Title: The Ethical Dilemmas of Euthanasia - CASE
Headings: The Ethical Dilemmas of Euthanasia
The Ethical Dilemmas of Euthanasia
Definitions
Responding to suffering
Medicine and protection of life
Dying as part of life
Legalising euthanasia
Autonomy
Christian ethical response
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Content: Last year a bill was tabled in the Federal Senate trying to reactivate it. Recently bills have been debated in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Legislation for euthanasia has been twice considered and rejected by the NSW parliament. It just keeps coming back. Why are we having this debate in Western countries at a time when we have more medical cures than ever before in human history? What is going on? In this paper I will first discuss the definitions of the terms of the debate. I will then consider arguments for and against euthanasia, before giving a Christian perspective. Definitions
In the euthanasia debate, inadequate definitions have been a real barrier in attempts to find clear community consensus. It is no secret that many euthanasia advocates have muddied the waters by bracketing euthanasia with other accepted end-of-life practices in order to increase public support.