Your views on Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?

[Pakistani E]

It's interesting that in most ancient cultures, suicide in the face of adversity, like defeats in battles, was considered an honourable exit strategy. Yet in others, assisted suicide was a form of capital punishment. So in this aspect, I guess humanity has been battling with this moral question since the very beginning.

While I believe that every individual has the inherent right to do so as he/she wills, as long as it doesn't conflict with the existence of another, I cannot begin to accept that those who have crossed a certain threshold in their lives where physical pain or other form malaise should end their lives.

My personal reasoning is two fold and influenced by two maybe contradictory ideologies. First of all, I reflect on the words of the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet (saw) wherein every life is declared sacred and cannot be taken unless a just cause if applied. Life in this instance is declared a heavenly test of nerves and will, wherein it is implied that it cannot be won without pleading for divine help. Having seen the most lows and ups of life, I must concur that this is true, at least in my personal capacity.

If someone accepts the will of someone higher and regulates their life to the wishes of this personage, they must accept what this divine has entailed for itself. It is far greater to show steadfastness and stay resolutely on course to battle with life until whatever fate has in store for you takes you.

The second aspect that imprints upon me is that from the Stoic philosophical point of view, who's ideals of life I found particularly close to that of the religion. Stoicism extols the individual to confront all manner of human emotion as barriers in reaching the perfect state of mind. Pain, lost, happiness and sorrow are all of the natural order of things and it is best to stick to logic and not be drawn too much to happiness or sorrow as it is your actions that will determine the outcome of an adversity.

That said however, I can never begin to even imagine the trials and tribulations that other face and if an individual has made that choice already through an action such as suicide, who am I as a worthless individual to commentate on their afterlife? I disagree with it wholeheartedly for the brief reasons described above, and will even criticize them for their actions, but I will not judge those who felt it necessary to take that step since I am not in their shoes and do no not the individual circumstances leading to the steps that they took.

 

[KapitaanAli]

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

I consider withdrawing life support passive euthanasia.
Are you agreeing with me? Just confirming.

I don't think he's talking about life support at all.

Anyway, I don't wanna nitpick.

 

[padamchen]

I consider withdrawing life support passive euthanasia.
Are you agreeing with me? Just confirming.

I don't think he's talking about life support at all.

Anyway, I don't wanna nitpick.

No. I'm not getting into the legal definitions here. Just debating.

Life support is an intervention. That has a cost attached to it. One that could preclude the patient from receiving the same in the first place.

It is not the natural order of things.

Hell, medicine is not the natural order of things. You pop a Crocin, its an intervention.

Were a patient dying. And could be kept alive by either a very expensive medicine or a yet unlicensed one still in trials.

Yet is not able to get that therapy. Either because he cannot afford it, or is not eligible for the study.

So the decision is made to not give him that treatment. And he dies.

Was that euthanasia?

Cheers, Doc

 

[lastofthepatriots]

What's the point of living at all If you already know the inevitable? Has human intelligence reached a certain level where logic dictates that the next step of evolution for humanity is to die out?



Ramblings from a stupid guy.

 

[I.R.A]

Has human intelligence reached a certain level where logic dictates that the next step of evolution for humanity is to die out?

Few have said and written this same thing. According to them your body is just a vessel, you don't die but get transferred / migrated to a higher level ........ haven't read this in full ....... but have seen this book and someday would give it a read.

 

[Mage]

At a human level I agree with you. Though it goes against every fiber of my profession.

Cheers, Doc

Let' say, you know some who is suffering badly and has no chance to improve. If that person wants to die and asks for your assistance, then what would you do? Considering it is legal.

Human body is not easy to achieve for any soul.

Soul's existence can't be proven. It's your physical brain which exists. And creates your mind through continuous leaning similar to machine learning.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Few have said and written this same thing. According to them your body is just a vessel, you don't die but get transferred / migrated to a higher level ........ haven't read this in full ....... but have seen this book and someday would give it a read.

You and I both know what that book is.


Tbh, it'd be quite a shame to live your life for X many years and ultimately cease to exist. Something is created from something and nothing is created from nothing. So the next question to answer is, can something be created from nothing? And Nothing be created from something?

I feel like the answer it obvious, but again there are some people that can never wrap their head around such an oversimplified template to existence.

-Again from a dumb guy

 

[Mage]

Its the law of nature. The taboo on suicide in man made.

Harakiri was considered honorable for the Japs.

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.

That's true. Even if you want to die, your cells continue to re produce.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Yet is not able to get that therapy. Either because he cannot afford it, or is not eligible for the study.

So the decision is made to not give him that treatment. And he dies.

Was that euthanasia?

If it's an established drug (EDIT: and he can't afford it), it's not euthanasia.
If it's a drug under trial and he's ineligible (and no other drug is available), it's euthanasia, passive.

Humankind has advanced enough not to call drugs interventionist.
Life support is still interventionist because it's a simulation.

As for drugs that can emulate a life support system from inside the body for say, a few days per tablet... lol, idk.

 

[padamchen]

Humankind has advanced enough not to call drugs interventionist.

Then in all likelihood, medicine needs to catch up with humankind.

If ever ...

Cheers, Doc

 

[Vergennes]

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

I am for and against it.

I am for in the sense that,everyone should have the right to die in dignity and the way he wants to end the pain when the diseases or disabilities are incurable. There's no point in my opinion in keeping someone alive against his wish.

On the other hand,I am against because there could be abuses in cases such as where the sick person isn't able to clearly express his wishes,if indeed it's his personal choice and not the one of the family.

 

[Mage]

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 .

WOW....Ma'am thanks for your kind reply. I'm not planning any such thing. At least not for now.Despite having mild monophobia, I'm currently living a good, healthy life. Although I'm gradually losing my faith in God. I haven't lost all of it...but sadly I'm at a point where someone could call be an unbeliever still I fell religious from time to time.

I'm quite a nihilist from philosophical POV. So, I'm not looking for light. Rather I'm willing to live in darkness.

 

[313ghazi]

It's haram bro - hence no.

For a non-Muslim though - i can see the appeal for someone in chronic pain, with nobody to live for, so i wouldn't stand in their way, but i wouldn't encourage it either. Life is too precious to leave early.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Then in all likelihood, medicine needs to catch up with humankind.

If ever ...

Cheers, Doc

I feel like I was generalizing too much though.
I was thinking of the "he can't afford it" part and ended up saying drugs aren't interventionist.
I was thinking, what if a poor man is turned away from treatment in a dystopian future (or rural India) saying "oh, you want an intervention huh, who do you think you're".

Drugs are indeed interventionist.
But again, that'll also be a generalisation. Let's not classify too much, how bou da.

 

[Mage]

I am for and against it.

I am for in the sense that,everyone should have the right to die in dignity and the way he wants to end the pain when the diseases or disabilities are incurable. There's no point in my opinion in keeping someone alive against his wish.

On the other hand,I am against because there could be abuses in cases such as where the sick person isn't able to clearly express his wishes,if indeed it's his personal choice and not the one of the family.

What about right to commit suicide? What does France's law says?