cian’s role as a healer, would be difficult to control, and would pose serious societal risks.” (Baird 173) Instead of assisting in a patient’s demise, the physician ought to respond to the needs of the patient at the end of their life. Legalizing such actions would not be in the interest of creating an ethical society that values life. Euthanasia or assisted suicide should only be a last ditch effort after optimal care has been administered. As in all cases, the responsibility of the patient’s life should be up to a medical staff in concurrence with the patient and family. Euthanasia can be gruesome and immoral if not managed with extreme responsibility. The religions of Christians and Jews both hold human life sacred and consider any form of euthanasia as an act of murder. According to Jewish law, a dying man is regarded as a living person in all respects (Kohl 6). To Christians, only God has the right to give and take life. According to traditional Christian beliefs, all forms of suicide were condemned because: It violates one’s natural desire to live It harms other people Life is the gift of God and is only to be taken by God(Religious Tolerance 3). The dignity of this life is linked not only to its beginning, to the fact that it comes from God, but also to its final end, to its destiny of fellowship with God in knowledge and love of him. Life is a fundamental good, a gift from God that is to be held with reverence and respect (Farley 418). Death may sometimes be welcomed, so long as it is in a way that does not ignore or violate the requirement to respect and value each person (Farley 429). I Thessalonians 4:13-18 says that those who are saved will have a peaceful death and those who are not will have no hope. As I discussed this topic with my family, I learned that there are circumstances in which we will terminate the lives of our most cherished loved...
