How the World’s Religions View Euthanasia

Cheryl Lee Kruse

University of Findlay

BSLA 280.N2

Professor Brougher

December 9, 2010

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How the World’s Religions View Euthanasia

There are many contemporary issues pertaining to the world’s religions which have lasted

through the years and are still debated today. One such issue is euthanasia. In order to look at

how the world’s religions view euthanasia, it is necessary to understand the meaning of

euthanasia; and also to realize that with all the advances in medical technologies, the definition

of death has changed over the years. Once the definitions have been established, the different

types of euthanasia can be determined. The world’s religions that will be discussed in regards to

their views of euthanasia include Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam.

Definition of Euthanasia

To understand this issue, it is important to understand what the word euthanasia means.

The word euthanasia is formed from the Greek terms eu, which means good, and thanatos, which

means death (Larue, 1996). According to Dorland’s medical dictionary, euthanasia means: (1)

an easy or painless death; (2) mercy killing; the deliberate ending of life of a person suffering

from an incurable disease (Dorland, 1994, p. 588). A more formal description of euthanasia is to

say it is the killing of those who are incurably ill and in great pain or distress, where the killing is

done for the sake of those killed, and in order to spare that person further suffering or distress

(Perrett, 1996). If euthanasia is defined as an easy or painless death, one needs to understand

what death is in order to begin to understand the complexities of euthanasia.

Definition of Death

Death is an inescapable fact of life; however, with the advances in science and modern

medicine, defining death has become more complex (Alters, 2009). In the past, death was easily

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defined as lifeless or not living. The criteria used to determine when a person was dead were lack

of a heartbeat and the cessation of breathing followed by physical decay. A feather was often

placed under the nose or on the lips of the victim where the slightest breath would cause

movement; and the heart was checked by placing one’s ear on the person’s chest to listen for a

heartbeat (Larue, 1996). Today with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation or

electrical shock, an effective heartbeat and breathing pattern can be restored to a person who has

suffered a cardiac arrest.

Having established a basic definition for death and euthanasia, there have been different

types of euthanasia recognized. These have come about because of the two extremes of looking

at euthanasia. On the one extreme, people insist that one should always let nature take its course;

thus, death should never be hastened. On the other extreme, people feel that such choices should

be left to the dying person. These different types of euthanasia are voluntary and involuntary

euthanasia and also active and passive euthanasia. The act of inducing a merciful death based

upon the wishes of the suffering person would be voluntary euthanasia. With involuntary

euthanasia, the death of a suffering person would be brought on without that person’s

permission. It would be based on the belief of the person causing the death that the person

suffering would have wanted it. Both voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, involve what is

termed active euthanasia—something done deliberately to end a life. When a terminally-ill

person dies because life-support systems are removed, this is called passive euthanasia. As a

contemporary issue, euthanasia encompasses both religious and moral beliefs (Larue, 1996).

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Hinduism

Hinduism tradition is based on the principal of reincarnation which is the cycle of life,

death, and physical rebirth. According to Hindu beliefs, life on earth is temporary. Death is not

viewed as an end but as a natural process, a temporary cessation of physical activity. When

considering euthanasia, the Hindu views are based on karma, reincarnation, and ahimsa.

According to Malloy, karma is the moral law of cause and effect that determines the direction of

rebirth (Malloy, 2010). Karma implies the notion of moral consequences that are attached to

every act. “Belief in karma is a belief that every action has an automatic moral consequence”

(Malloy, 2010, p. 87). Many Hindus would say assisting death results in bad karma because it

goes against the principle of nonviolence. According to Hinduism, a doctor accepting a patient’s

request for euthanasia would cause the body and soul to be separated at an unnatural time; and as

such, both the doctor and the patient would have bad karma.

Reincarnation of the soul, or atman, is the Hindu belief that an individual is constantly

being reborn. The progression the reincarnation takes is based on one’s karma. Tied into the

concept of karma and reincarnation is moksha or liberation from the cycle of rebirth—the

ultimate goal of Hinduism (BBC, 2009). Moksha can only be achieved with good karma. The

Hindus look at life as sacred because it offers the chance to perform good acts toward the goal of

ending the cycle of rebirths.

A third factor involved when considering euthanasia, is ahimsa which means

nonviolence, not to kill or do harm to other creatures (Malloy, 2010). Based on ahimsa, some

Hindus believe that euthanasia cannot be allowed because it goes against the teaching of doing

no harm. By killing, whether it is euthanasia, murder, or suicide, bad karma is brought to the

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killer because of the violation of the principle of nonviolence (BBC, 2009). It also interferes

with the killed soul’s progress towards moksha.

