Euthanasia and Christianity

         The majority of Christians are opposed to euthanasia. It is the general opinion of Christians that life originates from God, and that it ultimately should be God’s decision when life ends. Christian doctrine teaches that humans were created in God’s image and that He is the author of human life; undergoing euthanasia could be considered an act of defiance (Euthanasia ProCon.org). It additionally, is taught in the Bible that murder of an innocent person is wrong, despite any circumstances, and while it is debatable whether or not euthanasia is actually murder, many Christians believe that the doctor performing this act for the patient is in fact committing a sin in doing so. Many Christians also believe that the time right before death is a very spiritual time and should be used to grow closer with God. By undergoing euthanasia, one is taking this spiritual time and tainting it with the act of ending a life (BBC News, 2009).

         Suicide is only mentioned in the Old Testament of The Bible twice. In neither case is this act done due to physical suffering and in neither instance is there commentary on this action (Religion Facts). This lack of specific examples leads to much ambiguity on the matter and leaves much of this argument to speculation. This lack of concreteness about the issue could influence an elderly Christian’s perspective on undergoing this procedure. On one hand it could make them less willing to use this avenue due to the opposition to euthanasia in the Christian community. On the other hand, an elderly Christian who was in chronic pain could perceive this as a lack of definite ruling and could be more likely to go ahead with this procedure than an elderly person who’s religion concretely discouraged such actions.

"Euthanasia and Assisted Dying." BBC News. BBC, 08 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/euthanasia_1.shtml>.

"Euthanasia and Christianity:Christian Views of Euthanasia and Suicide." Religion Facts. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/christianity.htm>.

"What Are Christian Perspectives on Euthanasia and Physician-assisted Suicide?" Euthanasia. ProCon.org. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000154>.

A Buddhist Approach to Euthanasia

         One of the predominant religions in America that I have not yet discussed in my blog, is Buddhism. Buddhism has grown quite substantially in the United States in the last few decades. When considering euthanasia in elderly populations, it is becoming increasingly important to consider this religious group because in the years to come, much of the elderly population will consist of practicing Buddhists. Interestingly, there is no unanimous view of euthanasia in Buddhist tradition; however, there are many teachings that apply to this topic (Rinpoche).  Many Buddhists believe euthanasia to be wrong because it implies that the person choosing the procedure is in a bad state of mind, which, if given pain killers, or a  meditation practice, they might be able to overcome. Additionally, many Buddhists believe that performing this procedure would put the physician in a bad state of mind and that this should be avoided as well (BBC News, 2009).

         In Buddhist Pali Canon, the primary Buddhist text, there are three separate examples of monks committing suicide all of which appear to be due to physical ailments. In all of these stories it seems that Buddha disapproves of the act suicide, but his motive for disapproval are different in each situation. This leads one to consider whether it was the act itself, or the situation and state of mind of the monk that he was unsupportive of (ReligionFacts). This ambiguity in the Pali Canon is what potentially leads to the difference of opinion in the Buddhist community. It would appear from the data, however, that the majority of Buddhists do not support the practice of euthanasia, which leads me to believe that assisted suicide is a less likely solution for chronic pain from terminal illnesses in the elderly Buddhist population.

"Buddhism, Euthanasia and Suicide." BBC News. BBC, 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/euthanasiasuicide.shtml>.

"Euthanasia and Buddhism." ReligionFacts. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/buddhism.htm>.

Rinpoche, Lama Z. "Buddhism, Euthanasia and Compassion." Buddhas Village. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. <http://www.buddhasvillage.com/teachings/lz_euthanasia.htm>.

Hinduism and Euthanasia

         Two very influential aspects of life are religion, and spirituality. Often times both play a very large roll in decision making and in lifestyle. Many elderly people begin to rely more than ever on religious affiliations, as these affiliations can often provide emotional security during the aging process. It is not surprising then that religion and spirituality play such a large roll in determining one’s openness to the practice of euthanasia. For many terminally ill elderly people, religious belief systems can be the deciding factor when considering whether to use this practice to end their own lives.

         One religion that seemingly doesn’t condemn euthanasia is Hinduism. In fact, in traditional Indian custom there is a spiritual practice, performed at times by the terminally ill and elderly, that involves fasting until death (Minocha et al, 2011). Hindu beliefs hold that death is not the ultimate end because what is important is the soul, not the body. This religion holds that after death, a soul is reborn in a new body so a body is only a temporary vessel (Babb, 2010). This belief system emphasizes the beauty in death, and emphasizes the importance of having a beautiful and dignified death. For many people, their definition of an optimal death is one that is pain free and happens before a true loss of function due to medical problems. Euthanasia can be a means of achieving this type of death.

         This controversial issue has even been headlining in Indian newspapers recently, and the argument presented in support of legalizing euthanasia is based off of Hindu beliefs. The fact that there is an argument at all for the legality of this practice, and that it is based off of Hindu beliefs, could imply that in Hindu culture euthanasia may be seen as more acceptable than in other cultures. It may be concluded, I believe, that for elderly Hindus considering euthanasia, this belief system, and their response to it, could be an influencing factor.

