Browse By Topic 
E Euthanasia
Here are some comments made by opponents of assisted suicide on Jan 8, 1997, in front of the Supreme Court building after oral arguments in two cases on the issue:
"People with disabilities know that there is a very real problem in a culture that says, 'We aren't going to give you a right to health care, but we will give you a right to assisted suicide.' We know where that leads. It's already been proven in the Netherlands that what starts out as a voluntary assisted suicide for the terminally ill becomes involuntary euthanasia for people with disabilities who are not terminally ill." -- Diane Coleman, cofounder of Not Dead Yet, a disability rights organization
"Compassion is coming alongside and caring for someone when they're in pain, when they're hurting. Giving someone a lethal injection that doesn't take compassion. Anybody can do that." -- David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Society
Source: Salt, Vol 7 #1 1997
Topics/Tags: Euthanasia; Sanctity of Life; Assisted Suicide; Compassion
These are Dr. Jack Kevorkian's notes from the "final action" file of patient Hugh Gale, whom Dr. Kevorkian "helped to die" on 2/12/93:
Procedure: Patient placed plastic mask over nose and mouth, elastic band around head. A plastic tent was put over his head and shoulders, lid at top open. The patient then pulled a string tied to his left index finger, other end attached to a clip, which was pulled off a crimped plastic tube, opening it from the outlet valve of a canister of CO gas to the mask. In about 45 seconds the patient became flushed, agitated, breathing deeply, saying "Take it off!" The tent was removed immediately, the mask removed, and nasal oxygen started. He remained conscious and oriented, and within a minute calmed down to his normal breathing pattern. he was more relaxed and a bit somnolent, but awake and oriented. The patient wanted to continue. After about 20 minutes, with nasal oxygen continuing, the mask was replaced over his nose and mouth and he again pulled the clip off the crimped tubing. In about 30-35 seconds he again flushed, became agitated with moderate hyperpnea; and immediately after saying "Take it off!" once again, he fell into unconsciousness. The mask was then left in place. Hyperpnea continued for about 35-40 seconds, after which a slower and calmer breathing pattern ensued, lasting about 8 minutes, gradually diminishing in rate and intensity. Heartbeat was undetectable about 3 minutes after last breath. . . .
Not nearly as peaceful, humane, and serene as it's painted in the nightly news, is it? The agitation and near-violent fighting of this patient in the grips of the "suicide machine" ought to remind us that God has given Christ alone—not you and me—the authority to hold the keys of life and death.
Source: Ohio Right to Life website [http://www.ohiolife.org/euth/obit.htm]
Topics/Tags: Sanctity of Life; Assisted Suicide; Euthanasia; Sovereignty of God
Before 1973, euthanasia was illegal in the Netherlands.
In that year, a doctor was arrested and put on trial for killing her terminally ill mother with morphine. The court gave her a suspended sentence of one week in jail and a year's probation. This set a precedent, and the courts quickly established a set of guidelines for when it was permissible for physicians to assist a patient in committing suicide, such as requiring certain consultations, insisting that the patient must be suffering from a terminal illness, and that the patient must request it.
In 1984, the Royal Society of Medicine issued "rules of careful conduct" for euthanasia. These called for the doctor to inform the patient of his condition, consult his nearest relatives (unless he objects), consult at least one other physician, keep written records, and, in the case of a child, obtain the consent of the parents or legal guardians.
In 1985 a court dropped the "terminal illness" requirement in a case involving a young girl with multiple sclerosis. While her disease was incurable, there was no reason why she could not have lived indefinately. (In a more recent case a woman who was perfectly healthy but suffering from severe depression was euthanized at her request.)
By the late 80's it had become routine to "euthanize" babies born with handicaps, like Down's syndrome and spina bifida.
Three nurses in Amsterdam killed several comatose patients without any consent. They were convicted, not of homicide, but of failing to consult a physician.
In 1990, physicians in the Netherlands were involved in 11,800 deaths, or 9% of all deaths in the country. Of these, half were labeled "active involuntary euthanasia", that is, the patient was killed without his consent.
In 1995, Parliament passed legislation which codified these court decisions into law.
Source: Ohio Right to Life website [http://www.ohiolife.org/euth/nethhist.htm]
Topics/Tags: Euthanasia; Sanctity of Life; Legislation; Assisted Suicide
Sir Francis Crick, decoder of DNA, in a 1968 lecture entitled "The Sociological Ramifications of Biology" before University College:
"Because of the population explosion in the face of diminishing resources, we have no recourse from the following steps:
"A. We cannot continue to regard all human life as sacred. The idea that every person has a soul and that his life must be saved at all costs should not be allowed. Instead, the status of birth and death should be reconsidered.
"B. If, for example, a child were considered to be legally born when two days old, it could be examined to see whether it was an 'acceptable member of human society'.
"C. It might also be desirable to define a person as legally dead when he is past the age of 80 or 85, and then expensive medical equipment should be forbidden to him; old people might also be required to distribute a certain proportion of their property.
"D. It is not right that religious instruction should be given to young children. Instead they should be taught the modern scientific view of man's place in the universe, in the world and in society, and the nature of scientific truth."
_____________
Crick's words about the CHEAPNESS of human life have been greatly advanced since he spoke them more than 30 years ago. It is time for those who believe that each human life is PRECIOUS and sacred to make their voices heard, too!
Source: Nature, vol. 220, Nov.1968, pp 429-430
Topics/Tags: Science; Sanctity of life; God, creator; Euthanasia
"Euthanasia is the ultimate overthrow of Psalm 8."
-- Nigel Cameron
Source: Heartland, Summer 1999, p. 10 (quotes from chapel addresses at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary).
Topics/Tags: Sanctity of life; Euthanasia
"What if HMO's offered half-price coverage in exchange for consent to euthanasia in the face of the need for certain expensive procedures?"
-- Nigel Cameron
Source: Heartland, Summer 1999, p. 10 (quotes from chapel addresses at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary).
Topics/Tags: Euthanasia; Sanctity of life; Medical ethics
Browse By Topic E Euthanasia