Arguments Against Euthanasia

ARGUMENTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA

          A Paper
          Presented to
          Sister Volk
          Regis Jesuit High School

          In Partial Fulfillment
          of the Requirements for the Course
          Honors Brit & Brit Lit

          By:
          Rachel Cetuk
          November 6, 2007
      “We had better be “sore afraid” of taking into our hands that which only belongs to God.”   - Samuel 31:4 (The Bible)
      It is God’s task to determine when one of his creations time has come, and we as mere human beings are in no position to behave as God and to end someone’s life.   When humans take it upon themselves to shorten their lives or to have another do it for them by withdrawing life-sustaining apparatus, they play God and commit the mortal sin of euthanasia.   Euthanasia is unacceptable by all means because it is a form of murder, it’s reasons may be based off a person’s desire to end their life due to depression, and it is a rejection of the value of God’s gift of the human life.
      The taboo which once surrounded euthanasia, which prohibited its widespread practice, no longer exists in society today.   The generation of today is embracing something that their forefathers loathed and would quite rightly stand against.   Murder.

      Murder, is the cold-blooded termination of another’s life. Murder is still considered to be one of the most abhorrent offences in the world. In some societies, the death penalty is the only sanction deemed fit for the occurrence of such an unforgivable crime. Conversely, in others, life is considered to be an inalienable right of every human being. Life cannot be taken away by the state, other individuals and in a time not so long ago, yourself.
Suicide, here in the United Kingdom, was treated as a crime. There were strong beliefs within society, derived from religion, that intentionally taking your own life was morally wrong. This view was reflected by the law. However, this “crime” was...