Euthanasia remains one of the most controversial of the medical ethical issues. Euthanasia refers to the deliberate ending of a life to prevent additional pain and suffering (NHS, 2015). A series of four interviews were conducted to determine how individuals feel about euthanasia and whether or not society should consider it as an option. The interviews were conducted with a friend, a spiritual leader, a nursing manager and a physician.
Overall, the responses indicated that euthanasia is a violation of God’s law and his plan for his children.

Interestingly enough, the one person who did respond that he favors euthanasia is not a medical person. The two medical people and the spiritual leader are obviously more likely to see death and despair. While the medical people obviously see individuals with terminal conditions, they still do not believe that ending life prematurely is an option. Furthermore, the spiritual leader also sees individuals in the worst moments of life; he responds to aid parishioners and their family members during serious illnesses. He is quite familiar with the pain and the suffering of the human condition. He still believes that life is sacred and that God should make the decisions. Furthermore, he had an excellent point that Job suffered tremendously, and still accepted it. Job recognized that God had a plan for him. As humans, we cannot see the greater scheme of the universe, and must accept and trust God’s plans.

My friend is in support of euthanasia. He has no practical experience with death, disease and the dying process. Rather, he appears to support it in theory. I question whether or not he would support it in practice. One must recognize that it is easy to support something in theory, but difficult to put it into practice. I wonder if he would be willing to watch a family member he loves die a moment before they needed to. When a person dies naturally, it is difficult enough to accept it. Suicide puts another dimension of pain onto the person’s grief. In the end, euthanasia is suicide, which merely transfers more pain to the living (New Zealand Resource for Life, 2014).

• New Zealand Resource for Life. (2014). Impact of euthanasia on family. Retrieved from: http://www.life.org.nz/euthanasia/euthanasiakeyissues/impact-on-family/
• NHS. (2015). Euthanasia. Retrieved from: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasiaandassistedsuicide/Pages/Introduction.aspx