Religion
Christians are mostly against euthanasia. The arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Some churches also emphasise the importance of not interfering with the natural process of death. They believe that life is a gift of God
• all life is God-given
• birth and death are part of the life processes which God has created, so we should respect them
• therefore no human being has the authority to take the life of any innocent person, even if that person wants to die
Human beings are valuable because they are made in God's image
• human life possesses an intrinsic dignity and value because it is created by God in his own image for the distinctive destiny of sharing in God's own life • saying that God created humankind in his own image doesn't mean that people actually look like God, but that people have a unique capacity for rational existence that enables them to see what is good and to want what is good • as people develop these abilities they live a life that is as close as possible to God's life of love • this is a good thing, and life should be preserved so that people can go on doing this
• to propose euthanasia for an individual is to judge that the current life of that individual is not worthwhile
• such a judgement is incompatible with recognising the worth and dignity of the person to be killed
• therefore arguements based on the quality of life are completely irrelevant
• nor should anyone ask for euthanasia for themselves because no-one has the right to value anyone, even themselves, as worthless
The process of dying is spiritually important, and should not be disrupted
• Many churches believe that the period just before death is a profoundly spiritual time
• They think it is wrong to interfere with the process of dying, as this would interrupt the process of the spirit moving towards God
All human lives are equally valuable
Christians believe that the intrinsic
• all life is God-given
• birth and death are part of the life processes which God has created, so we should respect them
• therefore no human being has the authority to take the life of any innocent person, even if that person wants to die
Human beings are valuable because they are made in God's image
• human life possesses an intrinsic dignity and value because it is created by God in his own image for the distinctive destiny of sharing in God's own life • saying that God created humankind in his own image doesn't mean that people actually look like God, but that people have a unique capacity for rational existence that enables them to see what is good and to want what is good • as people develop these abilities they live a life that is as close as possible to God's life of love • this is a good thing, and life should be preserved so that people can go on doing this
• to propose euthanasia for an individual is to judge that the current life of that individual is not worthwhile
• such a judgement is incompatible with recognising the worth and dignity of the person to be killed
• therefore arguements based on the quality of life are completely irrelevant
• nor should anyone ask for euthanasia for themselves because no-one has the right to value anyone, even themselves, as worthless
The process of dying is spiritually important, and should not be disrupted
• Many churches believe that the period just before death is a profoundly spiritual time
• They think it is wrong to interfere with the process of dying, as this would interrupt the process of the spirit moving towards God
All human lives are equally valuable
Christians believe that the intrinsic