To Kill or Not to Kill?

In Thomas More’s work, Utopia, the act of euthanasia is something to be honored and even respected throughout their society, while all other types of suicide earn disrespect from the people. Evidence of such actions can be seen in the passage,

“Officially sanctioned euthanasia is regarded as an honourable death - but if you commit suicide for reasons which the priests and Bencheaters do not consider adequate, you forfeit all rights to either burial or cremation” (More 2.83).

As can be seen in the passage above, Utopians held euthanasia in high regard, but I believe that euthanasia should not be thought of so highly. While there are points to euthanasia being an understandably tempting approach, my conscience wrestles with why euthanization should ever be considered an honorable choice or that it would be respectable of priests to come into the home of a dying person and try to persuade him/her to make a decision of such importance. I hold the opinion that it should not be an honorable choice or something one is ever pushed into deciding to do.

Although it is understandable that euthanasia can seem tempting in light of certain situations, I still do not believe that committing such an action is honorable or respectable. I can understand where it might even seem as though it is a good idea in some examples of terrible illness. Instances of euthanasia appearing as almost merciful can be seen when it is keeping one from endless pain which can happen in a humans life. One such example of merciful euthanasia can be seen when one is diagnosed with cancer and has been found to be in the later stages where recovery is not a likely possibility. One might argue that euthanasia gives the opportunity to avoid enduring the pain and suffering one would inevitably experience in such a situation. During a passage in Utopia, having an illness that will eventually end one’s life is phrased as being “imprisoned in a torture-chamber” (More 2.83) then it is asked, “why don’t you break out and escape to a better world?” (More 2.83). The validity of such a statement can be understood due to knowing that some illnesses and diseases do cause one to feel an extreme amount of pain especially in the knowledge that there is no earthly thing that can be done to cure them.

While the validity of the temptation of euthanasia can be seen, there is still the other side of the claim to argue, that euthanasia on humans is wrong. While More’s work in Utopia does not provide textual evidence as to why euthanasia could be viewed as wrong, the book does state, “but if you commit suicide for reasons which the priests and Bencheaters do not consider adequate, you forfeit all rights to either burial or cremation” (More 2.83). How is it decided that euthanization is different from suicide? As stated earlier, the priests come in to see a person in permanent illness and tell this patient that he/she is a “nuisance to other people and a burden to yourself” (More 2.83) and then later on ask “So why go on feeding germs?“ (More 2.83) and then encourages the individual to either starve oneself or take a soporific. Interpreting the information just given, to starve oneself to or to take a soporific sounds very similar to ending one’s own life which is also to be referred to as suicide. The entire basis upon which the people of Utopia honor euthanasia but disrespect any other type of suicide, that these so called officials do not deem admirable, does not qualify as valid grounds to stand on in my opinion. Another text that evidence can be cited from to support the topic at hand is the Bible. In The Bible in Exodus 20:13 it states “Thou shalt not kill”. While suicide is not taking another’s life, suicide is taking one’s own life which is the life that God Himself breathed into us, and if God is the one who created man, shouldn’t it be His decision when man leaves this life to enter into another?

In conclusion, it is understood that euthanasia could be a merciful way to leave this life and not endure such pain and suffering that some types of illnesses or diseases can make one experience. In my opinion it does not appear that a decision of such magnitude should be left to the workings of one who did not create the being. Ultimately I believe that only God can decide something of such import, and that even if it is a painful time one should continue living until one’s life has naturally expired.