Social facts and the Christian view Euthanasia Social facts and the Christian view

Euthanasia Outcomes: All must know 3 social facts on euthanasia Most should discuss and understand the Christian view on euthanasia Some could use specialist vocabulary to explain religious views on Euthanasia

Euthanasia The big picture: Life is sacred, people attitude to the sacredness of life determines their view on abortion and euthanasia. Today: Euthanasia

Euthanasia Connector: You have two minutes to decide as a table if your friend should die… He’s been on life support machine for seven months now and is kept alive by machines, there is a slight chance of survival but even if she comes back she will not remember anything…Decide Now! Another patient needs this life support machine urgently…in two minutes…… decide

You decide!!!

Euthanasia Keywords: Quality of life’ means being able to think, communicate with others, feeding yourself, be free from severe pain etc Euthanasia: an easy and gentle death Assisted suicide: providing a person with the means to commit suicide Voluntary euthanasia: the situation where someone dying in pain asks a doctor to end his or her life painlessly Non voluntary euthanasia: ending someone’s life painlessly when they are not able to ask.

Euthanasia Why is euthanasia more discussed nowadays? Discuss on your table and come up with more than 5 answers

Social facts and the Christian view 1- Changes in medical skills and technology mean that euthanasia is now discussed more. 2-Life-support machines, new medical technology to keep handicapped babies alive, and better drugs to fight cancer all mean that people are being kept alive by medicine – often in agony. 3-The law says nothing can be done by doctors that could be thought of as euthanasia. However, recent decisions by the courts have allowed doctors to switch off life-support machines and stop feeding patients who are in a persistent vegetative state.

Homework Revise the whole topic of life and death for next lesson’s end of unit test

Social facts and the Christian view In a brainstorm tell us what you think religious people might say about euthanasia Life is sacred Quran says you should not kill God gave life Religion and euthanasia 10 commandments Dying in peace Life support machine to be switched off God takes life Let them die to re-incarnate!

Social facts and the Christian view Key fact: There are various types of euthanasia which are all aimed at giving an easy death to those suffering intolerably. It is more of a problem now because medicine is more likely to keep people alive for longer.

Social facts and the Christian view All Christians oppose the practice of euthanasia because: They believe that life is sacred and should only be taken by God The Bible says quite clearly that Christians must not murder (sixth commandment) There are many statements in the Bible which say that life and death decisions only belong to God. Many Church leaders have said that life is sacred and comes from God, therefore only God can decide when someone should die Christians believe that doctors are required to save lives, not kill, and to allow them to kill people would be giving them double standards to follow

Social facts and the Christian view If a doctor’s job is to save lives, should doctors be asked to kill patients with a low quality of life? Who decides who is to live and who is to die? Open class debate! Just raise you hand and give your opinion.

Social facts and the Christian view However, there are some different attitudes: 1- Most Christians (including Roman Catholics) accept that doctors should be allowed to give lots of pain-killing drugs even if they know it is shortening the patient’s life. They also believe that expensive treatments need not be carried out or lengthen the lives of dying patients.

Social facts and the Christian view 2- Some Christians do not agree with switching off life-support machines, but many Christians believe this must be allowed when there are no signs of life.

Euthanasia Seven things we have all learnt today.