Mercy Killing

James Palmer

Jason Witt

Writing 2

November 11, 2010

Mercy killing is it justifiable?

There are many perspectives on the issue of mercy killing and if it's justifiable. Mercy killing is the killing of another human being. As this issue is closely monitored we see that, euthanasia involves the ethics of doctor's practices, and many other problems that may come up in this controversial issue. Three main perspectives are mercy killing is not justifiable for any reason, mercy killing is justifiable, and mercy killing is justifiable to a certain degree.

The mercy killing issue has been brought up in many articles. Some articles are pertaining to military personnel. Other articles are according to health circumstances. Also some...show more content...

Many people have had tumors, blood diseases, and many other forms of incurable body diseases. People take life for granted today we don't realize how lucky we are to live each day. Others are unfortunate and die younger but this is life, when one life ends another begins the saying goes. We need to think what is best for the patient suffering what he/ or she wants.

How long must a loved one wait lying in a bed helpless in excruciating pain? This perspective believes it is when the person feels like he/she can't tolerate the pain. No one likes pain or wants to endure pain at any level. We need to think about that and consider what if we were in pain what would we want done? What would be the right thing to do?

The third perspective is, mercy killing is justifiable to a certain degree. As we look at this we see that some believe that mercy killing may prove useful in certain situation. Although how can we determine what the situations would be? How much pain do they actually have to suffer from in order to be killed in humane way? Should we entrust another human with another human's life? This side of the issue believes in mercy killing but at same time dislikes the idea. They are caught between the ethics of the situation. So as we look at the word ethical we see it means the right thing to do, how do we determine what is the right thing to do? Everybody has a different perspective and opinion on things how can Get

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" (Exodus 20: 13–14). One of the Ten Commandments put forward by God to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. The killing of another human being is morally wrong and unacceptable. No one has the right to take away another persons life, whether it be through hatred and disgust, or compassion and love. Murder is murder. So why should those select few who work in the clinics of Switzerland, whose occupation is to assist in a person's suicide, become immune from this law against murder. It is them who provide the patient with, and administer, the method of how they are going to die. To me, that sounds like murder. What gives someone else the right to take away another human being's life?

Euthanasia is wrong and immoral for...show more content...

It also means that it slides from terminally ill patients using it, to anybody using it. For instance, people who become depressed and may see this as an option to end their depression, if it became available in the UK. For something as minor as depression (compared to terminal cancer), which can be treated through doctors and psychologists someone could take their life if they had this option. Also, doctors could see it as an opportunity to free up beds in a hospital and save it money at the same time. A 1998 study found that doctors who are cost–conscious and 'practice resource–conserving medicine' are significantly more likely to write a lethal prescription for terminally–ill patients [Arch. Intern. Med., 5/11/98, p. 974]. This suggests to us that medical costs do influence doctors' opinions. But doctors should not be involved in directly causing death. This brings us to the controversial point of active and passive euthanasia. Some people think there is no real difference between the two, since stopping a treatment and administering one are both deliberate acts. But there is a moral difference between letting a person die peacefully and deliberately killing the person. Thou shalt not kill but needst not strive, officiously, to keep alive.

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