There is an ongoing debate in Australia about voluntary euthanasia, or ‘the right to die’. Polls (as much as you can trust a poll) state that up to 85% of Australians support legalised euthanasia, as long as adequate safeguards are in place. Despite this, euthanasia bills keep getting rejected in our parliaments. In fact some years ago the Northern Territory (NT) passed legislation to make it legal but the Federal government stepped in and overrode them. (Territories have slightly different rules when it comes to making laws, I don’t fully understand it, you can look it up yourself if you are interested. You could also look up the case of when the NT legalised, briefly, euthanasia, it’s not really relevant to this particular rant.)
The prime reason, I can deduce, Australia does not have legalised voluntary euthanasia is because the powerful religious (mostly Christian) lobby, in cahoots with right wing Christian politicians, put political pressure on our governments not to pass euthanasia bills.
I’ve seen many reasons expounded why euthanasia is a bad idea, most of these can be over-ridden by ensuring proper safeguards are in place to ensure euthanasia is completely voluntary, and that more than one medical practitioner is consulted, etc, etc (something all supporters of euthanasia want). However Christians expound one more “reason” which goes along the line of “we value human life”.
Well, I’m sure it’s not just Christians that value human life, I value it, especially my own, as I’m certain do most other people of non-Christian faith or those with no faith at all.
But what is a human life that is lived in total abject pain, or with complete mental breakdown? A life not worth living for some people. So why should those in these extreme conditions not be allowed to end their suffering? To voluntarily end their life before it descends into a living nightmare? What right does someone have to tell those people they have to keep living no matter what pain or suffering they are enduring? Family, relative or stranger; no matter how much they love or care for someone do they really have the right to force something on that person just because they “value human life”?
Personally I think it’s very selfish of someone to prevent a person who is in severe pain and dying not to end their own life, if they have considered all the options, and would rather die peacefully than endure years more agony and suffering.
I have only touched on a few basics in the euthanasia, right to die, debate and I’m not really interested in all the ins-and-outs of the debate. Many others better qualified than me have done this before. However I have one question (in two parts), mainly to the Christians who say something like “we value human life” as an argument against voluntary euthanasia:
Have you, or any Christian you know, ever had a pet “put down” (euthanized)? If not, would you consider euthanizing a pet if a vet strongly recommended it?
Yes I understand that a cat or dog is not the same as a human, but the underlying principle is the same. People, after careful consideration (I’d hope), are willing to put an animal out of it’s misery by euthanizing it and often cite the reason for doing so is so the animal doesn’t have to suffer anymore. So if it is more humane to euthanize an animal that is in severe pain and dying, then isn’t it even more humane to allow a human the right to die when they want to if they are in extreme pain and suffering?
As a note, I’m not going to consider the slippery slope argument that the above paragraph might delve into, any comments that go down that path may be summarily deleted. I also strongly emphasise that your comments should stick to answers regarding voluntary euthanasia. I’m sure we can all agree that for humans euthanasia should always be voluntary and I’m sure any legalisation would have plenty of safeguards in place to ensure it is voluntary.
Please stick to the following questions in your response:
Have you as a Christian, or any Christian you know, ever had a pet “put down” (euthanized)? If not, would you consider euthanizing a pet if a vet strongly recommended it?
If you have euthanized a pet, or be willing to do so, explain in a better way than “I value human life” why you wouldn’t let a human being who is in similar circumstances to your dying pet not be allowed to voluntarily euthanize themselves.
Thank you for your participation.
Oz Atheist's Weblog 
My oldest and closest friend’s father died yesterday after a long battle with prostate and bone cancer. For the last few months he was terminally ill, with no hope of recovery, h is bones became so brittle they kept breaking and, most recently, his back broke, causing him shocking pain that couldn’t be relieved, even by morphine. He had to be moved out of his house and into a nursing home – a terrible indignity for a man who was once one of Queensland’s leading businessmen – and his quality of life, at least for the last month or so has been nil.
Now, I don’t know whether he would have wanted to end his life early. Neither do I know what his partner’s views are. I didn’t ask my friend about her thoughts – it’s not the right time to speak of such things at the moment.
But, if he *had* wanted to die while he was still at home, while he could choose the time to say good-bye to his family, and to spare himself the almost unendurable pain he had to suffer, why should he *not* have that choice? Why should self-appointed moral guardians like Jim Wallace have any say in what happens to a dying person during their last months? What is immoral here is not euthanasia, but the evil (and yes, I use that word deliberately) interference of Wallace and his ilk who think they should have the right to intrude on our lives in the most personal way – and then complain (see today’s Australian – http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/greens-are-attacking-religious-freedom/story-e6frg6zo-1226014944623?from=tigerspike+no+html_rss) that they’re the ones who are hard done by!
It is immoral, unethical, evil and malicious and it makes me sick to my stomach.
Chrys
Thanks for the heartfelt and personal response, and welcome to the blog.
Now I’m off to read that article, which I’m sure will raise my ire.
I am sure your are familiar with the Terry Shiavo Case in Florida and its impact on this issue. I worked with David Gibbs III at CLA and have personal feelings about the abuse of euthanasia.
I was wondering if you would care to comment on an article I recently wrote about “5 indisputable proofs of God?” Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
http://www.dsoat.wordpress.com the url might be helpful (sorry)
Having been a part of two peoples lives at the end. When they are so sick they are no longer living, but merely alive. I am a huge supporter of both the right to die and the right to help someone die. I would have help both of these very important men to me die if I could have.
I’ve done it for several pets. There is a great sense of relief in doing so. To keep someone going because of religious BS is nothing but selfishness.
Oz Atheist, I am a Christian and I am in agreement with your frustration regarding this issue of voluntary euthanasia. On this side of our globe here in America, we can barely deal with vapid temporal issues, let alone profound issues pertaining to end of life options. Ultimately I believe that you are right, that its an inherently pervasive fundamentalist view of Christian thinking that undermines the practical and real conversation that needs to be had for those wanting to not be in pain any longer. Its a political perspective to something that requires compassionate thought.