Euthanasia Flashcards
Define suicide
Deliberately ending one’s life
Define euthanasia
When someone is helped to die without pain before they would have died naturally.
What does the term euthanasia come from?
The Greek words ‘eu’ meaning good and ‘Thanatos’ meaning death so euthanasia means good death
Do Christians believe we have the right to choose when we die?
Most Christians believe that god gives life and only god can decide when a life should be ended. Choosing to die, either by euthanasia or suicide, is a sin. However, some believe that as humans have free will they have a choice between life and death.
What is euthanise also known as?
Mercy killing, meaning good or gently death and is used to describe situations where death is deliberately chosen either by the person or by people close to them if they are unable to make the choice themselves.
Where can you carry out euthanasia?
It is against the law in the uk but legal elsewhere, for example in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
What types of euthanasia are there?
Voluntary, known as assisted suicide. Involuntary, which is when other people decide someones life should end. Passive euthanasia, involving the withdrawal of treatment (which is not illegal in the uk) and if a patient requests for this then treatment must be stopped.
What is active euthanasia and how do Christians feel about it?
When deliberate action is taken to end life, using a lethal injection or administering a fatal dose of a drug. Many Christians would not differentiate between these ways of ending life arguing that, however good the motive, it is still killing.
What quote supports Christian views on euthanasia?
“The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away, may the name of The Lord be praised.”
What is the case of Dan James?
In December 2008, 23-year-old Dan James, who had broken his neck in a rugby accident in March 2007, ended his life, supported by his family, and helped by Dignitas, a Swiss clinic specialising in assisted suicide.
What is suicide?
Suicide is when someone ends their own life. It is sometimes called ‘self-murder’ and was once treated as a crime. A person who attempted to commit suicide but failed could have received the death penalty.
What do Roman Catholics believe about suicide?
They believe it is a sin which would exclude someone from heaven. For a long time people who committed suicide were not allowed to be buried in the consecrated ground of churchyards.
What do Christians today believe about suicide?
Today, although most Christians think it is worldly wrong, their view has moved from being judgemental to being compassionate. People have a better understanding of the reasons why someone may want to take their own life, because they are very depressed for example.
What is the Samaritans?
The Samaritans is an organisation set up in 1953 by a Christian vicar to provide 24-hour telephone counselling for people who feel suicidal and need someone to talk to.
What is an adequate alternative to euthanasia?
The hospice movement.
