Euthanasia Essay Mercy Killing or Murder - 1333 Words

Euthanasia: Mercy Killing or Murder? We, as humans, are mortal beings. Our life span is finite. Even though we are mortal, we try to hang onto our lives as long as we can; fear of death and wanting to live forever are, after all, part of human nature. Sometimes, however, the field of medicine capitalizes on this aspect of humanity. While it is certainly true that one goal of medicine has always been to prolong life, another goal has been the alleviation of pain and suffering. One point at which these two views collide is over the hotly debated issue of euthanasia. Euthanasia, or mercy killing, as it has been called, is certainly not an issue with just two sides. There are many shades of gray involved, so†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, there are also certainly cases where euthanasia is a less painful alternative to what may otherwise lie ahead. In most of these cases, the disease will end up killing the individual anyway, so why prolong pain by putting people with incurable illnesses on life support? After all, as stated before, one of the main goals of medicine is to alleviate pain and suffering. If there is no cure to an illness, and the treatments, as well as the disease are painful, why put the individual, and the family, through financial and emotional anguish? One problem many of the opponents of euthanasia have with such mercy killing is that it is killing, and, to many, this constitutes murder. To murder, however, by definition, is to kill brutally or inhumanly,(American Heritage Dictionary.) It is possible that very few of the mercy killings that have occurred over the years have been murder; however, suicide would probably be a better word. After all, it is, in most cases, the individual with the disease is the one who make the final decision. Furthermore, is it brutal or inhuman to end somebodys life when it is clear that the life they are living is a life of pain and suffering? By the dictionary definition of murder, it seems that forcing someone to die in pain rather than trying to do something about this would be closer toShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia: Not Morally Acceptable Essay1646 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract In the following essay, I argue that euthanasia is not morally acceptable because it always involves killing, and undermines intrinsic value of human being. The moral basis on which euthanasia defends its position is contradictory and arbitrary in that its moral values represented in such terms as ‘mercy killing’, ‘dying with dignity’, ‘good death’ and ‘right for self-determination’ fail to justify taking one’s life. Introduction Among other moral issues, euthanasia emerged with modern medicalRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1490 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Argumentative Essay 1 November 2015 Word Count - 1488 Mercy or No Mercy Soul is immortal. But body is mortal. In life there could be multiple problems. Some problems could be life threatening. There are some stages in life where one has to make decisions. Imagine you are in a place where you lost all your vital abilities and you have to spend your entire life like that. Your family and friend are in pain too just like you are in pain. What would you do? 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In this debate, the choice of terms is central. The most common term, euthanasia, comes from the Greek words meaning good death. Sidney Hook calls it voluntary euthanasia, and Daniel C. Maguire calls it death by choice, but John Leo calls it cozy little homicides. Eileen Doyle pointsRead MoreIslam and Euthanasia Essay1205 Words   |  5 Pages     Ã‚   Islam has definite views on euthanasia, and this essay will bring to the fore all of the main beliefs relevant to the issue of euthanasia/assisted suicide. Islam spells things out quite plainly, with enough similes to clarify every point in the system of beliefs. The sanctity of human life is a basic value as decreed by God even before the times of Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. 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Recently this debate has been furthermore justified with the advent of European clinics that specialise in professional mercy killings for the terminally ill and those suffering incurable pain. To add to this, suicide rates in this country are ever increasing, with this being one of the ten most common causes of death inRead MoreEssay on Euthanasia Needs to be a Legal Option1376 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia Needs to be a Legal Option    Warren Hauser is dying. Should the Supreme Court decide that terminally ill Americans have a constitutional right to commit suicide with a doctors help, he would qualify. Emphysema and valvular heart disease have left him debilitated and physically dependent (Byock). For terminally ill patients like Warren, where death is inevitable and would be less painful than living, euthanasia should be a legal option. Euthanasia is Greek for easy or happy death