Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death people who have incurable, painful, or distressing diseases or handicaps. Although most religious groups believe that it is suicide or murder and immoral. People who have supported euthanasia in the past believe that it allows a person to die with dignity instead of being kept barely alive by artificial means (Abernethy, 430).
Active euthanasia involves painlessly putting individuals to death for merciful reasons, as when a doctor administers a lethal dose of medication to a patient. Passive euthanasia involves not doing something to prevent death, as when doctors refrain from using an artificial respirator to keep alive a terminally ill patient (Abernethy,431). Euthanasia can be traced as far back as to the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. As time passed, religion increased, and life was viewed to be sacred. Euthanasia in any form was seen as wrong (Abernethy, 433).
Much debate has arisen in the United States among physicians, religious leaders, lawyers, and the general public over the question of what constitutes actively causing death and what constitutes merely allowing death to occur naturally (Manning,21). For many years now, assisted suicide has been a debated topic of who believes in it and who does not. The Christian faith disagrees with the act of assisted suicide. "This religion teaches redemptive suffering. God sends suffering as a means of washing away people's sins and saving their souls. It is believed that people can be blessed if they endure their misery (www.religioustolerance.com)." In this century, there have been many groups formed that are for and against euthanasia. In 1935 the first group that was for the legalization of euthanasia was formed. It was called the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and was started by a grou...