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With names like Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Terri Schiavo making international headlines during the past few years, the complicated subject of euthanasia remains on everyone's mind. But when considering the plight of the terminally ill and their potential suffering, is "pulling the plug" a matter of dying with dignity or tragically playing God?
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Life is a Terminal Disease
- From ALL
By American Life League - Roman Catholic Pro-Life Organization
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Life is not a disease, terminal or otherwise!
I strongly disagree! In the first place, you have not really answered the question which asks about “the right” to die – not are we going to die. Inherent in the meaning of the question is the right to ‘choose the time we wish’ to die. You have used numerous words, but have said absolutely nothing.
Life, like many other things has a beginning, a middle and an end. Because something has an ending, does not make it a disease. I believe life is a joy if it can be lived free from pain and serious illness.
In the second place you casually mention excruciating pain and one disease or another as if they were merely words. Obviously and fortunately for you, you have neither personally experienced nor have seen a loved one languishing in agony with absolutely no hope of recovery. My experience has been different.
- redondo July 26, 2008 10:19PM
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RE: Life is not a diease, terminal or otherwise!
I completely concur with your disagreement. It seems as though many are evading or even misunderstanding the topic being discussed.
I agree that choosing to end one's life is acceptable, if they are in such pain. I have had loved ones in this situation previously, so I can relate to the illusion you made toward your experience. It hurts to watch them hurt.
- Juno March 1, 2009 8:25PM
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right to die
You must be very young or have never foundyourself in a stiuation where you are terminally ill or in great pain. How can you say life is always a joy?
- march
February 1, 2010 12:11PM
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Killing is Killing
I find it mind-boggling that in this day and age otherwise intelligent people are using one of the same tactics the Nazis used in their propaganda to facilitate the Holocaust and that is the use of semantics.
The direct killing of patients by doctors is now called "Physician Assisted Dying".
The term "physician assisted" gives it credibility to many people. If a doctor does it, then it must be okay.
The term "dying" is equally benign since we all have to die anyway. Dying is inevitable, right?
So what could possibly be "wrong" with "physician assited dying"? I will tell you what is wrong with it. It is direct killing.
Whenever I hear someone say "physician assisted suicide" is okay, I interpret this to mean "direct killing is sometimes okay" and I simply do not buy that argument. I have been diagnosed with both physical and mental disorders that cause me to have a great deal of both physical and mental suffering. Direct killing is not a solution to suffering. Too often, the so-called "right to die" is, in practice, seen as a "duty to die" by people who truly feel themselves to be a burden to others. When Grandma says she wants to die, we should not respond by saying, "Okay, Grandma, we'll help you die." Instead, we should respond by caring for her and loving her in the best way that we know how.
- gocatholic
January 12, 2009 7:23AM
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RE: Killing is Killing
Grandma wants to die. Yes, you should respond by "caring for her and lovinging her in the best way that you know," but what about what Grandma wants. This is not 'your' life, it's Grandma's. SHE should be the one entitled to her life. If Grandma is terminally ill and believes it is now her time to go it should not be considered "physician assisted suicide" if she has a request to die.
Furthermore, suicide technically can not be "assisted."
definitions of suicide:
[noun] 1. the intentional taking of one's own life.
2. a person who intentionally takes his or her own life.
(notice the "OWN LIFE" part)
- Keri
February 11, 2009 10:54PM
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RE: Killing is Killing
Elderly people often experience depression and feel themselves to be a burden. Often, when this happens, they will say to their loved ones that they feel they are a burden. When they do that, they WANT TO HEAR, "NO, Grandma! You are NOT a burden! We love you and will take care of you!" Love is a powerful thing. The "right to die" movement would have you turn to Grandma and say, "Okay, Grandma. We will help you die."
IT IS ANTI-LOVE.
- gocatholic
February 12, 2009 12:58AM
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You're just letting your bogus religion...
...and your non-existent "God" make decisions for you. I'm sorry you believed in the bogus that is organized religion.
If I want to die I should have the right to terminate my life at any time, for any reason. My life is mine to end how/when I want to. Your bogus religion has no right to tell me that. By the way, if you're going to lobby for anti-euthanasia laws, your religion should be subject to taxation (it's in the IRS tax-exempt code that you cannot lobby if you are religious institution).
- bagpiper2005
February 12, 2009 11:19AM
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RE: You're just letting your bogus religion..........
