Please explain the logic

It's called dying with dignity. Not letting your family watch you whither away in the shell of a body that was once strong enough to carry it's own. Degenerative diseases and incurable cancer are long slow terrible ways to die and have your loved ones watch.

First off, I'm very sorry for any loved ones you have lost. I'm sure it must have been so difficult for you and them. It's a natural desire to want to ease the suffering of those we love, nothing wrong with that. I too have lost family members and many friends to cancer or other incurable deseases. My point is how is choosing to fight it out until the very end dying with less dignity than someone who chooses to end it early with a pill or injection? The kind of thinking that says assisted suicide is dying with dignity attempts to take away the merit of someone who feels they are strong enough to fight to the end. To me that is dying with dignity too. Thanks for giving your side. I appreciate it.

Humans are not on the same level as a pet dog or cat. Dogs and cats don't comprehend why they may be in pain. A vet can't explain to them their diagnosis, treatment, how long they have and options to ease their suffering. It's not considered assisted suicide when you put an animal to sleep. You're exactly right about it being euthanasia for humans. It's a way to rid society of those people deemed a burden, less valuable, because they are not healthy and thriving like other members. It's just a matter of convincing them of this so that a doctor can help send themselves to the grave faster. It's quality control under the guise of compassion. I worked in hospice and saw many people choose to die when God decided to end their suffering not other family members not, doctors, not themselves. That's how it should be. You'll probably ask why would a loving God put anyone through suffering? Ask His Son. Look at a cross and ask yourself if His suffering was a waste. Even if you don't believe it did any good, it did. God doesn't inflict pain on humanity, but He does allow it for a reason. Thanks for your comment.

YOU do not comprehend the source of your pain or illness either, unless you're in the medical field.

Dogs and even those wonderfuly self centered critters, cats, can detect you feeling sick and even locate the source of illness, way before God's pet monkey people invented MRIs and colonoscopy exams.

Dogs & cats are more empathic than their Godlike masters, and don't march you off to death when treatment is not considered a worthwhile investment of your time and and money.

You consider them a burden, less valuable, then speak of a God. Were slave animals created as mere decor for your humble abode?

Doctors save lives. Don't like it, don't go. Let's see how long you last with Holy Water as life support.

The God you worship has inflicted pain on humanity for disobeying him in the Garden of Eden (something which the other creatures which you view as so disposable never did, mind you), cursing Adam & Eve and their descendents for eternity. If you're a believer, believe it. God didn't pen the Torah just so you can select what suits your whims.

Speaking of..... According to that quaint little tome, illness is a consequence of either demonic possesion or a punishment from said God because he's very sensitive and you upset him.

Jesus's suffering on the cross was not put to waste as has served as an excuse from Constantine onwards as a symbol to inspire followers to murder infidels - "In this sign thou shalt conquer"

Just because Christianity decided to become civilized after WWII does not erase what Christians have done in the name of...

Vagabond, there's so much in your comment I would like to respond to for all the inaccuracies but I will need to make more time for that. Gotta put dinner on the table right now. Thanks for commenting.

Octavia, While it may be true for the time being that patients might be freely choosing to end their lives do you think it will open up the possiblity of abuse where a patient who really isn't dying could be convinced to end his life? That family who would benefit from a person's death financially would convince him to end it? That insurence companies tired of shelling out money would soon decide when your life should be ended? The problem with liberal logic is there is no black and white, only gray areas that can change at any time or place depending on the person. It's this way with abortion, marriage, end of life. There are no clear lines or boundaries.

