Should Euthanasia Be Considered Ethical?

Essay by moonboy1988High School, 11th grade December 2004

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Active euthanasia is one of today's most widely debated moral issues. Active euthanasia, by definition, is, "The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment." In my opinion, active euthanasia is an immoral process of ending someone's life. Active euthanasia is a sin and a crime, as it is no different than a murder. By looking at the definition of euthanasia, and also because we are humans with better intelligence than killing patients without any notice, we should never legalize euthanasia.

People who are for euthanasia argue that helping the patients with incurable diseases to bring about their own deaths is not only humane, but also allows the patients to maintain their dignity by letting them pass away at peace. But the question is, have they taken a closer look at the ethical issue? Those who are against active euthanasia argue that by participating in this practice, one is not acting out of mercy, but rather out of pure selfishness, attempting to get rid of their burdensome patients, and that therefore, the act is nothing less than cold-blooded murder.

A simple definition of murder is "an unlawful act of killing a person." Euthanasia is, therefore, murder. Murder is both a sin and a crime, therefore we should not participate in the practice of euthanasia, because it is murder, and it is not something that humans should do.

Another thing is that even if active euthanasia is legalized, is it okay to kill a human without his or her consent? If the patient is able to talk, this issue would not apply, but what if the patient is in coma? Do the doctors and the patients' family members have...