Euthanasia differs from assisted suicide, in which a patient voluntarily brings about his or her own death with the assistance of another person, typically a physician. In this case, the act is a suicide (intentional self-inflicted death), because the patient actu

Euthanasia has been accepted by various societies trough history. In the ancient Greek and Rome it was acceptable to help others die or put them to death in some situations. Voluntary euthanasia was an approved custom for elderly who were suffering unknown or untreatable illnesses that was assumed lethal. Moreover, newborns with severe birth effects were put to death in the ancient Greek city of Sparta. However, as Christianity developed and grew powerful, euthanasia became morally and ethically abhorrent and was viewed as a violation of God’s gift of life. (Beauchamp, pp 102)

Following the Christian tradition, laws generally treated the act of helping someone in dying as a form of punishable homicide (unlawful killing). However, those who wish to legalize euthanasia have argued that under the principles of liberty it is everybody’s legal right to choose the way of his or her own death. Therefore, organizations were formed in Great Britain and in The United States during the 1930’s. (Beauchamp, pp113) However, the Nethe

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