Euthanasia Information from FRC

Euthanasia

Euthanasia and End of Life Issues: http://www.frc.org/life--bioethics#euthanasia

Disabling diseases and injuries, including those for which there is a terminal diagnosis, are tragic. However, there is no such thing as a life not worth living. Every life holds promise, even if disadvantaged by developmental disability, injury, disease, or advanced aging. FRC believes that every human life has inherent dignity, and that it is unethical to deliberately end the life of a suffering person (euthanasia), or assist or enable another person to end their life (assisted suicide). While extraordinary means of life support, such as assistance with respiration and heart function, may be withdrawn from a terminally ill person if that is the person's expressed wish, nutrition and hydration are normal and not extraordinary means of maintaining life, and severe disability is not the same as terminal illness. True compassion means finding ways to ease suffering and provide care for each person, while maintaining the individual's life and dignity.

Resources:

· Should We Legalize Voluntary Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide? by William L. Saunders, J.D. and Michael Fragoso

· Amicus Brief: Baxter v. Montana

· Should We Legalize Voluntary Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide? A Review of the Ethical Arguments and of the Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands and Oregon by John Keown, M.A. D.Phil. Ph.D.

· Amicus Brief Filed in Oregon Assisted Suicide Case: Gonzales v. Oregon