I am a Catholic yet I respect the fact that our American system of law is based on the protestant beliefs of the people who wrote our basic law -- the Constitution. Our basic law holds that there are certain "truths" that are "self-evident" and that we have "rights" that are "inalienable". These things all have meaning. Relativism -- the belief that all opinions are equally valid -- can only seek to destroy the Constitution, not uphold it, since relativism is in contradiction to the Constitution. A relativist cannot honor the Constitution because of its claims that some things are true and are "guaranteed". Relativism is the enemy of the Constitution and relativism is the root belief of most of those who support the "right to die" movement. They hold that nothing is sacred and nothing is true. Studies show that the elderly and disabled (I am disabled) struggle with depression frequently. Our understanding of science and culture should lead us to the conclusion that "supporting" a depressed person's wish to die is unConstitutional. We need far more discussion about the "right to die" because of the depth of the issues involved before we go around legalizing it.
- gocatholic
February 12, 2009 2:20PM
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Constitution not founded on protestantism...
The founding fathers of this nation were Deists, NOT Protestants. I am an atheist, proud to be one, because that makes me more intelligent than 90% of the American population. :-)
If I was disabled/depressed, you bet your life I would take my own life. Hey, I'm a gun-owner, so I don't even need a doctor's help to do it. Just a load and a pull of a trigger. Who are you to say someone must live when they don't want to? It's their life to do what they want with, and you have no right telling them they have to live in misery. It's their life, NOT yours.
Oh how religion has poisoned your mind.
- bagpiper2005
February 12, 2009 2:34PM
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Here is why, my friend
Bottom line? I have bipolar disorder. 20% of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide and it is a TRAGEDY. It is a result of an illness NOT A WILLFUL ACT. Many people go for years suffering with bipolar disorder undiagnosed. People with bipolar disorder experience "episodes". Think about that. And this is something that I suffer with. Thank God for giving me people in my life who, when I say I want to die, will encourage me, not "help me die".
- gocatholic
February 12, 2009 2:44PM
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re Dilling is Killing
If dying means going to heaven.....if that's what you believe.....is that so terrible? Suffering is not the answer and besides it's YOUR life,isn't it?
- march
February 1, 2010 12:23PM
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killing is killing
If YOU don't want to do it DON'T but don't tell others what to do. Love is not the answer for someone in that position who has expressed an Advanced Directive for Healthcare.
- march
February 1, 2010 12:16PM
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Let the Grim Reaper Reap
Someone who is on their deathbed has their life controled. They get hundreds of things that normal people get to choice for themselves taken away. Let them have one thing in their life they are able to control. Let them stop the pain, agony, and misery. Let them decide when the swift hand of death sweeps them off the earth
- Dying Utopia
January 12, 2009 11:55AM
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Um?
I'm sorry but you are sadly mistaken. First of all it is none of anyones business but however is making the decision. Secondly saying that life is a terminal disease is the wrong way to look at things and I feel horribly sorry for anyone who feels this way. What would compell anyone to keep someone alive when their death is imminent and the only thing life has in store for them is pain and agony? I would not kill myself personally, but who is to make that decision for someone else? You are wrong.
- zachgrgry
January 25, 2009 9:58PM
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You really havent answered the question...I SMELL FALLACY!!
No one likes being told what to do, therefore, no person should be denied the fundamental right to die if they are terminally ill. Walk a mile in someone elses shoes. Would you want to live or die? Do you measure life by the time you spend on earth? Or the quality of a life in general?
Human beings live life because its instinct, what else is there? When life gets to the point at which there is a limited amount of time left and there is no hope, then life, which is already limited, should not have to be prolonged.
This should be limited to people with terminal illnesses, there can be no hope of living past the illness. I do not believe in suicide and there should be a big line drawn if a law were passed to give people this right. Some argue that life is a terminal illness, that we are all constantly getting closer to death. This is just someone wanting to object to death because of their own death complex, it makes no sense. Even if it did make sense, that should give the people that believe it more reason say yes to the right to die. I do not believe in suicide, which is what I consider this to be. So I will live life until God removes my soul from this vessel, however, I do not believe in trying to make this decision for someone else.
Life is a fundamental right, we protect it to the best of our ability. If some person is dying and in enough pain to want to die then they have the fundamental right to.
- zachgrgry
February 5, 2009 10:05PM
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Being closed-minded is a terminal disease.....
The American Life League is right, ultimately - nobody has a choice in the matter of eventually dying. Now back to the topic at hand....
This brief rant contains painfully obvious statements, like that we are all going to die, and then concludes with the idea that no one has the right to die, based on fact. Is the 'right to die' being confused with the surreal 'right to live forever'? Of course everyone has the right to decide whether or not they would like to die prematurely. It is looked down upon, even if severe medical issues are present, but it is never-the-less an attainable option. And that is a fact.
- Juno March 1, 2009 6:05PM
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terminally ill
If someone is in terrible pain or terminally ill it should be their own opinion whether they should be permitted to die. It's their life.....or lack of it.....that should be their right especially if they have an advanced directive and durablepower of attorney for health care !
- march
February 1, 2010 12:08PM
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