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Religion
Many of the arguments made against assisted dying come from a religious basis. The main source of this religious opposition comes from the Jewish-Christian religions. Out of these, the Roman Catholic Church is the strongest opponent. Islamic and Buddhist faiths also do not agree with euthanasia. The Sikh Darma and Hindu faiths have not taken an official position, and may leave it up to the individual. However, there are individuals within these religions, including ordinary believers and priests, who fully support voluntary euthanasia.In a 1993 opinion poll carried out for the VES by NOP, most religious people who were surveyed were in favour of medical aid in dying. Whilst 93% of people without religious belief supported this, 83% of Protestants, 73% of Roman Catholics and 60% of Jews were also in favour.
There are three basic arguments Jewish and Christian authorities make against helping a person to die.
1. 'Sanctity
of Life'
According
to religious teaching, life is a gift from God. Only God can decide when
a life begins and ends. Any deliberate killing of the innocent without
God's authority is wrong, and against the natural law. This extends to
situations where a person's life is ended at their request. Voluntary
euthanasia breaks this principle — people do not have the right to choose
for themselves.
2. Intentional
killing is forbidden
The
Sixth Commandment states that 'thou shalt not kill'. However, this has
never been an absolute prohibition. In certain circumstances the church
allows killing — in war, by capital punishment and in self-defence. Some
argue that 'thou shalt not kill' is not an accurate translation of the
original Hebrew, and that it really means 'thou shalt not murder'. However,
whatever the translation, church authorities traditionally believe that
voluntary euthanasia is against this Commandment.
3. The
value of human suffering
According
to Christian teaching, physical suffering is part of God's divine plan
for humankind. Suffering has a spiritual significance, and should be faced
head-on, in the knowledge that it leads to a growth in virtue and helps
in redemption. So, voluntary euthanasia, as a means of ending the suffering
of an incurably ill patient, is rejected. Many have attacked this belief
for being cruel and outdated.
None of the religious arguments against assisted dying are relevant to those who do not share those beliefs. And of course, despite these teachings, many of those who are religious do not oppose voluntary euthanasia either. In fact, many of those who support assisted dying do so because of their religious beliefs. To them, helping a person to die can be an expression of Christian compassion and the love and support that Christians offer to those in need.
Supportive quotes
"As
I understand it, the purpose of life is to love God and to enjoy Him forever.
I believe that voluntary euthanasia can be a means to that end."
The late
Rev. Lord Soper, a prominent Methodist minister
"I sincerely
believe that those who come after us will wonder why on earth we kept
a human being alive against his will, when all the dignity, beauty and
meaning of life had vanished; when any gain to anyone was clearly impossible,
and when we should have been punished by the state if we had kept alive
an animal in similar conditions."
The late
Rev. Dr Leslie Weatherhead, a Methodist
"...as
a Christian and a theologian I am convinced that the all-merciful God,
who has given men and women freedom and responsibility for their lives,
has also left to dying people the responsibility for making a conscientious
decision about the manner and time of their deaths."
Hans Kung,
Professor of Theology