Do You Have Right To Die
http://www.whylife.org/edu_euth.htm
This text is used by permission of Copyright of Whylife Organization
| 1 | Let's say a close friend of yours is really sick. According to all kinds of doctors and specialists, your friend has about a 20% chance of living through the next year. And on top of that, your friend is in incredible pain around the clock. Now, what if your friend was so desperate and had lost so much hope that he wanted to die? What if your friend asked you to help him die? What would you do? Would you help relieve your friend's pain by helping to kill him? |
| 2 | Does the idea of killing a close friend of yours sound ridiculous? Well, it happens. It's called assisted suicide, or euthanasia. And it's legal in one state, but there are cases of it happening all over the country! |
| 3 | In February of this year, a 21-year-old college student, who had been paralyzed by a spinal infection, wanted to die so badly that he took the hospital to court for the right to leave. He won the court battle, was released from the hospital, and was dead just a few hours later. He was given a lethal injection by Jack Kevorkian in his mother's apartment. |
| 4 | Back in 1996, a 58-year-old man in New York fed his wife a handful of sleeping pills mixed with pudding and vodka, and placed a plastic bag over her head, which killed her. His wife had a form of Lou Gehrig's disease. In February of this year, the man was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and was ordered to spend two weeks in jail. |
| 5 | Just this May, a 26-year-old quadriplegic man was given a lethal injection in California. His body was dropped off at a hospital in Michigan by Jack Kevorkian. |
| 6 | And these are just a few. There are hundreds of cases just like these three that have happened in the last couple of years! |
| 7 |
WHAT IS EUTHANASIA? Euthanasia is often defined by its supporters as helping an individual who is suffering to die with dignity. It is often considered the merciful thing to do. It is referred to as physician assisted suicide, mercy killing, physician aid in dying, imposed death or other names. |
| 8 | What is euthanasia really? It is the killing of people whose lives have value. These people all have immeasurable value because they have been created in the image and likeness of God. Unfortunately, these people, either alone or with the help of their close family and friends, have been convinced that their lives have no meaning and are no longer worth living. |
| 9 | Usually, individuals who have life-threatening illnesses or other life-altering physical ailments are targeted for imposed death (euthanasia). And if that wasn't bad enough, the use of assisted suicide is now being expanded to include many other individuals, because someone in society has decided that their lives aren't worth living. |
| 10 | What people have forgotten is that no matter what suffering we face in our lives, God has a plan for all of us. God can use suffering for good in our lives and in the lives of the people around us. With God, there is always hope! |
| 11 | What it comes down to is this. Euthanasia kills people whose quality of life has been judged by others to only be worthy of death, whether they have an illness, are handicapped, or are severely mentally ill. |
| 12 | What's next? Will we kill people who can't support themselves financially, or are overweight? Should everyone be able to decide for themselves when it is their time to go? And when should someone be able to decide for us? All scary questions, huh? |
| 13 |
DR. DEATH Jack Kevorkian (also known as "Dr. Death"), a native of the state of Michigan, can definitely be considered one of the leaders in the pro-euthanasia movement. He has "assisted" more than 100 people in committing suicide, and his victims are getting younger and younger. His latest victim was a 21-year-old college student. Who's next? A 15-year-old with a bad case of asthma? It's clear that Dr. Death believes that anyone who isn't perfect is better off dead. |
| 14 |
WHAT DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAY? "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstances claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258) |
| 15 | LET'S GET REAL!!!No human being has the right to take another human life - or their own, for that matter! Only God can rightfully create and take life. Let's quit playing God. |