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Do you have a non-religious objection to assisted dying?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Today, the House of Lords are debating Lord Joffe's private member's bill, Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill.
If passed, the bill will allow terminally ill adults in unbearable pain to receive medical help in dying.
While one can understand any religious objections, does anyone have any non-religious objections to physician-assisted suicide?
If passed, the bill will allow terminally ill adults in unbearable pain to receive medical help in dying.
While one can understand any religious objections, does anyone have any non-religious objections to physician-assisted suicide?
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Just a few really. I'm on the fence about it though, I think people should have that right but am too scared of forced euthanasia. What if someone says they want to die but dont really mean it? Mind you, this is quite personal here: my dad died of cancer last year, he had two major cancers. First one was skin cancer in his brain (melanoma?) and the second was a sarcoma (that was actually probably from radiation when he was aboard nuclear subs, according to the doc). Anyway, by some uncanny coincidence, but of them debilated him at the same time, as the melanoma gave him fits etc. and loss of awareness, and sarcoma was around his chest cavity and he couldnt breathe well.
In hospital, they could have operated on the sarcoma so he would have survived another few months, but he'd already suffered some brain damage. So they just let him be, and he died in two days. Me and my family (although obviously upset) were glad that he'd passed relatively quickly - his quality of life was never hugely interrupted. I think by not operating they did pass a death sentence really, but they knew he would never recover. So almost like euthanasia but not. I think theres a fine line between witholding 'life saving' surgery and actually giving a lethal injection (so long as the patients are similarly incapacitated).
Suppose it goes like this: would you rather be remembered as boisterous, happy, full of life, or hooked up to ventilators, drips and the like? Pro euthanasia people want to be remembered with dignity. That lady who died of motor neuron disease and wanted to die, died in the end when she got a chest infection and refused anti biotics. I think she would have prefered to gone quickly and peacefully with her family around her.
But anyway, just food for thought...
I can see the benefits and I can see why people would consider it. However, I also see the lack of hope, the lack of investment in cures in the future and the lack of investment in palliative care which would follow...
I quite agree. I further agree to the objection to 'assisted dying' that it will change the culture, increase the already not unusual feelings in some terminally ill people that they're a 'burden' – what’s to stop people who don’t want to die feeling they have some kind of obligation to die? Then there’s greedy relatives eager to get their hands on an inheritance, there’s the enormous and unwelcome extra responsibility given to doctors – and with it the potential for some appalling abuses. As many who’ve had experience of these issues say, there are many people who will one day be absolutely sure and convinced they want to die but then change their mind a day or so later – and I’ve not heard anybody complain about palliative care and its role. But if this bill goes through the availability of palliative care could be reduced.
The only objections i can think of are in the realms of, avoiding another Shipman coming along and assisting-deaths off the books, probably murdering.
Doctors assisting a patient with suicide as is the patients wish and desire, but to then be sued for mal-practice and or having other criminal charges be put to them by the surviving family of the patient who are looking for someone to blame out of grief.
I still think that it will come down to "death is cheap" though, when it comes to health provision.
I always thought it was illegal, think I thought this because of insurance not being paid out to families etc in cases of suicide, I learn something new every day here.
I'm sitting on the fence too, I think if I had to face this with either myself or a family member being terminally ill my opinion could change greatly. I have a moral objection to any person killing another in any circumstances at all, I also have a strong moral objection to suicide assisted or not. I don't think its a religious objection but somewhere along the line my upbringing might have something to do with it.
I have an objection in terms of practicality and feel it would be extremely difficult to control.
surprised it was never a crime in the US, though the law was only removed from Ireland in the 90s
Nice link. Also surprised it was never a crime in America. Since it was everywhere else almost
It makes sense that you can't punish the dead (although it seems in that link that they did try) but I always thought that it remained a crime and inheritance/payment etc was questioned.
Interesting about Jewish religion too.
so much for being concerned about quality of life
It is the ending your life thing that I object to actually, I'm not sure how much dignity you have being wheeled to Zurich with the hope of ending your own life, risking your own family's freedom on their return. But thats just me and I am by no means questioning the actions of those that have chosen that route. Like I said before its extremely difficult to comment on something of which I have no experience but one my best friends Mum died from a lengthy terminal illness and had dignity until the end, why does it have to be that dignity can only come through ending your own life?
:yes:
Who said death was ever dignified?
It's the loneliest experience you can ever have.
But that isn't what is discussed, euthanasia isn't about quality of life, it's about the right to be assisted in your suicide.
it's their life and death, let them do what they want