Euthanasia is basically the painless killing of patients with incurable and painful diseases, or with irreversible coma. This practice is illegal in most countries and many have expressed their contempt over this.
Many feel that Euthanasia is the correct thing to do if you love your family member, who is suffering from the great pain incurable diseases has brought to him. They strongly feel that Euthanasia is justified because it is painless killing with good intentions of ending the patient's suffering. After all, the diseases are incurable.
It is true that there is almost zero chance of cure to be discovered and waited for after the patient's is diagnosed with the chronic diseases. Instead of waiting in immense pain for many years - maybe in vain - Euthanasia provides a peaceful death to the unbearable misery.
Many have expressed their anger over family members preventing the patients from receiving Euthanasia because they are optimistic about a possible cure. They argue vehemently that all people should be given human rights to make his or her own decisions. If the patient can't bear the pain, just let him be. This is being merciful.
However, I don't think receiving Euthanasia is merciful. Only protecting life is merciful. As a Christian, I strongly believe that no matter the circumstances, killing is always not right.
No matter how low the percentage of possibility is, we can never measure hope in crude numbers. No matter how impossible the chance of finding cure is, we should never give up because life is precious and we must always protect life.
There were a lot of cases in world history where just a few months after the patients choose to receive Euthanasia, the cure for the so called "incurable" diseases have been discovered. What a pity that these patients gave up the impossible possibility.
Life is beautiful. Life is precious. Life is joy. We should appreciate life because once you choose to die, everything would be gone. There would be no such thing as "choice", or "option" anymore. Even the privilege of bearing hope and optimism for a cure is taken away.
Regarding the point on human rights, family members should help the patients make the decisions. It is just like how our parents help us make all the decisions when we were young. The patients' decisions may be overrided by their emotions, so their family members should help them make the rational decisions.
Euthanasia is killing, and killing is definitely not merciful. Only hope and optimism for beautiful life is precious.
1 comment:
Nice opinion!
I shall not talk too much about my stance on this, since I already said to you that day that I do not really have a proper stance on this...
anyway, i'd just like to talk about the hope of a cure. it may take an extremely long time to find a cure for a currently incurable disease, and that would only prolong the patients suffering, and he might just die a painful death. furthermore, we have to think about more pragmatic solutions to other equally pressing issues - such as the lack of drinking water in africa, the poverty of old people, and the oppression of certain people in other countries. if we do help these people instead, it is also, in a way, maintaining life in all possible circumstances. i apologize if i sound extremely mercenary, which i think i do, but i think that simply put, those who believe in this stance believes that it is of more "worth" to save others instead, because they have more "hope" than those who are suffering from incurable diseases.
also, your point that families should make decisions for the patients since they are in terrible suffering... i'm not sure, but the problem is, many families actually accede to the request by the patient for euthanasia. so can you clarify?
thanks for reading, and do point me out if I have any mistakes!!
Post a Comment