Arguments Against Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

I. Introduction A. The definition of Euthanasia is a physician assisted killing of a patient that suffers from a painful and incurable disease or circumstance. B. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic that many people avoid; however, due to this avoidance many patients suffering from incurable and painful diseases have to suffer until they finally subdue to their illnesses. This is why we must start a debate on this issue and at least attempt to help those in need. C. I have done extensive research and have also cited eight credible sources that back up my arguments. D. Euthanasia is a very needed medical treatment that offers relieve to patients that are suffering from pain and have no ways of escaping. E. One main point that

Body A. The problem is that is that patients suffering from extreme pain and have no future outlook can be set free from their agonies, instead of remaining in pain until the disease finally subdues them. 1. Euthanasia is only used for patients with “intolerable and incurable” suffering and is administered through a painless “lethal agent” (Euthanasia and assisted suicide). This shows that euthanasia cannot just be administered to anyone who claims they are in pain, but must have a dire situation of a debilitating disease in order for euthanasia to be looked at as an option. 2. Another problem that comes from the practicing of euthanasia is the ethical question of doctors as “healers” being able to end someone’s life. However the objective of the doctor is to do what is best for the patient and that is the reason that euthanasia is in the ethical realm of a practicing doctor (2.21-Euthanasia). 3. A third problem with euthanasia is that some people believe that life was given by god and only god can take it away. This argument is irrational and overbearing, not all patients believe in god and not all patients believe in the same god, so why must a few ill minded people decide the fate of someone lying in a hospital bed agonizing in bed? A recent survey for the 2007 British Social Attitudes showed that 80% of the public wanted the law altered in order to give a terminally ill patient the right to die with a doctors help (Ethical problems of

B. Deadly diseases can strike anyone and that person has the right to choose what they want to do, instead of having their options taken away on the grounds of other people’s morals, ethics, and/or religion. 1. Some barriers for euthanasia to be legal are on the grounds of the “slippery slop” phenomenon. Some believe that if we make euthanasia legal and say that only terminally ill patients have the right to euthanasia, sooner or later we might again rescale the scope and say the chronically ill have that right too. Then again re-shift the scope and say the elderly have that right too. However this argument is invalid because it is being used as a deterrent for any progress. With any law we have the chance that it might become to over generalized, however, that shouldn’t mean we don’t take any action (Chan