Another factor in Hinduism to consider when discussing euthanasia is dharma. Dharma

is the moral duties and responsibilities according to which a Hindu lives his or her life (Malloy,

2010). It is the moral law combined with the spiritual discipline that guides one’s life. Dhamra

is considered by Hindus to be the very foundation of life; and by conforming to dharma, a Hindu

is able to fulfill obligations from the past life. Dharma is seen as requiring a Hindu to take care

of the older members of the community (BBC, 2009).

After considering all the aspects of Hinduism as described above, it can be seen that not

all Hindus agree on whether or not euthanasia should be permitted. There are several different

points of view based on the Hindu perspective of euthanasia. One point of view sees a person

who helps another person end a painful life as reducing suffering and therefore, doing a good

deed which will enable him or her to gain good karma. Another point of view sees euthanasia as

disrupting the timing of the cycle of rebirth and both persons will take on bad karma. Because of

the teaching of ahimsa or doing no harm, many Hindus believe that euthanasia cannot be allowed

because it goes against that teaching. Some Hindus feel that active euthanasia interrupts one’s

karma and the soul’s evolution toward final liberation from reincarnation (BBC, 2009). There are

also Hindus who have the point of view that by helping end a painful life, a person is performing

a good deed and fulfilling their moral obligations or dharma.

Buddhism

Another Eastern religion that is very similar to Hinduism is Buddhism. The most

fundamental teachings in Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the

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Five Precepts. The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering. It states that life includes pain,

growing old, illness, and finally death. Buddhism explains how to avoid suffering and how to be

truly happy. The Second Noble Truth states that suffering is caused by desire. Desire deprives a

person of contentment and happiness. Desire is insatiable which results in a person being

dissatisfied, discontent, and even miserable (Malloy, 2010). The Third Noble Truth states

suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained. If a person gives up useless craving

and learns to live each day without dwelling in the past or the imagined future, then that person

can become happy and free. The Fourth Noble Truth states the Noble Eightfold Path is the path

that leads to the release from suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path is basically being moral

through words, actions, and livelihood; focusing the mind on being fully aware of thoughts and

actions; and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths and by developing

compassion for others. The key element of the Noble Eightfold Path is mindfulness. This

element of mindfulness also warns against any act that might be used to try to short-circuit the

process of karma. And finally, the Five Precepts make up the moral code in Buddhism; with the

First Precept being not to take the life of any living thing (BuddhaNet, 2008).

As in Hinduism, karma and reincarnation are fundamental concepts in Buddhism. The

law of karma, simply stated, means that if a person performs good deeds, good results will come

to that person (Loh, 2004). Regarding reincarnation, the current life cycle begins at birth and

ends when death occurs, which is when the next life cycle begins. A person’s past karma is what

determines the current life of that person; and that person’s actions in this life are what determine

the future life. As a result, illness and suffering are seen as the result of a person’s wrong deeds

in the past.

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Based on the above, it would seem euthanasia is completely against Buddhist philosophy.

Killing others and suicide are considered bad karma and totally prohibited. The First Precept

states not to take the life of any living thing. Euthanasia, as an intentional destruction of human

life by act or omission, goes against the First Precept (Perrett, 1996). Karma and reincarnation

are considered a universal law which states that suffering comes from a person’s past actions and

the course cannot be changed. Buddhism looks at euthanasia as a form of intentional killing and

is not an accepted means to end suffering. The Buddhists who believe that euthanasia is

prohibited do not see death as an end to life but rather as a transition to another life. Anyone

believing death is the end to suffering does not understand the First Noble Truth which states that

death itself is one of the most basic aspects of suffering and as such it is the problem, not the

solution (Loh, 2004). On the other hand, there are those who believe that euthanasia can be

considered compassionate and can be seen as a sign of spiritual enlightenment. If a person

decides against medical treatment to avoid putting a heavy burden on family and friends, either

financially or emotionally, this can be considered compassion (Campbell, 2000). The concern

for the welfare of others by the person dying can be seen as a sign of spiritual enlightenment.

Daoism and Confucianism

Daoism and Confucianism are two systems of Chinese religious thought which many

regard as complementary traditions. Daoism is based on the harmony of yin and yang. The five

main elements central to Daoism are Dao, which is the natural way, the way nature expresses

itself; wu wei, which is avoidance of action; simplicity, which says to eliminate anything that is

unnecessary and artificial and to appreciate the simple and ordinary; gentleness, which has the

wise person loving peace and avoiding all unnecessary violence; and relativity, which makes it

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necessary to have a vision of things that goes beyond the limited point of view based on an

individual’s own concerns (Malloy, 2010).

Based on the above concepts of Daoism, anything following Dao would be considered

natural and ethical. If a person were suffering from a serious illness and unnatural measures

could restore the body’s ability to function, then the unnatural measures become ways to restore

the suffering person to the way of Dao. Therefore, a Daoist could accept the treatment.

