Lesson Objective: Euthanasia – Should people be given the right to choose when to die?

Lesson Outcomes:

• know what the sanctity of life means • understand the different types of euthanasia and why some people may consider it • recall the laws surrounding euthanasia in the UK .

Is human life

always

precious?

Euthanasia

Translates literally as a ‘good death’ – what do you think this means?

Why might someone want to die?

Euthanasia is a way of bringing about a peaceful death of a terminally ill person

. It is not legal in the UK

but it is in Holland (see the Dutch nurse's caption in the cartoon).

•

There are four types of euthanasia. We will look at each throughout the

a-Active

course

• Euthanasia raises agonising moral questions like these: • b-Passive •

is it ever right for another person to end the life of a terminally ill patient who is in severe pain or enduring other suffering?

• c-Voluntary •

if euthanasia is sometimes right, under what circumstances is it right?

• d-Involuntary •

is there any moral difference between killing someone and letting them die?

How?

• Euthanasia can be carried out either by doing something, such as giving a lethal injection. • Or by not doing something necessary to keep the person alive (for example failing to keep their feeding tube going).

Active Passive

• Active euthanasia is when a doctor ends a patient’s life by administering a legal injection or any other way.

• passive euthanasia is not doing anything to stop the death of a person. It is when a doctor withholds any means in order to prolong the life of a patient.

• voluntary euthanasia is a patient’s desire to end his life and it is clearly his decision to die

.

Voluntary euthanasia

-Chantal Sebire was denied her request for euthanasia by a French court

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUhBsvEsroQ • How did this clip make you feel? • Can you understand why Chantal Sebire made the decisions she did?

• There are two main reasons behind euthanasia. • 1. People feel that they should have a ‘quick end’ to relieve the suffering of their loved ones. • 2. People who are terminally ill and who have no more hope of a decent life choose to die on their own terms.

Moral Dilemma

• Many people (philosophers in particular) believe that active euthanasia is morally more acceptable than passive euthanasia. • Why do you think they think this? Do you agree with them? With your table buddy discuss for two minutes why this may be the case.

Euthanasia

Dianne Pretty suffered from motor neurone disease which can lead to a slow and painful death.

She wanted her husband to help her commit suicide and took her case to court as it was against British law. She had lost most of her human dignity and felt that she no longer had a quality of life.

Dianne lost her case, but died eventually of natural causes in 2002.

Should we have the right to die? Why?

Sky Documentary – Right to die! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWy6pKVendQ

• • • Sky recently showed a documentary of Craig Ewert undergoing assisted suicide. The programme caused outrage. Here are his thoughts....

Clarification of the Law

• • • Debbie Purdy, a woman suffering of MS has long been trying to get clarification of the law on the issue of assisted suicide abroad and the possible prosecution of the person who helps you get there. She recently was successful and there is now a law in place to protect family/friends who help someone end their life with assistance in a country where is is legal. It is still ILLEGAL in the UK

RELIGIOUS VIEWS All monotheistic religions are 100% against euthanasia. Judaism, Christianity and Islam view both euthanasia and suicide as crimes just like any other murders.

•

The Sanctity of Life.

• According to Christianity + Islam, “God is the owner and giver of life and death.” WE can preserve life because life is precious, but we can’t end a human life because that is murder. • (note – abortion is classed as different because the foetus is a potential human – it is not yet independently alive).

• For Jews, Christians and Muslims suicide and euthanasia are two unspeakable sins. • Euthanasia is an unthinkable sin because it clearly shows man’s defiance towards his creator, and man is not allowed to play ‘god’.

Christian views on Euthanasia?

• Are all Christians against euthanasia?

Christian Attitudes

•

Most Christians believe that

Euthanasia is wrong, but do not regard switching off life support machines when someone is technically ‘brain dead’ as wrong.

• • • • • •

They believe this because:

Sanctity of life Euthanasia as murder (thou shall not kill) Switching off machine of brain-dead not murder (God has already taken) Doctrine of double effect Genesis – God gives life We have a soul and are made in the image of God What if someone was terminally ill but in great pain and you knew that the pain killers would shorten their life so that they would eventually die? How might a Christian respond to this outcome?

An alternative – The Hospice Movement

Why might some Christians prefer this method of caring for the individual?

• • • • • Palliative care is an alternative to Euthanasia.

They are cared for by a wide range of medical staff and volunteers.

Pain relieved through drugs.

Talk through fears about dying.

Care offered on a personal level.

Often patients feel calmer and more positive after spending time in the hospice.

Why might some people prefer to have an assisted suicide over palliative care in a hospice?

Watch the following clip to help you with your answer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/a-story-of-assisted suicide/459.html

Does Euthanasia give doctors too much power?

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4n07 • Read this article and watch the trailer – What do you think about the issues raised?

Task – Make a Judgement...

Should we legalise Euthanasia in the UK? • • • • • Imagine you are the High court judge and it has been left to you to give clarification on the issue of Euthanasia in the UK. Weigh up the arguments for and against. Come to a conclusion – will you allow people to have assisted deaths in the UK? Write the different arguments on the scales Write your conclusion on your judges hammer!