A major opposition to euthanasia is the argument that it is unethical that doctors help perform the practice, and they are playing God by deciding when to end the life of an individual. Many religious groups strongly dispute the idea that euthanasia is actually a doctor and his patient allowing human nature to take its course on the human body (Yount, 2000, p. 146-148). Is the medical profession ultimately concerned with preserving life? Doctors and medication are supposed to help relieve the pain that patients are experiencing, not prolong it by keeping them alive. As technology has advanced, the medical field has greatly improved its services. Doctors are now able to keep people on life support, respirators, feeding tubes, which ultimately keep patients alive when they should be dead. Instead of playing God by assisting the patient to die, doctors actually play God by keeping people alive and prolonging the inevitable death with medical equipment.

In the University of Washington School of Medicine website, a case is described of a middle-aged woman who was diagnosed with acute myelogeneous leukemia and refused chemotherapy for the condition. She is described as “educated, articulate, and quite aware that she will certainly die without treatment.” Although she is upset, she is not depressed and realizes that her death is likely to be painful and prolonged. Her family does not want her to die and wishes that she would take the treatment, but they accept her decision (Braddock, 2001). Should the woman be forced to live with the fatal disease and be denied the right to speed up the inevitable ending? She is aware that treatment is available, but obviously she does not want to endure the hardships of the therapy. Both the family and the patient are affected by the agony of the suffering. She should be able to make a decision concerning her own life and death.

Braddock, C.H. (2001). Ethics in medicine. Retrieved February 12, 2002, from the University of Washington School of Medicine Web site: http://eduserv.hscer. washington.edu/bioethics/topics/pas.html

A patient with sound mind should not be forced to live if he or she thinks that the continuation of life is meaningless. If doctors cannot do much more to help the illness and/or the pain is unbearable, the person should have the right to decide if he wants to continue to live or to peacefully end the suffering and die. No one wants to be confined to a hospital bed

Some topics in this essay:
Jack Kevorkian, Scherer Simon, School Medicine, Suffering Euthanasia, According Angell, References Angell, Medicine Web, Littlefield Yount, Braddock CH, Rae February, die dignity, human nature, suffering patient, forced live, legalization euthanasia, keeping alive, scherer simon 1999, personal suffering, pain patients, patients die, university washington school, life patient, patients die dignity, washington school medicine, human nature course,