2007-12-17 12:22:57 · 13 answers · asked by Noname 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
+ Excessive means +
While the Catholic Church is the champion of the right to life in all circumstances, she never asks us to try to preserve life where God is clearly calling an person from this world to the next.
In other words, the Church does not place obligations on us to interfere in the dying process and in fact rejects attempts to do so as excessive and unjust.
The ultimate meaning of a person’s life is not found in this world but rather in the world to come, and the Church does not place obstacles to his or her entry into the fullness of Life.
+ Food and Water +
We are obliged to provide a dying person with food and water as an ordinary means of sustaining life.
This is not extraordinary means of life support and are therefore not optional.
Anyone who would remove the basic intravenous feeding or a stomach feeding tube is not allowing the natural death process to take place but hastening the death of another, and this is a sin.
+ Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide +
Please note there is a chasm of difference between
+ Turning off a machine that is keeping a dying person alive and letting a person die a natural death and,
+ Physician assisted suicide where when a doctor prescribes a lethal amount of medication with the intent of helping a person commit suicide. The patient then takes the dose himself or herself.
The Catholic Church does not approve of euthanasia or assisted suidice.
With love in Christ.
2007-12-17 17:56:54 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I am Catholic, and from what I understand, it is okay to stop life support (for example if a machine is breathing for the person) because the life support is using extraordinary means to keep the person alive. And, by stopping it, it causes them to die naturally, within a reasonable amount of time. However, if it's a situation where someone's in a coma and they need a feeding tube, and that's keeping them alive, then if you stop the feeding tube you are essentially killing them, because by stopping the feeding tube, you are causing them to starve to death. So in this case, you would be morally required to keep the person on the feeding tube, even if there is little chance that the person will wake up.
2007-12-17 12:30:18 · answer #2 · answered by bar_two_123 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can Tell You about what the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) teaches about that.
The Assemblies of God condemns as immoral the killing of the weak, the physically challenged, the mentally ill, or the aged, whether by a deliberate act or by coercing or assisting a person to commit suicide.4 God is both the giver of life and the arbiter of life. Fully informed and freely chosen suicide is the final usurpation of the divine prerogative. Humans are not empowered to take their own lives or the lives of others.5 The sick and the weak must not be made to feel that they are a burden and have a moral obligation to relieve society of that burden. Their depression and illnesses often bring severe emotional and physical pain and raise serious questions about their ability to freely choose suicide. It should be remembered that many suicides occur in times of deep depression and great physical pain, when personal judgment and responsibility are seriously impaired. The Assemblies of God does not assume that all such persons are eternally lost.
http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/pp_4196_sanctity_human_life.cfm
2007-12-18 05:30:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In terms of the catholic church, I think that it's not right because they think that God is the only one who can take lives. But in terms of the Law itself, it is okay because according to the Law, the patient or the patient's family, if ever the patient is unable to make the decision can decide whatever they want, as long as the hospital contains their informed consent or signs a contract. But I think as a catholic, it's okay, because if I get into an accident, and if I become a vegetable, I would probably want to die, because people who are in these situations are helpless and hopeless, it's absurd to continue life because they wouldn't be able to function well, and plus, it's a huge burden for the rest of the family.
2007-12-18 03:44:00 · answer #4 · answered by Light 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hi, they don't merchandise to attempt to maintain a guy or woman on existence help if certainly it extremely is attainable to maintain them yet they comprehend on an analogous time, there comes a component the place you're actually not any extra keeping existence yet prolonging loss of life. Morally talking, they view which you do not could be attached on a existence help in a vegetative state for months or many years and might incredibly pull the plug, letting nature take its direction. on the different hand the church condemns giving a guy or woman a deadly injection or rapid bullet contained in direction of the top to hurry issues alongside, as in assisted suicide as a results of fact of : a) the ethical - religious concern with admire to God b) Voluntary suicide could open the flood gates for involuntary suicide for the susceptible and ineffective extra down the line. Cheers, Michael Kelly
2016-10-11 12:12:57 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the bible was written, there was no such thing as life support. If the Catholic Church has a position on this it is the position of man, a position that you had no say in.
Look into your heart and talk to your family. Make that decision for yourself and write a living will to let others know what your will is on this matter.
If you are asking because you have a loved one on life support, again, look into your heart and do what's best for your loved one.
2007-12-17 12:28:30 · answer #6 · answered by Dan H 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes a person has the RIGHT to refuse to be placed and or have the right to have life support removed.
The individual has that right and should have that right; NOT the catholic church and NOT any religious institution.
That is why it is VERY important to have a living will and to make your medical decisions clear with family members as to what you want done to you or REFUSE to have done in terms of medical care.
2007-12-17 12:30:35 · answer #7 · answered by Imagine No Religion 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What evidence is there that the teaching of the Catholic Church has anything to do with morality?
2007-12-17 13:52:19 · answer #8 · answered by au_catboy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I will not presume to speak for the Church, as I am not (nor will ever be) a part of it. If the patient is brain-dead, then yes, it is proper to stop life support. For vegetative states not as low as brain death, the decision must be made on a case-by-case basis: are the resources that society will use in maintaining the patient of as much value as the patient will add to society if he recovers?
2007-12-17 12:33:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
why narrow it down to the teachings of one church?
If a person is dying anyhow, and the only thing keeping them going is life support, is it right to force them to stay alive until their bodies just wither right in front of you? They can't die... life support... but they rot right in front of you. How is that right? I can understand life support up til a certain point... I've been on life support... and as soon as I was awakened, I told the nurse to let me go. And that in and of itself proved to my husband and closest friends that I was going to be okay... oddly enough. Trust me, you do not want to be on life support... so if a person's not fighting it, I'd say let them go... maybe they can't fight.
2007-12-17 12:30:10 · answer #10 · answered by dj.hatchytt 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