From 3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated by Donald E. Knuth
 

Suicide and Euthanasia

I. Suicide: To take one's own life, self-murder.
        A. Assisted Suicide: A person kills himself by his own act, but is assisted in the act.
        1. Physician-assisted Suicide: A physician supplies information or the means of committing suicide (such as a prescription for a lethal dose of sleeping pills, or a supply of carbon monoxide gas) to a person, so that they can easily terminate their own life.
II. Euthanasia: [Greek: "eu" means "good" and "thanatos" means "death"] The action of inducing a gentle and easy death. Used especially with reference to a proposal that the law should sanction the putting painlessly to death of those suffering from incurable and extremely painful diseases.
A. Passive Euthanasia: Hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. There are two forms:
1. Withholding Treatment: Not doing something to prolong life, such as not doing CPR.
2. Withdrawing Treatment: Removing something that is sustaining life, such as turning off a ventilator.
B. Active Euthanasia: Causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person.
C. Involuntary Euthanasia: The killing of a person who has not explicitly requested aid in dying. In one form a physician prescribes a strong medicine to relieve pain knowing that this medicine may cause or hasten death.

Remarks:
  • All these issues are controversial. One form is accepted: an adult may refuse medical care, even at the risk of his life.
  • Withholding treatment is often allowed, especially if there is a DNR order ("Do Not Resuscitate").
  • Withdrawing treatment is more problematic under almost all circumstances, since this involves doing something to the person. This can usually be done if the person is brain dead (no brain function at all -- cannot breath on his own). There are laws that allow this if the person is in a persistent vegetative state, but especially if the person can breath on his own this route is very hard to justify.
  • Involuntary euthanasia by overprescribing pain medication can be justified to some people.
  • Active euthanasia is always illegal and can seldom (if ever) be justified ethically.
  • Assisted suicide has a crucial difference from euthanasia: the person himself does the act of killing with his own hand.
  • Suicide, particularly teen suicide, is a growing problem.
Oregon's Physician-assisted Suicide law: "Death With Dignity":

  • Patients must be: at least 18 years old, Oregon resident, mentally "capable", have a terminal illness with 6 months to live.
  • An elaborate approval process requires 2 physicians and several weeks.
  • A lethal medication is made available in the end, sometimes not used.
  • There have been almost no complications, such as attempting to kill oneself and failing.
  • The availablility of this extra option has helped some patients feel more in control even though they never used it.

Links:

  • The Death With Dignity Act: FAQ.
  • Eighth Annual Report On Oregon's Death With Dignity Act: PDF.
Results of 171 deaths and 265 prescriptions over 6 years
Age
18-34  2
35-44  5
45-6414
55-6429
65-7455
75-8451
85+15
     
Underlying Illness
Malignant neoplasms135
    Lung and bronchus    33
    Breast    16
    Pancreas    16
    Colon    10
    Other malignancies    60
ALS13
Chronic lower resp  9
HIV/AIDS  3
Other Illnesses11
     
End of life Concerns
Losing autonomy145
Fewer activities making life enjoyable138
Loss of dignity  31
Losing control of bodily functions  97
Burden on family, friends/caregivers  60
Inadequate pain control  37
Financial implications of treatment    4

The warning Moses gave to the Hebrew people before they entered the Promised Land:

... I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV)