death is natural death.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In Catholic parlance "a happy death" is one in which the dying is reconciled with God and absolved of all sins. But in religions without the sacrament of reconciliation that is probably almost irrelevant.

Jason76 · Jun 26, 2019

Euthanasia seems like another excuse - kind of like with abortion. I mean, have they really examined other options to prolong life? Anyway, it all boils down to this (sorry for the melodramatic stereotype) Nazi-ish thing of deciding who lives and dies. Now the government and "concerned folks" feel the need to play God - and, of course, they support the liberal agenda of euthanasia and abortion - ON DEMAND.

But, anyhow, things get tougher when it seems like there is NO solution regarding elderly suffering. It's sort of like with abortion when - the mother's life is threatened - or the baby is deformed (but probably the mother's fault) to an extreme degree.

Lamb · Jun 27, 2019

Have any of you suffered so much in health that you were begging God to let you die?

ValleyGal · Jun 27, 2019

Lämmchen said:
Have any of you suffered so much in health that you were begging God to let you die?

I had a resident like this, back when I was a nurse. She was 112 years old and needed only minimal care until she broke her hip. She then had zero quality of life. She would call out, begging to kill her because "God forgot to let [her] die." She'd never taken any kind of drug, not even a cup of coffee in her life due to the caffeine - but the doctors gave her ativan. They kept her like a rag doll until her little body likely ended up dying from the buildup of ativan. It was the only way they could help her die back then.

I am on the fence about this issue as well - not for my own sake; I hope that when it is my time, I will be able to go in whatever way God intends. But I am thinking of the many people out there who are not Christians and who have no moral obligation to their Creator. God has given us choices in life, including whether we choose Jesus. Shouldn't people also be given the choice of their own death, then? If you are morally against it, don't choose it. You are responsible for yourself. Other people are responsible for themselves. For those who choose suicide, I would rather see it happen under a doctor's care rather than have a family member come home to see they have chosen a more violent manner of suicide. Suicide is going to happen... period. Better for it to happen in a way that is talked about, discussed with families, and not in a way that will cause any trauma to the family.

Imo.

MennoSota · Jun 27, 2019

ValleyGal said:
I had a resident like this, back when I was a nurse. She was 112 years old and needed only minimal care until she broke her hip. She then had zero quality of life. She would call out, begging to kill her because "God forgot to let [her] die." She'd never taken any kind of drug, not even a cup of coffee in her life due to the caffeine - but the doctors gave her ativan. They kept her like a rag doll until her little body likely ended up dying from the buildup of ativan. It was the only way they could help her die back then.

I am on the fence about this issue as well - not for my own sake; I hope that when it is my time, I will be able to go in whatever way God intends. But I am thinking of the many people out there who are not Christians and who have no moral obligation to their Creator. God has given us choices in life, including whether we choose Jesus. Shouldn't people also be given the choice of their own death, then? If you are morally against it, don't choose it. You are responsible for yourself. Other people are responsible for themselves. For those who choose suicide, I would rather see it happen under a doctor's care rather than have a family member come home to see they have chosen a more violent manner of suicide. Suicide is going to happen... period. Better for it to happen in a way that is talked about, discussed with families, and not in a way that will cause any trauma to the family.

Imo.

Well, I don't agree with your theology regarding human choice of God, so I tend to leave our death up to God. One does not know when or if God will choose to redeem a person. God is not obligated to save, nor is he obligated to spare us of pain and suffering. Should we, therefore take that role into our hands... especially for another person's life?
Personally, I don't think it's our right to dictate a person's time to die. I know that deep suffering may be a part of the journey. I had a Godly friend who went through agonizing terminal cancer and would daily wake up disappointed that God had ordained another day of pain. But, he refused to force God's hand and determine his own death. His example of faithfulness was profound.

Euthanasia?

MoreCoffee

Well-known member

psalms 91

Well-known member

NewCreation435

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Lamb

God's Lil Lamb

Josiah

simul justus et peccator

MoreCoffee

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MoreCoffee

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RichWh1

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MoreCoffee

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Jason76

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Lamb

God's Lil Lamb

ValleyGal

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MennoSota

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