Your views on Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?

[lastofthepatriots]

If pain exists for humans then the ability to endure that pain also exists in human ........... find that ability.

I have to salute you for your thoughts. I agree with them.

Ultimately it summarizes the concept of what is pain without pleasure.

 

[livingdead]

If you are capable of decision making(sane), its upto you to live or commit suicide... I am not going to judge you as coward, you are the best person to decide. Different people have different threshold of pain(physical or emotional).
If anything in this world belong to you, its your body, and you are free to do whatever you want with it.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Personally, I believe only my parents have a right over my body.

No person whose parent or parents are still alive has the right to take his or her own life. Or should.

Once his or her parents are gone, he or she is on his/her own.

I'm just trying to articulate my personal views here. I've already started by saying that as a doctor, I am duty bound to be against the concept.

Also in the eyes of law, and the medical fraternity, in fact society as well, there is a difference between assisted suicide and just ceasing to keep trying to live.

A very critical difference ....

Cheers, Doc

Some of the greatest battles in history have been fought by those that knew of their impending doom. It brought the best out in them.

 

[KapitaanAli]

If pain exists for humans then the ability to endure that pain also exists in human ........... find that ability.

As someone who endures a lot of pain, I really don't expect everyone to go through it, and even worse, and that too 24x7.

There are extreme pain conditions that can make you a living dead body that's slowly dying.

Your cause is noble. Afraid we've to disagree on what's right.

 

[padamchen]

Some of the greatest battles in history have been fought by those that knew of their impending doom. It brought the best out in them.

Its different when you are able bodied.

I would even go as far as making the differentiation between physical and mental pain and suffering.

Medicine now recognizes that both can be as bad. "Its all in the mind" does not cut it anymore.

Every doctor goes through his career having seen people suffering and dying.

Most doctors at some point in their lives would also have been asked by someone really suffering to help him or her end things.

My best friend from college is right now fighting brain cancer ....

This is not an academic debate at all for most people. Let alone doctors.

Cheers, Doc

 

[I.R.A]

Personally, I believe only my parents have a right over my body.

No person whose parent or parents are still alive has the right to take his or her own life. Or should.

Once his or her parents are gone, he or she is on his/her own.

I'm just trying to articulate my personal views here. I've already started by saying that as a doctor, I am duty bound to be against the concept.

Also in the eyes of law, and the medical fraternity, in fact society as well, there is a difference between assisted suicide and just ceasing to keep trying to live.

A very critical difference ....

Cheers, Doc

I am not judging anyone, like you I am also expressing my views. Any kind of pain is part of my life, I am not the best creation if I don't cope with it. What could be more painful for a father than to lift his own young son's coffin? Because that son tried an easy escape, couldn't face the emotional pain and harsh reality .....

People before us may also have suffered from terminal illness with lots of pain ....... were they stronger than us?

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Its different when you are able bodied.

I would even go as far as making the differentiation between physical and mental pain and suffering.

Medicine now recognizes that both can be as bad. "Its all in the mind" does not cut it anymore.

Every doctor goes through his career having seen people suffering and dying.

Most doctors at some point in their lives would also have been asked by someone really suffering to help him or her end things.

My best friend from college is right now fighting brain cancer ....

This is not an academic debate at all for most people. Let alone doctors.

Cheers, Doc

I suppose for Muslims it comes down to theology. I firmly believe that hope is a part of human nature, although we might be talking about two different things entirely here.

 

[niaz]

@Vergennes @Joe Shearer @padamchen @niaz @Kaptaan @Imran Khan @Well.wisher @jhungary

There are two aspects to this question.

Being a Muslim, I believe committing suicide is ‘Sin’ because it is clearly forbidden by verses in the Quran. Nevertheless, despite the fact that every Muslim accepts that after Allah declared Islam complete, no alteration is possible; jihadists, who are ostensibly fighting for Islam, go against this Quranic edict in the name of Allah with few Islamic scholars daring to declare suicide bombing as ‘Kufr’.

Second being the moral & medical aspect which is primarily concerned with “Euthanasia” or mercy killing.

Here the point under discussion is not the decision by the person’s relatives or the medics to remove life support systems of a very sick person, but should a person who is suffering from an incurable condition and constantly in terrible pain; be allowed to voluntarily request termination of his life?

The debate about Euthanasia has been going on for a long time. The moral dilemma here being, is there a moral difference between killing someone and letting them die?

There are different ideas that people have about the meaning and value of human existence. In my personal opinion; suicide by an otherwise normally healthy person is a Sin or a crime irrespective of the person’s age. However, if I were suffering from a terminal disease such as cancer, bedridden and in unbearable pain; I am only “Existing” and not ‘Living’. In such a situation, I would like the freedom of voluntary Euthanasia.

In the UK, Euthanasia is against the law; voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide can lead to imprisonment of up to 14 years.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

I am not judging anyone, like you I am also expressing my views. Any kind of pain is part of my life, I am not the best creation if I don't cope with it. What could be more painful for a father than to lift his own young son's coffin? Because that son tried an easy escape, couldn't face the emotional pain and harsh reality .....

People before us may also have suffered from terminal illness with lots of pain ....... were they stronger than us?

Organisms are designed to flourish and spread their seed. Survival is of utmost importance. Even aging animals struggle to live. Idk, I might be rambling here.

