2. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide is an ongoing issue around the world Fear that medical advancements no longer allow death to be a serene moment, instead prolonging death Excellent example of the effects of moral relativism

3. Active Euthanasia: Deliberate killing of someone with the intention of ending all suffering Passive Euthanasia: withholding or withdrawing life support, nutrition, or water without a persons consent, with the specific intention of ending that persons life

4. Assisted Suicide: providing a person with the means to end his/her life Doctor-Assisted Death: physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia performed by a physician

5. Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide is ALWAYS wrong The good of the sanctity of human life, that life that God bestowed on us, can never be sacrificed for the sake of the good self-determination Against the 6 th Commandment, Thou shall not kill

6. Life is always good and may never be taken Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever 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 circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being. CCC 2258

7. Judgment that life is not worth living Arrogant view that has lead to lives being taken throughout history Euthanasia and Suicide Murder Genocide

8. Euthanizing and forgoing extraordinary measures are two separate issues Extraordinary measures: any measures that are disproportionate to the expected results OR measures that impose an excessive burden on the patient and family

9. Proper nourishment (food and water) Ordinary medical care: Offer reasonable hope of benefit Are not unduly burdensome to the patient or family Anything not primarily considered ordinary medical care Consider these factors: Degree of complexity Amount of risk involved Cost and accessibility State of the sick person His resources

10. The person is placing himself in Gods hands and prepares to leave this life Maintains ordinary means of health care

11. One can, in good conscience, refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to the sick person in similar cases is not interrupted (Evangelium Viate, n65)

12. Pain relievers are a morally acceptable way of subduing suffering Some choose not to take pain relievers Pain relief is still acceptable even if it has the secondary, but not intended, effect of hastening the end of life

13. A person is dying of cancer which has metastasized throughout his body. The disease causes the man to go into a coma and he must be fed intravenously and use a respirator. His kidneys fail and it becomes clear that the situation is not reversible Medical technology is not providing any hope of recovery or benefit at this point; it is prolonging death The respirator has now become an extraordinary measure, so turning it off would be morally acceptable.

14. No one enjoys suffering, nor should anyone wish for someone to experience it We must remember that we have been baptized into Christs passion, death and resurrection We share in our Lords cross, and that may be very painful at times We are united with Christ with our suffering

15. It is VERY difficult to understand the purpose of suffering But…by uniting our suffering with Christs, we expiate (atonemake amends) the hurt caused by our sins and help expiate the sins of others Sometimes suffering will finally heal the wounds that have divided families

16. Faith in the resurrected Lord teaches us that while we live on earth, it is not our abiding home. St. Francis of Assisi spoke of Sister Death as a friend who carries us from this life to the Fathers house. We should not fear death

17. The vulnerable may be pressured to to seek an earlier death by third parties Danger may increase as health resources decrease or become more expensive

18. The role of the physician and trust in him would be undermined Palliative care would be marginalized

19. How is suffering defined? What about the depressed, infirm, frail, etc.

20. Diminish respect for human life Erode the basic trust that human life will be protected Essential trust to have for the functioning of any society

21. …I will neither give a deadly drug to anyone if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect… First, do no harm.

22. Secularism Moral relativism Radical personal autonomy The growing AIDS epidemic Families have fewer children Emphasis on reducing the cost of healthcare

23. Netherlands (1984). In 1990, 9% of deaths were D.A.S. or euthanasia Oregon: Death with Dignity Act (1997); Washington; Montana Belgium: 2002 Switzerland: euth. not legalized, doctors arent punished for D.A.S. Northern Territory of Australia: 2006

24. Regulations are in place, but a slippery slope occurs Records are difficult to maintain and can be altered or not maintained People argue that suffering is a relative term When a person is unconscious, others are responsible for his/her decision

26. Active Euth.D.A.S.Morphine OD intended to kill Total w/ Consent2,3004003,1595,859 w/o Consent1,0004,9415,941 Total3,3004008,10011,800 Total population (1991)15,022,000 Total deaths (1991)135,200 Euthanasia deaths11,800 Euth. as percent of total deaths 9%

27. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/tul/ott- euthanasia.html#lessons http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/tul/ott- euthanasia.html#lessons http://www.catholicenquiry.com/life-and- death/what-is-the-churchs-position-on- euthanasia.html http://www.catholicenquiry.com/life-and- death/what-is-the-churchs-position-on- euthanasia.html http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/librar y/view.cfm?id=307 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/librar y/view.cfm?id=307 Going to the House of the Father. Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops. April 2007 COLF pamphlet entitled: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Urgent Questions! http://www.euthanasia.com/hollchart.html