Mercy or Murder
Medically assisted suicide is “the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, affected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose.’ Although this is different from euthanization, when the drug is administered by someone in the medical field, it does not change the moral issue, professional issue and the potential of abuse.
Many people in today's society would say that an assisted suicide by any medical personnel would go against the sanctity of life. Religious and traditional people would say that taking one's life is wrong. Since assisted suicide is initially killing someone this goes against these beliefs. The medical team then faces their own guilt with supporting or participating in this act, they are faced with the harsh reality that they have assisted in helping someone commit a sin, a sin that cannot be asked to forgive later on.
Others would argue that a patient with a terminal illness that refuses treatment, causing them to die, would also go against this religious and traditional belief. The difference in this is that if the patient refuses treatment the medical personnel can only encourage them to rethink their choice, the control is out of the doctors' hands at that point. In an assisted suicide the personnel have a
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“I will maintain the utmost respect for human life”, These words are something doctors say when taking an oath to become a member of the medical profession. The American Medical Association (AMA) also goes against assisted suicide, saying that, “ Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal