Euthanasia on Philosophical and Religious Perspective

Euthanasia
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Euthanasia Euthanasia, also is known as mercy killing, is one of the most contested issues in the medical profession. Strinic (2016, p. 2) defines it as “a deliberate act undertaken by one person with the intention of either painlessly putting to death or failing to prevent death from natural causes in cases of terminal illness or irreversible coma of another person.” Both sides of the divide have compelling arguments implying that a consensus is a less likely possibility. Fierce opponents to this act reign in their religious doctrines where they claim that it is up to the Supreme Being, be it God or Allah, to give and take life. Also, they confer to relatives’ malicious intent who are keen on advancing their socioeconomic status. On the other hand, supporters assert that patients are relieved of the immense suffering plaguing them in its success. Euthanasia receives support and opposition in equal measure, but then the patient’s autonomy should be perceived as the ultimate decision.

The religious perspective is a fundamental perspective when it comes to euthanasia. Judaism and Christianity, for instance, are two of the popular regions worldwide. Both disqualify euthanasia, highlighting the sanctity of life, and thus, nobody holds the right to destroying or taking it deliberately. These and many other religious traditions hold vehement opposition to all forms of the act. In this case, only their Supreme Being bears the sole jurisdiction to creating and destroying life. Christians quote the Holy Bible, which stipulates that “Thou shall not kill” (Koenane, 2017). This scripture is one of the Ten Commandments that guide the lives of many purists meaning that they would less open to disobeying it.

Besides the religious aspect, the opposition will claim that relatives’ malicious intent implies that euthanasia would be conducted with ulterior motives at times. Capitalism has been the underlying economi...