Euthanasia is intentionally ending a persons life to avoid or eliminate pain and suffering. There are two very different types of euthanasia:

ACTIVE: When treatment that is needed to sustain life of a patient is withheld or withdrawn

PASSIVE: Lethal dose of medicine is intentionally given to end a persons life.

Euthanasia has many different forms and there are many different cases involved with it.

“Each omission (euthanasia issue) is different and needs to be subjected to ethical analysis and examination.” --Michael Manning

IS EUTHANASIA JUSTIFIED BECAUSE…- It is economically beneficial- It helps maintain the patients dignity and sanity- It eliminates pain and suffering

OR IS IT NOT JUSTIFIED BECAUSE…-It can wreck family and friend relationships by putting the pressure of the decision upon them?

-It throws away the life and body given to us to take care of and use?

- Euthanasia allows old and ill patients to end and leave their life with their sanity and dignity.

- Many old patients are worried about their illness and the person they may become because of the sickness.

- Euthanasia allows the patient to die quickly

- Euthanasia ends the patients life and allows them to leave while their loved ones still have good memories of them instead of slowly watching them go crazy.

Euthanasia is economically beneficial because it lowers and eliminates a lot of money used for medication and treatment for the patient. The last few days that a patient lives on treatment is the most expensive, costly and painful. With euthanasia all of this is eliminated and they can quickly be rid of their pain and illness.

- There are many different churches and religions that have different viewpoints and opinions on euthanasia.

- The Roman Catholic, Islamic, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu churches are all very strongly and principally opposed to euthanasia. These churches generally believe that everyone was given a sacred and important body from our creator and that it is our job to take care of them.

In many euthanasia cases, the patient is not well enough to choose or have the choice of being euthanized, this choice is often given to close family or doctors. This decision is a very difficult and personal one and often families or doctors are strained by the pressure of the patient and issues arise because of it. Often families or doctors will feel remorse, guilt and confusion of what is right or wrong. Is it right to ask family or doctors to make this decision? Is it justified?

- I think that the justification of euthanasia is entirely dependent on the type of euthanasia and the situation.

- I strongly believe that natural and passive euthanasia is justified because it is naturally ending the life of a patient in great pain and economically beneficial to our society.

- I do not believe in Active euthanasia because I do not think that someone should be able to purposefully and unnaturally end someone’s life.

- There are many old patients who beg for euthanasia to save their dignity and sanity and I would agree to the extent of using passive euthanasia but I do not think that this is a good enough reason to use active euthanasia.

- My religious beliefs are a strong basis of my opinions, I believe that we are all given life for a reason and that is immeasurably valuable; I do not think it is right to give it away or have someone take it away unnaturally through active euthanasia.

I feel that euthanasia is a very serious and important issue with much moral and ethical debate that is important to our society.