Babb, L. A. "Hinduism." Credo Reference. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology, 2010. Web. <http:// www.credoreference.com.libproxy.usc.edu/entry/routencsca/ hinduism>.

Minocha, Aneeta A., Arima Mishra, and Vivek R. Minocha. "Euthanasia: A Social Science Perspective." Contify.com. Economic and Political Weekly, 3 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

"Hinduism, Jainism, NGO Pitches for Euthanasia." HT Media Limited. HindustanTimes.com, 13 Feb. 2009. Web.

Men, Societal Expectations, and Euthanasia

        While I have previously discussed the effect of gender roles on elderly women in respect to euthanasia, I have not explored the effect that gender roles might play for elderly men as they consider the same issue.

         As mentioned in my previous post, men and women have very different societal expectations placed on them regarding both their status economically, and in their families. Males are typically expected to be the protector of the family and additionally, are expected to maintain a job so that they can be the primary financial provider for the family (Shehan, 2012). For many men, post retirement life can hold many challenges, as they no longer have the familiar responsibility of a job. Without this responsibility, they often feel as though a significant part of their life is over, and that in many ways, they are no longer as useful as they previously were. These feelings of uselessness may only be heightened if they were suffering from a terminal disease, or were experiencing severely deteriorating health. These particular feelings could be considered unique to men, because, as the likely historical primary provider in a family, they could feel as though they were failing their families if they were no longer able to provide for them. An elderly man suffering from a terminal illness would additionally no longer function as a protection figure in the same capacity, and this too could be associated with feelings of failure (Parks, 2000). There could also potentially be feelings of shame associated with the aging process, as an elderly man would likely no longer be able to serve his family as he previously had. Older men, who find they are suffering from a terminal illness, could potentially consider euthanasia, as this path could be one that would facilitate the avoidance of these feelings. In fact, studies indicate that 84% of men support euthanasia while only 66% of woman support this practice in terminally ill patients (Public Agenda, 2005). The 18% difference between men and women, represented by this statistic, indicates the importance of gender role in the euthanasia debate. I propose that as each gender experiences pressure from society differently they would therefore have different motives for considering euthanasia as they age.

Parks, Jennifer A. "Why Gender Matters to the Euthanasia Debate." The Hastings Center Report (2000): 30. Print.Shehan, Constance L.

"Parental Roles." Encyclopedia of Sociology. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 2031-2038. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.

"Men Are More Likely than Women to Say They Support Euthanasia and Doctor-assisted Suicide." Public Agenda. May 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.publicagenda.org/charts/men-are-more- likely-women-say-they-support-euthanasia-and-doctor-assisted- suicide>.

Societal Expectations and The Traditional Role of Women

An important component to consider as one explores physician assisted suicide and euthanasia in the elderly is the affect that gender has on an individual during the aging process. This issue is important because societal expectations, which differ drastically between men and women, could perhaps impact whether an individual of either sex might opt for one of these procedures. In this entry I will be focusing specifically on women and how their decision regarding physician assisted suicide might be influenced by traditional societal expectations.

            Traditionally, the role that women have fulfilled in families is that of caretaker and nurturer. While it’s true that this role has begun to change as women have transitioned towards the pursuit of career, and begun to share the role of homemaker with men, in the generation previous to ours this was generally not yet the case. It is this generation (the one previous to ours) that accounts for the current elderly population, and so, these traditional roles could be influencing the current rate of those of advancing years who opt for physician assisted suicide. Many women who have held the role of caretaker throughout their life feel high levels of pressure to continue to act out this role even late into life (Wolf, 282). Many women also report feeling as though they have failed in their duties when they are no longer able to care for others (Parks, 30). Additionally, for those who have spent their lives in the role of nurturer it may feel wrong, or even shameful, to be the recipient of caretaking as they age. A sense of chagrin could affect a terminally ill elderly woman’s decision regarding physician assisted suicide if she believed that opting for help in ending her life would be a means to avoid being an ongoing burden on her family (Parks, 30). Societal expectations could lead an elderly woman to pursue this course of action as a means of avoiding this role reversal (McCredie, 25). This is a conflict that is likely unique to women because they, and not men, have typically identified with the role of nurturer and caretaker and would experience the greatest anxiety at having this role reversed. While men might also consider physician assisted suicide it seems clear that, in terms of societal expectations, different dynamics might influence their decision than those affecting a woman’s decision.           

McCreadie, C.. (2008). Public Attitudes to Euthanasia. Working With Older People, 12(1), 24-26.  Retrieved February 29, 2012, from Health Module. (Document ID: 1448406071).

Parks, Jennifer A. "Why Gender Matters to the Euthanasia Debate." The Hastings Center Report (2000): 30. Print.

S. Wolf, “Gender, Feminism, and Death: Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” in Feminism & Bioethics: Beyond Reproduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. P 282-317. Print.

Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide in Asian Culture

        As previously noted, the majority of people who have opted to undergo physician assisted suicide in the state of Oregon have been of Caucasian decent. Following the Caucasian population, the next most common racial group to undergo this procedure are those of Asian decent, who have accounted for 1.3% of all patients who have chosen to end their lives with the help of a medical professional (Oregon Health Authority, 2011). Statistically, individuals of Asian decent make up a mere 3.7% of the population of the state of Oregon, indicating a discrepancy of only 2.4% when compared to the entire population pool where physician assisted suicide is concerned (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). This is not a very large difference, and one might theorize that whatever religious or cultural factors that limited the use of physician assisted suicide in Hispanic ethnic groups, offer no such constraints for those of Asian decent. In a previous blog the issue of all suicide, from a Roman Catholic perspective, was examined. The conclusion was reached that within the American Hispanic community physician assisted suicide was rejected on moral grounds. Perhaps the higher rate of Asian Americans opting for this procedure indicates a different religious or moral perspective. To understand whether or not this is the case it becomes necessary to look at how this procedure is viewed in Asian countries, and whether these views might be carried over into Asian American culture.

         In China, while physician assisted suicide and euthanasia are not common practices, there are recorded instances of both taking place. There are more than a thousand recorded cases of either euthanasia or physician assisted suicide --being performed between the years of 1989 and 1995. These practices have only become more common in recent years (Qui, 161). The commonality and acceptance of these procedures would likely have an influence on Chinese-Americans, who are in direct contact with family members, or friends, who remain in China. As these practices have become more accepted and utilized in China, more Chinese-Americans could potentially begin to feel more culturally comfortable with the procedures. The presence of these practices in Chinese culture may be due, in part, to the widely held opinion that the Confucian religion, which is one of the predominant religions in China, does not directly oppose these practices (Ping-cheung, 55). In Japan, another country that feeds directly into the Asian American population, statistics show that fully 70% of the population supports the use of either passive or active euthanasia in terminally ill or elderly patients (Tanida, 339). The support of these practices in Japan could also carry over into Asian American culture making physician assisted suicide and euthanasia for the elderly seemingly more acceptable to this ethnic group.

Ping-cheung, Lo. "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide from Confucian Moral Perspective." Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.springerlink.com.libproxy.usc.edu/content/mr71046632341748/fulltext.pdf>.

Qui, Renzong. Philosophy and Medicine. Vol. 80. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic, 2004. 161-65. Print.

Tanida, Noritoshi. "The View of Religions toward Euthanasia and Extraordinary Treatments in Japan." Journal of Religion and Health. Springer, 2000. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.usc.edu/stable/27511486?seq=5>.

Oregon Health Authority. Public Health. Oregon.gov. 7 Jan. 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/index.aspx.

United States of America. U.S. Census Bureau. Oregon Quick Facts. 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html

Euthanasia In Hispanic Culture

            Data taken from the state of Oregon between the years of 1998 and 2010 strongly indicates that almost every person to opt for physician assisted suicide in Oregon has been Caucasian (of the total 525 cases, 514 have been Caucasian). The Oregon population is 83.6% Caucasian so these results do not match the population distribution. This could lead one to assume that in other racial groups there might be motives for rejecting the practice of physician assisted suicide. Oregon’s current population is 11.7% Hispanic. Only .4% of the participants of physician assisted suicide were Hispanic so it becomes apparent that per capita Hispanics are not opting for physician assisted suicide at the same rate as other racial groups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). The question one must ask in response to this data is why this number is so much lower than expected. This discrepancy could possibly be explained by looking at the religious profile of the Hispanic population in America.

            More than 90% of the Spanish-speaking world identifies as Roman Catholic and this religious affiliation carries over to the Hispanic population in the United States (Clutter and Ruben). The Catholic Church’s public stand on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide maintains that both are the moral equivalent to murder. It is considered murder not only on the part of the physician assisting with the act but additionally on the part of the person who is essentially committing suicide. “According to Catholic teaching, suicide or self-murder is gravely immoral for basically the same reasons that murder is wrong” (Catholic Insight, 2006). It appears likely that the strong presence of Roman Catholicism in the Hispanic culture would render individuals much less likely to undergo physician assisted suicide or euthanasia because both would, according to Catholic doctrine, be prohibited. It is possible that the elderly in Hispanic communities would reject both practices even if the alternative was prolonged pain and a decrease in the quality of life. It is clear to me that further research regarding how religious demographics impact the rate of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is called for.

Clutter, Ann W., and Ruben D. Nieto. "Understanding the Hispanic Culture." Ohioline. The Ohio State University Extension. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5237.html

"Euthanasia Part I: Catholic Doctrine." Catholic Insight. 3 Dec. 2006. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://catholicinsight.com/online/political/euthanasia/article_318.shtml

Oregon Health Authority. Public Health. Oregon.gov. 7 Jan. 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/index.aspx.

United States of America. U.S. Census Bureau. Oregon Quick Facts. 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html.