Download - Rae, Moral Choices: Euthanasia 2
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And now toRae...
Wednesday 21 September 2011
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The case of Terri Schiavo washeadline news in the USA fairly
recently-
this is a brief retelling:- she went into a near vegetativestate as a result of a heart attack
which deprived her of oxygen
and meant she was severely braindamaged
- in time she required a feedingtube to be inserted into herstomach to keep her alive
- her prognosis (forecast of thelikely course of a disease,sickness) for recovery wasconsidered very poor
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- her husband asked that the tube beremoved and she be allowed to die
- her family disagreed saying she wouldhave wanted to live
- a court case followed with each arguingtheir case
- eventually the feeding tube waspermitted to be removed and she wasallowed to die
- the relationship between husband and
parents had been good at first butdeteriorated rapidly- accusations madeof physical abuse by the husband andthat he had children by another woman
whilst Schiavo was on the feeding tube
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Traditionallythe 6th commandment, Ex20:13- "You shall not murder.[c]
[ESV footnote: Exodus 20:13 TheHebrew word also covers causinghuman death through carelessness ornegligence]
and the Hippocratic Oath, haveprevented doctors from assisting insuicide or killing patients.
Schiavos case shows that modern
medicine has great ability to prolonglife even with poor life quality. Forthe elderly this is a problem to beconsidered - do they prolong life evenif quality is poor?
Wednesday 21 September 2011
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2020;eph%202:7;dan%202:44-45;matt%2025:31-34;Philippians%203:8-11&version=ESV;NIV;MSG;NLT#en-ESV-2065http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2020;eph%202:7;dan%202:44-45;matt%2025:31-34;Philippians%203:8-11&version=ESV;NIV;MSG;NLT#en-ESV-2065http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2020;eph%202:7;dan%202:44-45;matt%2025:31-34;Philippians%203:8-11&version=ESV;NIV;MSG;NLT#en-ESV-2065http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2020;eph%202:7;dan%202:44-45;matt%2025:31-34;Philippians%203:8-11&version=ESV;NIV;MSG;NLT#fen-ESV-2065chttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2020;eph%202:7;dan%202:44-45;matt%2025:31-34;Philippians%203:8-11&version=ESV;NIV;MSG;NLT#fen-ESV-2065c -
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Some organisations now work for thelegalisation of assisted suicide - they
provide information on how to be free fromthe torment of terminal illness with orwithout medical assistance. Oregon was thefirst state in the USA to legalise assisted
suicide-
other states enforce their lawsprohibiting it. Some European countrieshave laws allowing assisted suicide andeuthanasia, e.g. Netherlands & Belgium -Switzerland has clinics established forpeople to go die with dignity in.
This is a hotly debated topic - and manystill have concerns about euthanasiaspreading to those who are not terminally ill
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Definition of key terms
Withholding or withdrawing of
medical treatment from a dying
patient and allowing them to die.
- withdrawing ventilator support
- not administering cpr
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) topatients
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Definition of key terms
Withholding or withdrawing of
medical treatment from a dying
patient and allowing them to die.
- withdrawing ventilator support
- not administering cpr
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) topatients
Termination of life support
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Physician assisted suicide
The physician is more active inhelping cause the death of the
person. Normally they provide a
medical means by which a person
can end their own life - usually a
lethal dose of medication, which is
given along with instructions on
how to use. Death should happenin minutes and is caused by the
medication not the underlying
disease.
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Euthanasia
Comes from the Greek meaning
good death. sometimes a personis so ill or close to death they
cannot manage to do it for
themselves so the doctor is more
directly involved. This is also calledmercy killing. it is the direct and
intentional effort of a doctor or
medical professional in helping a
dying person to die. Usually a lethalinjection is administered to the
patient - death is a direct result of
the doctors action.
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Ordinary and extraordinary means
End of life medical decisions are sometimes distinguished
on this basis. Ordinary means are the normal course of
treatment for a disease without it becoming excessively
burdensome on the patient - such as antibiotics for an
infection - these are morally obligatory. Use of a respiratormight be thought of as extraordinary and is morally
optional. There is flexibility in their meaning due to the
progress of medical science - and the patients situation
has to be considered, ordinary depends on the condition
and prognosis of the patient. Some now use the words
obligatory and optional.
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Living will / advance directive
Some people decide before
becoming ill what treatment theydo and do not want to receive - thisis an advance directive or living
will. Here you can select a personto act in making medical decisionson your behalf if you are unable to.E.g. The desire not to be onmechanical life support systems ifno real possibility of recovery orlow quality of life - or moredetailed like no food or water bymechanical means or do notresuscitate.
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Living wills enable the
person to make decisions
before any medical
situation arises - and tohave properly thought
them through.
Living wills are more
common now in the USA
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Competence
Competenceethics refers to the
patients level of understanding of thetreatment options and give informed
consent to the option taken.
Patients become incompetent when
they fall into a coma, vegetative state,
are in extreme pain etc. - in such a
case a living will can guide the
medical staff
. If no living will has beenmade a surrogate or proxy decision
maker is recognised to act on the
patients behalf
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US legal precedents
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The end of life in biblical perspective
The Bible says we are made in Gods
image - and life is sacred - innocent lifeis not to be taken. The time and mannerof our death belong to God -Ecc 3:1-2,Heb 9:27. Rae says we also have anobligation to care for the vulnerable insociety- which includes the dying.
Death was not originally in Gods plan -it was a result of the entrance of sin -Paul Ramsey, an evangelical ethicistsuggests that death is wholly alien tomankind, imposed as a result of sin - we
were made for eternal life, and death isinconsistent with this fact.
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The Bible does say death is a normal
part of life -Ecc 2:14-16, 3:19-21,
5:15-
16- it is an enemy and a normalpart of life - though death is now
conquered through the work of Christ
- and if it is conquered does it always
need to be resisted?Should we delay an inevitable death? If
the prognosis is poor and treatment
will not give benefit shouldnt we
welcome death as entry to eternal life?Rae says the foundation of the
sacredness of human life make it clear
that suicide is prohibited by the Bible.
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Rae says, the notion that
innocent life cannot be takenbecause the timing and
manner of someones death
belong to God alone suggests
that while life support can be
removed and death can be
allowed to run its natural
course, physician assistedsuicide and euthanasia are
very problematic