The term “mercy killing” has always been a strange one to me. On one hand, it makes good sense. There are some conditions that are so untreatable or so painful that it would be better for everyone, especially the patient, to just be put out of their misery. But on the other hand, the phrase also seems like a total oxymoron. I believe that life is unarguably the most precious gift that any being has, and intentionally taking that away seems almost impossible to justify. The topic of euthanasia has come under heavy scrutiny recently, as more and more places around the worlds are extending the practice to include humans, not just animals.
Human euthanasia is defined differently in different parts of the world, but in general it is defined as the merciful and painless killing of a patient who is terminally ill and has given express consent that they wish for their life to be ended. As of now, euthanasia is legal only in Belgium, Columbia, India, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, and several states in the USA (Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Vermont). Each country has its own ways of regulating euthanasia; for example, in India, only passive euthanasia (discontinuing life support) is legal, whereas in Luxembourg, a panel of experts and two physicians must discuss with the patient and all reach the same decision in order for the killing to be considered legal.
This issue, as with many bioethical issues, is steeped in religious debate. Virtually every religion considers life to be sacred, and all forms of murder, even suicide, under any circumstances goes against everything that they teach. There are certain provisions in many religions that allow for suicide under extreme circumstances (such as an old yogi with no ambition who fasts to death in the Hindi faith), and even the Catholic church, which historically would not permit those who had committed suicide to a Catholic burial, has eased up on their restrictions. However, at its core, euthanasia is killing, and there are billions of people around the world, whether influenced by religion or not, who are completely opposed to any form of killing.
My opinions on this topic are more divided than on any other topic that I’ve discussed so far. I feel fortunate that no one whom I have been close to has ever been so severely ill that they have seriously contemplated euthanasia, and I don’t believe that I could even begin to imagine the level of pain and misery that someone must be in that they would rather end their life then spend another minute on Earth. This debate will only become more heated as it spreads across the country and across the world, and I believe that watching it unfold will reveal a great deal about human nature and what each of us believes it really means to be alive.