안락사의 생명윤리학적 문제에 대한 기독교적 고찰 = Remarks on Euthanasia in terms of Christian Bio－ethics

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Modern medical treatments have prolonged human lives by providing cures for some fatal diseases. They also have increased pain and suffering of patients and their families by providing artificial respirators or other life－sustaining devices to the patients in a coma. Lengthening the life in a vegetative state triggers a debate on what “death with dignity”means. Euthanasia is classified into three types: euthanasia by consent, euthanasia by means, and mercy killing. The active euthanasia is different from the mercy killing in that the former enables the terminally ill to die through lethal injections or other drugs, but the latter focuses on the human dignity of the patients. The Christians, who are against the euthanasia, argue that it is morally unacceptable because it is a type of murder or a type of suicide. In addition, the euthanasia is sinful because human fates are determined by human doctors or legal regulations, not by Almighty God. Others who are for the euthanasia argue that mercy killing is the last resort for the patients in a vegetative state and their families. Without debating pros and cons of the euthanasia, it should be emphasized that euthanasia deals with a matter of life and death and includes human dignity and rights. In a word, with regard to the terminally ill and the patients in the vegetative state, making a decision between life and death does not belong to medical, legal or social considerations, but to God`s creation philosophy and Christian bio－ethics. Committing suicide has sharply increased since the belief in the sanctity of life was forsaken. Thus, it is high time to re－examine Christian perspectives on human life and death in terms of euthanasia.

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