Aid in dying or physician assisted suicide Research Paper

Aid in dying or physician assisted suicide - Research Paper Example Those who have opted to take a neutral stand believe that while physician assisted suicide may be unethical in some cases; there are certain cases that may warrant the doctor to take the necessary action to end the life of his or her patient. This is especially in cases where the patient himself demands that a doctor ends his life because it has become unbearable because of the pain they are enduring in their terminal illness. The legal and moral debate is currently going on and it seems that the stands that have been taken on the opposite sides of the debate are going to be reconciled any time soon. A brief discussion of the issues involved in physician assisted suicide needs to be discussed in order to come up with a suitable stand concerning the matter. Background There have developed strong arguments concerning the loosening of the legal constraints that prevent doctors from administering physician-assisted suicide to their patients. Surveys that have been conducted recently have shown that many people of the United States are in favor of the legalization of this practice.1 Those opposed to it are the conservative elements of the society such as religious people as well as moral conservatives who tend to equate the practice to murder. It should however be realized that some form of legalization of the practice is eventually going to be made because many people will most likely leave behind instructions concerning their being assisted to die in case something serious happens to them. It will no longer matter what the government and conservatives elements in society will have to say because the wishes of individuals will most likely be put first. There has, recently been a high prevalence in the number of people who have made requests to their doctors to have assistance with suicide. The doctors have to consider this difficult request because of the legal and ethical repercussions of the practice.2 It can safely be said that there is a high likelihood that ma ny doctors accede to the demand of their patients, although secretly, and assist them in ending their lives. Despite it being illegal, especially in the United States, the possibilities of physician-assisted suicides taking place in the country are quite high. Such acts are most likely going to force the legalization of assisted suicides so that the government can have some measure of control over it. Analysis Among the arguments that have been made concerning the banning of physician, assisted suicide is that it is wrong in the eyes of God. The greatest opposition to the legalization of this practice has come from the religious establishment and religious texts and opinions have been used to justify its stand. It has been stated that only God has the ultimate power to take away life, and that doctors who assist their patients in dying are committing a sin.3 This argument has been strongly countered by advocates of physician-assisted suicide, who have stated that God is not so aloof that he allows people to suffer immense pain. Instead, they have argued that God has given human beings the knowledge and the ability to get rid of pain, and that among the means that God has provided is that of physicians assisting their patients to receive a