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Concept
Religious views on euthanasia
Summary
There are many religious views on euthanasia, although many moral theologians are critical of the procedure.
Buddhism and euthanasia
There are many views among Buddhists on the issue of euthanasia, but many are critical of the procedure.
An important value of Buddhism teaching is compassion. Some Buddhists use compassion to justify euthanasia because the person suffering is relieved of pain. However, it is still immoral "to embark on any course of action whose aim is to destroy human life, irrespective of the quality of the individual's motive."
In Theravada Buddhism, a lay person daily recites the simple formula: "I undertake the precept to abstain from destroying living beings." For Buddhist monastics (bhikkhu) however the rules are more explicitly spelled out. For example, in the monastic code (Patimokkha), it states:
"Should any bhikkhu intentionally deprive a human being of life, or search for an assassin for him, or praise the advantages of death, or incite him to die (thus): 'My good man, what use is this wretched, miserable life to you? Death would be better for you than life,' or with such an idea in mind, such a purpose in mind, should in various ways praise the advantages of death or incite him to die; he also is defeated and no longer in communion."
The Catholic Church opposes active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide on the grounds that life is a gift from God and should not be prematurely shortened. However, the church allows dying people to refuse extraordinary treatments that would minimally prolong life without hope of recovery, a form of passive euthanasia.
Catholic opposition to active euthanasia can be traced back to ancient Jewish and early Christian attitudes towards suicide. Later in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Thomas Aquinas exemplified and shaped mainstream Christian views on suicide. He condemned suicide for violating the natural inclination towards self-preservation and self-perpetuation, for injuring other people and the community, and for defying divine authority over life.
Official source
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