Assisted Suicide, Human Rights and Wrongs

Opinion Forum ^ | May 30, 2010 | Dan Miller

[DanMiller]

As with most controversies many on all sides of the issue present persuasive arguments. I suspect that most people would nevertheless prefer not talk about it. Death is not a pleasant thing to consider despite its universality and despite the great rewards said to be available in Heaven for those who credit that concept. In my view, the question is an intensely personal and serious one to be answered by individuals according to their own lights rather than dictated by what the government, family, friends, other people’s religious organizations or even majority opinion may consider proper. Those who have religious convictions against suicide or enabling it should be free to conform to their religious views but not to require others to conform to them. Those who think suicide is a bad idea for whatever reason should be free to neither commit suicide nor assist others to do so. By the same token, those who make a very difficult and troubling but well informed decision to end their lives should not be legally restrained; nor should they be denied assistance from those willing and competent to provide it.

[DanMiller]

The article attempts a legal analysis and suggests that the new Nebraska informed consent law on abortion might serve as a model for dealing with the situation.

[Jim W N]

Despite what modern relativist ethics teaches, there is a Higher Law that teaches us that suicide and infanticide are morally wrong. There is Absolute Truth and it is revealed in the Bible.

We live in an unprecedented age, not coincidentally the last age before Christ’s return, which has thrown off all absolute, Higher Law restraints. All time periods before the 20th century have sought, albeit many times unsuccessfully, to abide by God’s morals and truth as revealed in the pages of scripture and developed over the centuries in the common law.

[LadyDoc]

Ah, but it ignores what happens when a society decides suicide is a logical way to end suffering.

It leads to the elderly, instead of being cared for, being seen as wasting society’s money, and encouraged them to die so “as not to be a burden”. And if they don’t go along, don’t worry: it leads to friendly healthcare workers offing patients who are nasty or inconvenient for them to care for.

It’s like the lies about abortion: It quickly goes down the slippery slope into a form of birth control.

And don’t forget: if you talk to women, they often abort because everyone around them says they should, and often they are pressured by boyfriends to abort...but it’s easier for men to just pretend it’s about freedom...