Different Christian Views Surrounding Euthanasia Essay

Different Christian Views Surrounding Euthanasia - Essay Example Non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when it is performed without the patient’s consent or when someone else gives the consent. Involuntary euthanasia is to put patients to death and involves infants born with defects or the elderly people. The principle behind this sort of death is that ‘they have a life not worthy of life’, which was devised during the Nazi Regime in Germany when the state authorized the killing of the aged, mentally ill, and the handicapped. The definitions of euthanasia vary and this itself leads to controversy. Hemel (2005) quotes the Webster defining euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy." The American Heritage College Dictionary, plainly states that euthanasia is "the act culture practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition." There is no mention of mercy here at all. The definitions of euthanasia has inherent problems. Some religious ethicists believe that passive euthanasia should not be included under the umbrella at all because according to Catholic moral teachings, "unless the actual intent to end a persons life is present, euthanasia has not occurred†. Some other religious groups are of the opinion that the definition of euthanasia should be governed not by the underlying intent but by the en d result of the action. The Christian response to euthanasia is to oppose it. Simply put, it amounts to killing. In legal terms, it is ‘the intentional killing of a patient as part of his or her medical treatment.’ (Cornwall-Kelly). Mercy killing has been debated over by many religious heads and has to be addressed seriously because it is a matter of life and death. Fr. Frank A. Pavone (Priests for Life) is of the firm conviction that suffering