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Pastoral Implications Regarding Euthanasia

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(1) Describe in detail a proposal for research on the pastoral implications regarding Euthanasia.
(2) What are the pastoral implications of such an event.

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Solution Summary

According to the Greek meaning of the word, it should mean good death, but the problem lies in identifying what it is that we consider as a good death. This solution gives a detailed answer to what eutanasia is considered to be scientifically and how such ideas fit in within a pastoral situation.
Causing someone's death just because we want to prevent suffering or because we feel that the person is a burden is always murder. Everyone has right to live and as such has to be respected and protected.
It is our instinct to avoid suffering and eliminate when possible, but how can such an argument be seen within pastoral environments? Now some questions arise: Are we our brother's keepers or our brother's killers? By practising eutanasia can we expect Jesus to tell us: I was ill and you cared for me? Or don't we know that the exact way to express euthanasia will be I was ill and you killed me?

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As I understood, you want pastoral implications regarding euthanasia. I assume that to be pastoral involvement in the issue surrounding euthanasia. Talking about pastoral it is assumed, of course, that the arguments are not in favour of euthanasia. In today's world, the value of life has greatly diminished to the extent that death is almost valued above life. Thomas Sullivan wrote: "I fully realize that there are times when those who have the noble duty to tend the sick and the dying are deeply moved by the suffering of their patients, especially of the very young and the very old, and desperately wish they could do more than comfort and companion them. Then, perhaps, it seems that universal moral principles are merely abstractions having little to do with the agony of the dying. But of course we do not see best when our eyes are filled with tears." Within such a context it becomes difficult sometimes to understand and help others understand the great value of human life.

Though there is much ado about this issue, the fact that human life is precious and has to be safeguarded remains. In fact, euthanasia derives its meaning from two Greek words: eu (good) and thanatos (death). The problem depends on what we call or think is "good death". In any case, euthanasia is the termination of someone's or one's own life in other to relief that person of his suffering or be relieved. If you noticed, I did not say the termination of a sick person's life, because in some cases we are not even talking about a sick person as such. Read for example the article of Diane Coleman (http://www.dredf.org/assisted_suicide/Diane-Coleman-article-on-ABA-website.pdf)

Laws regarding euthanasia varies from country to country. There are countries that do not contemplate it yet. As of now there are five types of euthanasia: voluntary, involuntary, non-voluntary, active and passive. Voluntary euthanasia is also called Physician Assisted Suicide which in some countries is allowed. This entails the explicit will of the assisted. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when the explicit will of the patient involved is lacking due to some grave state: vegetative, ...

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