 

[I.R.A]

As someone who endures a lot of pain, I really don't expect everyone to go through it, and even worse, and that too 24x7.

There are extreme pain conditions that can make you a living dead body that's slowly dying.

Your cause is noble. Afraid we've to disagree on what's right.

I too don't wish anyone to suffer any pain ........... but its life, its bound to happen. We are two different views and I respect your view based on your experience.

 

[war&peace]

Personally, I believe only my parents have a right over my body.

No person whose parent or parents are still alive has the right to take his or her own life. Or should.

Once his or her parents are gone, he or she is on his/her own.

I'm just trying to articulate my personal views here. I've already started by saying that as a doctor, I am duty bound to be against the concept.

Also in the eyes of law, and the medical fraternity, in fact society as well, there is a difference between assisted suicide and just ceasing to keep trying to live.

A very critical difference ....

Cheers, Doc

Even you parents did not make a selection..If they could I'm sure they would have gone for a better option

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Like the title suggest, what are your views on Euthanasia and/or Assisted Suicide?

I agree. The thing to note is in most circumstances where euthanasia might be applicable are created by intervention of modern medicine. This is rarely a dilemna our ancestors faced. Mostly and I use the word mostly when our ancestors got ill they died within a short timeframe.

However modern medicine artifically extends life where in the past the patient would have died. It is this extension of life brought on by modern medicine that often creates the grounds where euthanasia might be applicable.

Therefore in my opinion a situation brought about by our intervention that gives choice of extension should also offer the choice of voluntary abortion. So I am for euthanasia subject to strict controls that prevent abuse.

 

[padamchen]

I suppose for Muslims it comes down to theology. I firmly believe that hope is a part of human nature, although we might be talking about two different things entirely here.

No I think we are talking about the same thing. And yes, the religious aspect is always there.

There comes a point in many disease states when doctors know that the case is lost, and simply go through what they know and have learned or learn as they go along, to try and help the person.

It is at this point most doctors (even the atheists) look upward ....

That's hope.

What we are talking about is the person enduring our hope.

Cheers, Doc

I agree. The thing to note is in most circumstances where euthanasia might be applicable are created by intervention of modern medicine. This is rarely a dilemna our ancestors faced. Mostly and I use the word mostly when our ancestors got ill they died within a short timeframe.

However modern medicine artifically extends life where in the past the patient would have died. It is this extension of life brought on by modern medicine that often creates the grounds where euthanasia might be applicable.

Therefore in my opinion a situation brought about by our intervention that gives choice of extension should also offer the choice of voluntary abortion. So I am for euthanasia subject to strict controls that prevent abuse.

Passive euthanasia.

Well put. I alluded to it in my previous post.

Cheers, Doc

 

[KapitaanAli]

No I think we are talking about the same thing. And yes, the religious aspect is always there.

There comes a point in many disease states when doctors know that the case is lost, and simply go through what they know and have learned or learn as they go along, to try and help the person.

It is at this point most doctors (even the atheists) look upward ....

That's hope.

What we are talking about is the person enduring our hope.

Cheers, Doc



Passive euthanasia.

Well put. I alluded to it in my previous post.

Cheers, Doc

I don't think he's talking about passive euthanasia.
Just modern medicine sometimes partially curing us only to put us in a worse pit as we get older.
Or sometimes even fully curing us only to put us in a different pit later.

Basically just about us living longer.

 

[Well.wisher]

It depends from whom and where are you asking this . Some might call it acceptable for them but it is illegal .
If you ask my moral point of view , assisted suicide isn't beneficial . There's always hope , how many people would find someone who will help them and prove to be a light in their dark life , no one knows future .. who knows after some time there pain will end up .

I had some mental illnesses , I've lived with self destructive depression and unseen . There were times when I was at my worse and I put a knife on my veins or stopped eating n such things in hope of ending myself but still there was some part of me that had ' hope ', I couldn't continue so I would run to my creator , Allah, fell in sajdaah begging for his help ... In that tougher time Allah was the one who helped me . I got help from him and my situation improved day by day , I'm still hoping to get perfectly better . So never lose hope and trust in 'Allah '. If you @Mage by chance planing for assisted suicide ...
consider these things in your mind ;
Darkness doesn't remain forever , after darkness there comes a light .

After every difficulty there is ease .
God doesn't lay burden on you more than your capacity .
All that befalls on you is from God because he has a plan for you , trust his plan , believe in him .. everything will be alright. He want to teach you some very important reality , learn !

God is merciful , trust his mercy .
If you've lost someone very dear to you , he'll give you patience to endure it and will reward you in after world for your bravery .

Suicide should never be encouraged , no matter what form it's presented as .
Did you give yourself life ? Did You Create Yourself ? No . So you don't even have the right to kill yourself . If you had given yourself life then you've the right to take your life too .

 

[padamchen]

I don't think he's talking about passive euthanasia.
Just modern medicine sometimes partially curing us only to put us in a worse pit as we get older.
Or sometimes even fully curing us only to put us in a different pit later.

Basically just about us living longer.

When you take someone off life support, is it active or passive?

There is an action = active

But the action is to stop doing something that in the first place if not done would have caused the person to cease living a long time ago.

Cheers, Doc