Death as a Decision: The Effects of Physician-Assisted Suicide For many years, the ongoing controversy of whether or not a person should be able to be clinically assisted by a physician to end their own life has been circling the minds of many people. According to the textbook, assisted suicide differs from medical euthanasia in that the physician is necessary but not sufficient for the act. In assisted suicide the patient needs to do the final act which is to take the lethal medication. Dr. Kevorkian, nicknamed “Dr. Death” is well known for being an advocate for assisted suicide. On November 22, 1998 the American pathologist videotaped the death of 52 year old Thomas Youk, submitted it to CBS’s 60 minutes and it was broadcasted on television.
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The cons however consist of violating Hippocratic Oath, decreasing value of human life, conflicting religious beliefs, and giving doctors too much power. Both sides of the assisted suicide argument are pretty strong, but because of religious reasons the physician assisted suicide should not be legalized. According to the book, The Good Doctor, doctors play God all the time. When they prescribe medicines designed to heal patients they are essentially doing what God is supposed to do. The belief, however, is that physician-assisted suicide is right, because God works through these people to perform the procedures that they do. Who is to say that God doesn’t work though the doctors to commit suicide in hopes that the termally ill patient can save another’s life? In the bible, First John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one 's life for one 's friends.” This could be an indication that there is spiritual good in physician assisted
The cons however consist of violating Hippocratic Oath, decreasing value of human life, conflicting religious beliefs, and giving doctors too much power. Both sides of the assisted suicide argument are pretty strong, but because of religious reasons the physician assisted suicide should not be legalized. According to the book, The Good Doctor, doctors play God all the time. When they prescribe medicines designed to heal patients they are essentially doing what God is supposed to do. The belief, however, is that physician-assisted suicide is right, because God works through these people to perform the procedures that they do. Who is to say that God doesn’t work though the doctors to commit suicide in hopes that the termally ill patient can save another’s life? In the bible, First John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one 's life for one 's friends.” This could be an indication that there is spiritual good in physician assisted