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>.