And I'm sorry to hear you don't believe in God. I'm not about to debate His existence but your question is one that people have asked pretty much forever. God did create a world without evil. He never created a world intending to inflict pain. Suffering is man's (humankind's) creation. And to eliminate evil would mean taking away people's free will. I'm not a bible scholar by any stretch but I do know there is a historical reason why God might tell people to fight for their own land or defend their families against religions that encouraged child sacrifice. The Bible uses many figures of speech that we can't understand or even take literally. God never, ever wills the suffering of the innocent. I hope that you never had to face abuse as a child, I sense you may have and for that I'm sorry. God himself said anyone who abuses a little one should have a stone put around his neck and thrown into the sea and I agree with him there. There is a special place in hell for anyone who willingly inflicts pain on another innocent human being especially children and doesn't repent from it. I hope you don't judge God based on the act of some evil people. (Who may even believe they are doing God's will, but they are only doing their own evil will)

When I made the statement that there is a reason for suffering I didn't mean God inflicts suffering to bring about His will, rather He can bring good out of every situation despite some people's attempts to only bring about evil. But that would require an understanding of the afterlife of heaven and hell which I'm guessing you don't believe in either. Thanks for taking time to comment.

I shall pray that you never have to watch a loved one,be it a mother,father aunt/uncle slowly fade.
not from a terminal disease,but just the slow grinding of time and entropy.

to watch them slowly lose the ability to wash themselves,feed themselves,to communicate,and look int otheir eyes and see them begging for relief,for peace,to just let them go.

I pray that you never see a friend,or maybe a lover/husband/wife attempt to process some trauma or horrific event...and fail.
choosing to self-medicate,with either pills,or booze or some other form of self destructive behavior.while you sit on the sidelines helpless.being forced to witness their slow suicide.watching them day in and day out struggle with a past they are unable to fully integrate into their life.their pain is so deep,so debilitating,they hide in their own self-imposed stupor.

and you get to mark time while watching them waste away.

I hope,on some level,you see the true courage behind a doctor going against everything in his/her nature...to be kind.

and while you may not understand it,that is exactly what it is:a kindness.

and I pray one day you will never be in a position to truly understand that on an intimate level.

I pray.

Actually Enoch, I have experienced all those things.

then I find your commentary...confusing.
but death affects us all differently,please forgive for my presumption.

I'm sorry you had to go through that. I have alcoholics in my family, have lost aunts and uncles and many friends to cancer and right now my dad is battling Parkinsons. Medicine was made to aid man in his journey of life not end it.

I guess my main point is we have the right to our own sovereignty,and decisions about how we go out.

I am not talking about a teen and their first heartbreak,or suffering depression.

but don't we have a right if life has become so unbearable,so torturous on a daily basis,where each day draws out like a blade.

don't we have a right to decide how we walk into the next phase of existence?

I was the one who looked after my mother for 5 years and watched her just...fade.

I was the one who watched my girlfriend of 10 years drink herself to death,while I watched helplessly.

I mentor addicts,and I have lost so many over the past ten years and each one was grappling with demons they never could overcome.

nobody wants to help.
they ridicule,berate and chastise.
they judge and condemn.

when all they really needed was to be seen.
to be recognized.
to have someone,anyone,be kind.

but for some people,even kindness isn't enough.
and you can't force someone to want to stay,when they have given up.
the only thing you can do is try to give them a reason to stay,and I cannot stress enough..

be kind.

sorry to hear about your family my friend.
it sounds like your journey may be getting darker before it gets lighter.

The hypocritical oath? "I will neither give a deadly drug to anyone that asks for it nor will I make a suggestion to this effect."

Yes, it's sad that the world has come to this state where doctors are ending life (from before birth to anytime after) for the sake of "compassion" let me ask liberals, where do we draw the line with euthanasia? If a 5 year old wants to end his life is that ok? What if a patient prefers a gun to a pill is that ok? A depressed teen might take his life because he feels there is no light at the end of the tunnel, there is no one who cares enough to help him see hope despite his pain, that he's a burden on society, a waste of resources, better to just end it all now and get some relief from the suffering. If a depressed teen says that people call hotlines and rush him to a counselor or emergency room to get the assistance of medical professionals to save his life. We have pins, and awareness months. Now if that same teen has cancer and is told (or tells himself the exact same words, he's applauded, told he's brave and that it's a dignified thing to take his life. And he'll get the assistance of medical professionals to end his life. How is this logical?

Just to clarify. I don't believe you should unnecessarily and artificially prolong anyone's life when they could naturally die and be at peace. I'm against medically intervening to intentionally end someone's life.