Matters of Death

Sanctity of Life

Quality of Life

Death - brain stops working

Hell - Christian, without God

Heaven - Christian, with God

Purgatory - Roman Catholic, a place your soul gets cleansed, inbetween heaven and hell

Agesim

Reincarnation - Hindu, involves soul

Re birth - Buddhist, doesn't involve soul

Mourning

Living Will - not legally binding

Life Support - being kept alive, not just brain dead and can get better

Hospice - helps people before dying, not always religious, palliative care, helps family

Euthanasia - dieing without pain before dying natually, Greek for 'Good Death'

Voluntary - the person wants to die and can tell them

Involuntary - killed against their wishes, murder, nazis

Non-voluntary- it is in their best intrest eg coma, (never in best interest - muslims and roman catholics)

Passive - increasing does of drug eg morphine so they die

Active - giving them something to drink or a drug to accelerate death

Laws

• It is illegal in the Uk
• It is legal in Switzerland and the Netherlands
• Familys can be prosecuted when they arrive home to the UK

Facts

• Dignitas are a famous company that carry out euthanasia in Switzerland
• Greek for 'Good Death'

Case Studies

• Daniel James - rugby man
• Tony Bland - Hillsborough 1989, first person in Britain to be allowed through the courts to have his treatment withdrawn

Reasons

• Dying with dignity - dying quickly and peacefully
• Quality of Life - patient can't communicate
• Burden - stop pressure on family
• Had enough of life
• Burden
• Don't want to harm the others around them anymore

Arguments For

• God has given the intelligence to be able to do it
• Pets and animals are put down but not humans

Arguments Against

• In pain so wont be able to make sensible decisions
• Against Gods wishes
• Modern drugs alleviate pain
• Diagnostic mistakes
• People with living wills might change their minds

Living Options

• Care homes - Keep independence
• Living at home - Keep independence
• Hospices - before death
• Living with family - could cause friction and frustration

Elderly

• Housing
• Sterotyped
• Money
• Support with food
• illness
• ageism

Christian

• They believe God creates life and he should be the only one the end it
• However, if euthanasia is going to improve someone's quality of life it can be acceptable
• You should treat others how you want to be treated
• Should respect elders
• Asking for forgiveness gets you into heaven, salvation - God saves you from Hell
• Everyone has rights to views and opinions
• All christain churches are opposed to euthanasia
• Sanctity of Life

Muslims

• Have to look after their parents, not allowed to put them in a care home
• They looked after you so you must look after them
• Only Allah can take life although passive euthanasia is acceptable
• Sanctity of Life

Hindus

• reincarnation - work your way up then finally go to Mukhtar, circle of samsarah
• Karma

Christian

• "Love your neighbour as you love yourself"
• "Honour your mother and father"
• "I tell you today you will be with me in paradise"
• "Do not Murder"
• "You are Gods Temple"
• "Only God can give and take Life"

Muslim

• "May his nose be rubbed in dust who found his parents approching old age and lost his right to enter paradise becuase he did not look after them"
• "The Lord hath ruled that you be kind to parents"
• "Your body is a temple of God"
• "Do not take the life that Allah has made sacred except for a good cause"
• "Nor can a soul die except by Allahs leave"

Other

• Palliative care - treatment to reduce severity symptoms
• Samaritians - Christian Organisation
• Self determination is believing same as free will without religion