However, if the same treatment violates the natural process and would not restore the body’s

natural ability to function, then this treatment would be rejected (Tai, n.d.). If a person needed

mechanical support to breathe, the Daoist would view this as unnatural and removing the

mechanical support would let Dao be Dao. A Daoist would not use active euthanasia based on

the fact that it would be an artificial way of ending a life. Letting nature take its course could be

accomplished with palliative care, like that given by Hospice, and would be in the boundaries of

Daoism (Tai, n.d.).

Confucianism is based on social harmony and following the five virtues. The virtues

most prized by Confucianism are the social virtues. These include ren which means to think of

others; li which means doing what is appropriate; shu which means reciprocity; and xiao which

means familial piety (Malloy, 2010). In Confucianism, a good death does not mean a dying

process which is fast, peaceful, and free of pain. It means a death for the sake of ren and li,

which would give service to others. Based on the element of xiao, or familial piety, to ask for

euthanasia for the sake of relieving the emotional burden or financial burden to others, would be

discouraged. Confucianism does not view the sick and elderly as a burden to anyone (Lo, 1999).

In the same way, an individual is not recognized as fully autonomous in Confucianism; and

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therefore, would not be able to choose whether to live or die. This decision would have to

include the people closest to the individual wanting to die (Lo, 1999).

Judaism

Judaism is first and foremost a religion of law that dates back 3500 years. A traditional

Jew lives his or her life by that law; and all decisions, including those of healthcare, are based on

that law (Kinzbrunner, 2004). Jewish law regards active euthanasia as murder and forbids it. No

exceptions are made to this law and it does not even matter if the person concerned wants to die;

it is strictly forbidden (BBC, 2009). A famous case of euthanasia is found in the Bible, 2 Samuel

1:1-16, where King Saul is seriously injured and orders a young soldier to kill him, rather than

letting him be captured alive. King David hears what the soldier had done and had the soldier

executed in order to show that euthanasia was the same as murder even though he had orders

from his superior to do it (Bible, 2009).

Judaism is also a religion of life. Life is valued above all else in Judaism. Regardless of

the duration or quality, all life is of infinite value because all human beings are made in the

image of God. Based on this concept, Jewish law says it is wrong for a person to shorten a

human life as our lives are not ours to dispose of as we feel (Kinzbrunner, 2004). In the Talmud

it is said that all people are descended from a single person; and as such, taking a single life is

compared to destroying an entire world and saving a single life is like saving an entire world

(Talmud, 1996). Based on life being so valuable, a person is not permitted to do anything that

could hasten death, not even if it would prevent suffering. Jewish law strictly prohibits

euthanasia, suicide, and assisted suicide. It is stated in the Talmud that one may not even move a

dying person’s arms if that would shorten that person’s life.

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Even though Jewish tradition regards the preservation of human life so highly, it does not

require a doctor to make the process of dying last longer than it naturally would (BBC, 2009). In

other words, if a person is certain to die and is only being kept alive by mechanical means, it is

permissible to turn off the mechanical device since it is in effect impeding the natural process of

death. A terminally-ill person may also be given medicine for pain relief even if it would hasten

death, as long as the dose is not certain to kill and the intention of giving the medicine is not to

kill but for pain relief. It is also acceptable to pray to God and ask to remove a terminally-ill

person from the pain and suffering (Kinzbrunner, 2004).

Unlike Hinduism and Buddhism discussed above, Judaism has very specific laws

prohibiting euthanasia, suicide, and assisted suicide. It is Jewish law and tradition that holds

human life as sacred, and forbids doing anything to shorten it. It is also against Jewish law to

help someone kill themselves as one is not allowed to enable someone else to break Jewish law

(Kinzbrunner, 2004).

Christianity

The three traditional branches of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Protestant, and

Eastern Orthodox; however, there are also a great many nontraditional denominations that are

based in Protestant origins (Malloy, 2010). While there are differences in each and every branch

of Christian religions, there are also common beliefs. First and foremost Christians believe that

God created heaven and earth and the entire universe. Because creation has its source in the

goodness of God, all of creation is good. God created man in His own image which makes

human life a part of God’s good creation. This leads Christians to believe that life is sacred.

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God has given us the gift of life and as such, only God can put an end to human life (Kaldjian,

1999).

Pain, suffering and death lie at the center of the Christian story. In looking at the death

of Jesus using modern-day standards, Jesus did not die a good death. Jesus died at a young age;

he died at the hands of people who hated him; and he died in excruciating pain. By modern-day

standards, a good death comes at the end of a long, fulfilling life; it comes by way of natural

causes; and a good death is easy and painless (Burgess, 1994). Jesus died so that others could

have life. By following the commandment “thou shalt not kill”, Christians are able to respond

faithfully to questions of pain, suffering, and death (Burgess, 1994).

