Christianity & Euthanasia (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Implications of Christian Teachings for the Issue of Euthanasia

What is Euthanasia?

• Euthanasia is a term used to describe the act of ending a person’s life, or allowing them to die

  • It can also be referred to as assisted dying

• The word euthanasia comes from the Greek word euthanatos that means ‘good’ or ‘easy’ death

• A person who undergoes euthanasia is usually extremely ill with an incurable condition

• In many cases, euthanasia is carried out at the person’s request

  • This is called voluntary euthanasia and there are many circumstances which can be classed as voluntary euthanasia such as:  

    • Someone asking for help to end their life  

    • Declining potential life-saving treatment, including resuscitation

    • Refusing to eat or drink  

    • Requesting medical treatment be stopped or a life support machine turned off 

  • Sometimes a person may be too ill to communicate their wishes and so the decision is made by the next of kin/ or other relatives or medical professionals

    •  This is called non-voluntary euthanasia

• Euthanasia is a complex moral issue and people have very different views on it

• Many people will make a moral distinction between active and passive euthanasia and say that there is a big difference between killing a patient and withholding treatment

  • Some people like doctors and nurses may prefer the idea of passive euthanasia to active

  • This is because they can fulfil the wishes of a very ill patient without deliberately killing them

  • Others might argue that letting someone die as opposed to killing them might make people feel better but it is still wrong

  • This is because they believe that human beings, particularly medical professionals, have a responsibility to preserve and save life

  • Some people suggest that active euthanasia is more humane than passive, as passive can result in a much slower and more painful death

Euthanasia and the Law

• Euthanasia is illegal in the UK but is a controversial issue with many people believing it should be legalised

• Due to its illegality, those who help people to die could be charged with manslaughter or even murder

• Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, and people from all over the world can travel there to be helped to die by a group called Dignitas

• Euthanasia is also legal in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg but only to citizens, not to tourists

Christian Teachings and Euthanasia

• The Bible does not specifically mention euthanasia; however, it does underpin the Christian belief about the sanctity of life, which is a relevant issue

• Most Christians are opposed to euthanasia or assisted dying for many reasons;

  • Christianity teaches that human life is sacred and precious

  • The value of human life is reinforced by one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible which states ‘Thou shalt not kill’

  • They also believe that God has a plan for everyone and that good and bad and birth and death are part of that plan

  • Only God who created life had the authority to end life no matter how bad the circumstances may be

  • Some Christians believe this idea is illustrated in the Book of Job 

Christianity & The Nature of Euthanasia

• Religious views influence attitudes towards euthanasia, and there are many differences of opinion between and within religions including Christianity

• There is no single Christian teaching on euthanasia, and different Christian denominations take different views

  • Most Christians believe that life is sacred and given by God, and therefore only God can decide when life ends

  • Many Christians trust God to end life when the proper time comes and would therefore not accept any intervention that would end a life before God decides

  • Human life is a gift from God. It is sacred and has dignity

  • Many people see the last part of a person’s life on Earth as a spiritual time of preparation for death and the next life

    • Euthanasia is wrong as it prematurely ends this special time

    • God gave life, and only He should take it

• Christians would look to the teachings of the Bible for guidance when considering the ethics of euthanasia

  • The Bible says that 'God made man in his own image' (Genesis 1:27). This emphasises the special and precious nature of mankind

  • Jesus healed the sick and the dying, so humans must care for the terminally ill rather than prematurely ending life

  • Many Christians view euthanasia as murder, and the sixth commandment states, ‘You shall not commit murder’ (Exodus 20:13)

  • Luke 12:6-7 teaches that each individual matters to God, even in little details, 

• Jesus taught humans to 'love thy neighbour' (Mark 12:31). This means that Christians should try to understand the situation and actions of others

The Roman Catholic view

• Euthanasia is morally unacceptable within Catholic Christianity as it involves the taking of human life

• Roman Catholics would hold this view because of their views for multiple reasons;

  • The beliefs relating to the sanctity of life

  • They would refer to the command from God in their scriptures that says 'you must not kill'

  • Euthanasia would be against God's orders, and would be an attack on the sovereignty of God

  • Human lives are special because God created them and therefore should be protected and preserved

  • Ending life prematurely would be going against God's plans for that person

  • Humans are made in God's image and therefore have special value in God's eyes

The views of other Christians

• Some Christians would focus on ending the suffering of the person who is dying

• There are many other reasons why some Christians would believe that euthanasia is acceptable

  • Some Christians would highlight the importance of 'free will' in the decision-making process

  • They might argue that euthanasia is an act of compassion, provided that the person requests it and fully understands the consequences of their request

  • They would also focus on the teachings of Jesus around love and forgiveness

  • Those Christians who support euthanasia only do so if it is voluntary and passive, and never if it is involuntary or active

Christian Teachings & Divergent Responses to Euthanasia

Divergent Responses to Euthanasia

• Many humanists and atheists would support voluntary euthanasia 

  • They do not believe that life was created by God and therefore decisions can and should be made by humans

  • Under some circumstances it maybe the morally right thing to do

  • They may believe that human beings have a fundamental right to die with dignity and in a way that they have chosen

  • They may argue that if we would not see an animal suffer then why would we do nothing when a human is suffering

Christian Responses to Divergent Attitudes to Euthanasia

• Most Christians would disagree with humanist and atheist views as they believe in the sanctity of life and that life is a gift from God

  • Free will does not give humans the right to take life away, not even their own

  • They also believe in stewardship which means they have a responsibility to protect the weak in society

  • Many Christians believe that by legalising euthanasia this could lead many people to feel pressured to end their lives so they are not a burden to their families

  • It could also lead to voluntary euthanasia being seen as acceptable

Ethical Theories & Christian Responses

Situation Ethics and Euthanasia

• Situation Ethics is an ethical system which judges right or wrong depending upon the situation

  • There are no universal moral rules or rights - each case is unique and deserves a unique solution

  • The general rule of this approach is that the correct action should be the most loving action

  • Using this principle, decisions around euthanasia would depend on the situation every time

    • For example, if a person was suffering from a terminal illness and was in a lot of pain, the most loving thing might be to end that person’s pain by ending their life

    • Alternatively, for someone else the most loving thing might be to care for that person for the time they have left

Christian Responses to Situation Ethics and Euthanasia

• Christians would also believe that the ‘most loving’ thing to do is usually the right choice

• However, some Christians would argue that ending someone’s life is not the correct response because biblical teachings state that ending life is wrong

• Instead, they may look to ways in which love can be shown whilst keeping the person alive. For example, hospice care

  • The purpose of a hospice is to improve the quality of life for people who have an incurable illness and it is often provided by charities

  • It is a particular style of care which aims to meet all of the medical, social, practical and psychological needs of the person’s family and the spiritual needs of the person who is ill

  • Hospice care can begin when the person is first diagnosed and ends when they die

  • It can take place at home or in another setting such as care home or purpose built hospice

• Hospice care also includes palliative care, which is medical care that provides people who are terminally ill with relief from their symptoms, pain and medical stress