Physician Assisted Suicide Vs Euthanasia

Life is never guaranteed and whether it is through an illness or an accident, we as humans are eventually going to die. Physicians Assisted suicide is one of the most controversial issues. The issue of doctor-assisted suicide has been the subject of the heated dispute in recent years. While some oppose the idea that a physician should aid in ending a life, others believe that physicians should be permitted in helping a patient to end his or her unbearable suffering when faced with a terminal illness. Furthermore, Physician-assisted suicide should be legal; it should be the patient’s right to decide when and how he or she should die.

However, the debate is not straightforward as the potential for abuse or harm is prevailing society's established prohibitions against assisting suicide. Within this debate, some of society views assisted suicide as being morally wrong and believe it should not be legalized regardless of individual’s particular case. In addition, that professional standards and legislation should not be changed. Others hold the view that assisted suicide is ethically legitimate in exceptional cases. Finally within the debate, some people would advocate that assisted suicide should be a morally and legally acceptable choice in the care of terminal ill patients.

In case of elective surgery, the patients are being informed about risk and benefit of the blood transfusion as well as the consequences of the refusal of the transfusion. Usually, Jehovah’s Witness patients have to sign a consent form which excludes the blood transfusion. In case of emergency, the doctors try to save the life. When they learn about the patient is a member of the Jehovah’s Witness, then it becomes a very challenging situation for them. They have to balance between the respect for the patient’s belief and their own commitment to promote and protect a patient’s life.

The ideas behind this moral distinction is that in passive euthanasia the doctors are not actively killing anyone but they are just not saving the patients. Most people think that euthanasia can be justifiable, when the patients are facing incurable disease, undergoing suffer, terminally ill and requests for euthanasia as their last wishes. For instance, Somerville (2010) argued that it is important to respect the people’s right of self-determination and autonomy. In other words, people should have the right to choose their time of dying but the state have prevented and stop them from doing it.

I on the other hand think it's fine if someone wants to end their life but only under certain circumstances. There are pros and cons when it comes to assisted suicide, there's an argument saying that being denied euthanasia is forcing someone to live a life of suffering. people against assisted suicide argue that saying that you are also saying that laws against contaminated food is mandated starvation. Another argument says that if assisted suicide becomes legal then doctors won't prescribe medication and the cure to illnesses would be death even though there is still a chance a living. There are a few religious arguments that state life is a gift from god and that it is god's decision whether you live or

Although “some people think that euthanasia shouldn’t be allowed…because it could be abused and used as a cover for murder” (BBC- ethics-euthanasia: Ethics…, 2014), the Hippocratic Oath obliges the doctors to preserve life and uphold specific standards. According to the article written by Gorman, the constant demand for euthanasia by many patients, states in America, such as California, Oregon, and a few other states, have proposed bills and passed laws that allows doctors to assist in euthanizing and be protected from any lawsuits that declares the action to be a misuse of authority and privileges. It has also been debated over that it is not giving the patient the right to die but instead allowing the third party the right to kill. In a biblical perspective, some may also consider it as unethical and sinful because “all life is sacred and it should be kept at all cost” (Argument for euthanasia, 2013). Therefore, many disapprove since it goes against the religious belief of a natural death.

Physician assisted suicide is by far one of the most controversial topics that has arose in the last decade. As such, there are many moral and ethical arguments both for and against the act of physician assisted suicide. Because of this, it is important to explore in detail the arguments made both in favor and against physician assisted suicide so that one can better grasp what exactly this sort of act entails. In his book “Understanding Assisted Suicide: Nine Issues to Consider”, Seattle University School of Law professor John B. Mitchell highlights many key points of why physician assisted suicide should be legalized. Mitchell challenges popular anti-physician assisted suicide arguments that rely on religion and the notion of God as the decider

A nurse’s job is to make the patient feel comfortable and provide a friendly feel, which is difficult to do if hospitals and other medical facilities rely heavily on assisted suicide. According to the ANA, the procedure opposes “the ethical traditions of the profession”(Clair). The doctors are in a quite different situation. When you look in depth at the operation itself, many professionals imply that the doctor “are accessories of fact to homicide”(Clair). That means the doctor is assisting with the homicide because the patient’s death was only possible if the doctor contributed the needed drugs.

If euthanasia is legalize, there might be a concern which poor patients and their family members refuse to accept treatment because of the high costing in order keeping them alive while the treatment will not guarantee that the patient will be cure. Therefore, some the them might choose to refuse treatment or even their family members do not want to spend the money on the treatment. Thus , legalize of euthanasia will serve death sentence to many disabled, elderly citizens and terminally ill patient and it might not their own will. 3.2 Euthanasia devalues human life It is one of reason why euthanasia should not be legalize. Proponents of euthanasia believe that it will do not degrades life for those who are suffering from incurable illness.

Religious Perspective As the decision regarding whether or not to legalize Euthanasia from a medical perspective involves religious concerns, looking at religious beliefs play a significant part in the decision making as well. The three largest religious groups, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, all have distinct viewpoints on the execution of Euthanasia. In Christianity, the issue of Euthanasia is clearly addressed. The Bible states that God and nobody else appoints people to die. (Job 33:4).