The Roman Catholic Church takes a firm stand against suicide and euthanasia.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, direct euthanasia puts an end to the lives of

handicapped, sick, terminally-ill, or dying persons regardless of the motives or means, and as

such is morally unacceptable. Palliative care is encouraged as it is seen as a form of disinterested

charity (Cahill, 2005). The Lutherans take the stand that deliberately destroying life created in

the image of God is contrary to the Christian conscience. There are varying positions regarding

euthanasia in the many different denominations of Protestantism. Few would condone hastening

death by administration of drugs in lethal doses; however many others would accept withdrawing

life support or medical interventions necessary to sustain life, such as taking a person off of a

ventilator (Cahill, 2005). The Greek Orthodox Church is opposed to suicide in any form and

views it as a grievous sin. According to the Greek Orthodox beliefs, euthanasia is a form of

suicide on the part of the person requesting euthanasia and it is a form of murder on the part of

others who assist in the euthanasia; both are seen as sins (Cahill, 2005). While the many

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different denominations of Christianity have differing views of euthanasia, they all hold that

belief that life is sacred.

Islam

The prophet Muhammad founded Islam in the seventh century. The source of Islamic

beliefs and practices are found in the Qur’an which are God’s revelations to Muhammad and in

the sunna which are Muhammad’s teachings and deeds. All followers of Islam, or Muslims, are

bound by total submission to the will of Allah. The sharia is the religious law that governs the

lives of Muslims. The very basis of Islam is the belief in an all-powerful transcendent God who

has created the universe and controls every detail of it (Malloy, 2010).

According to the Islam faith, all life is sacred and is one of the most precious gifts and

blessings of God. It is felt that life should be appreciated and protected; even if the life has a

poor quality. The main principal of Islamic bioethics is: “whoever slays a soul, unless it is for

manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it

alive, it is as though he kept alive all men” (Qur’an 5:32). In other words, in causing a death to

one person unjustifiably, it would be like causing death to all people. However, death to a

murderer is permitted because it shows respect of the life that was lost and prevents further

danger to life as a whole. Also saving a life of a person out of respect for life is compared to

saving all people (Shomali, 2008).

With all the strict Islamic religious practices, there are many that pertain to health and

treatment of the sick. Islam puts emphasis on the importance of maintaining one’s health and

preventing illness. All efforts must be made to restore health when prevention fails. In this

respect, patients and physicians each have mutual responsibility. The patient has the duty for

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seeking treatment and the physician and society in general are obligated to help the patient in

treatment. About the necessity of treatment, the Prophet has said: “O servants of Allah, seek

treatment, for Allah has not sent down any illness without sending down treatment” (Shomali,

2008, p. 4).

Ethical guidance for all aspects of life, including medicine, comes from the sharia, or

religious laws. Illness, suffering, and dying are all a part of life and as such, must be accepted as

Allah’s will. They are looked on as a way to atone for one’s sins; and death is part of the journey

to Allah. Even though Islam considers saving lives very important, it is also clear that dying is

part of the journey and the final decision about the length of the life is Allah’s decision alone.

(Rich, & Butts, 2004). With the belief that all people were created for a specific life journey,

Islam does not believe in prolonging life either. A Muslim physician is not encouraged to

prolong a life by artificial means if someone is in a vegetative state; rather the Muslim physician

is ordained to alleviate suffering (as cited in Rich, & Butts, 2004). Since Islam teaches that life

is a gift from Allah, no one can end a life except Allah. Based on this belief, Islam is against

euthanasia.

In summary, it is not only necessary to understand the meaning of euthanasia but also to

understand the meaning of death when contemplating the views of the world’s religions. This

paper only studied the views of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam. After researching the Eastern religions, it seems that while these

religions view life as sacred and are against euthanasia, there are also those who are in favor of

euthanasia if it is for good reason. Some of these reasons would be dharma in Hinduism in

which they would fulfill their moral obligations, in Buddhism as a way to spiritual enlightenment

by not being a burden to the family, and in Confucianism for reasons of ren and li, or giving

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service to others. The Western religions all are seen to view life as sacred and each religion was

against euthanasia; however most of the Western religions allowed a terminally ill person to be

taken off life-sustaining machinery. After much thought-provoking research, it can be concluded

that there is no single religious position concerning any type of euthanasia in any of the religions

studied. Therefore, with the advances in medical technology and more people choosing

euthanasia as an option for the end of life, the debate will continue and euthanasia will remain a

contemporary issue with the world’s religions.

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