The catholic views on euthanasia

-- Simon Hood (www.littlemanmidge@yahoo.com), December 07, 2000

Answers

No one can ever usurp the power of God over Life and Death. To take any innocent human life even your own is morally wrong.

Br. Rich SFO

-- Br. Rich SFO (repsfo@prodigy.net), December 09, 2000.

So what is morally wrong with allowing one with a life threating disease to smoke a little comfort? Because it was not dispensed from your local pharmacy at the cost of 100.00 for a one month supply. Money Makers Wagging their tails here. Your choice, you decide.

-- Gotta Stand (up@thisone.com), December 26, 2000.

Simon and anyone else , I don't believe , but ....

euthanasia is a more scientific name , a or maybe a hidden, beautiful name for MURDER first degree !!!!

Even there is no cure at the time for the person is who's suffering from pain or diseases , there is always hope this person can be cured , on his own or maybe the science invent accidently a medical cure , just in time !!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, some people just want to kill a person , because of the high costs ???? What kind of freaky bulls they are !?!?!?!?

LIFE IS SOMETHING GOOD !!!!!!!! ENJOY IT !!!!!!!!

greetings:

Laurent LUG

no__religion@hotmail.com

-- Laurent LUG. (no__religion@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

Laurent, I agree with you about euthianasia, It is murder.It is against the Laws of God.I believe that when some people are dying (suffering), That God might be allowing that person to do his Pennance on Earth!What gives anyone the right to cut that short?I know you Loved your Dad, and your Grandmom, and If you Pray for them now, You will help them.I will Pray for your Catholic Dad's soul tonight, and your Grandmom. God Bless You, David Sullivan

-- David S (asdzxc8176@aol.com), August 19, 2001.

Thanks David S.,

At least , there is something we both agree !!!!

!!!! LIFE !!!!

I know my answers are VERY CRUEL , but that's my way to answering some questions and I do appreciate your way of answering my questions !!

greetings :

Laurent LUG

no__religion@hotmail.com

-- Laurent LUG. (no__religion@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

Laurent,I wanted to add one more Proven scenario to your example!You said science could accidently invent a medical cure, which is Possible.I gree with that, but it is also possible for God, to cure someone through a miracle.It is hard to be a Saint, they have to have proven miracles attrbuted through their intersesions.I believe that St.Seton had 2 cancer miracles, were people where on deathbeds, and the Saint interceded, after Relics were put on sick people, and Prayers were prayed, and people were cured. St. Elisabeth ANN Bailey Seton,Please Pray for Us sinners. David S

-- David S (asdzxc8176@aol.com), August 19, 2001.

Laurent,Dear Jesus, Please Have mercy on My Dads Soul.This 9 word prayer, will give your Dad so much Pleasure.I think if it was important to your Dad, for you to be at his funeral Mass, That your Great Dad, Loved Jesus.You can spend forever ever ever, with your Dad, if you realy want to Laurent, and This board has some living Future Saints, that would love to show you how!I am sure by now, that you know who they are! These Catholics, and I do not mean myself, are just like it says, Top Level! God Bless these Top Level Catholics. David S

-- David S (asdzxc8176@aol.com), August 19, 2001.

DAVID S.,

Of course , I think all the time about my DAD , in my memory and whatever !!!! The same counts for my grandparents !!!! They all still live in our thoughts !!!! My mother (72) still lives and hopefully she may become the age of 100 and more (!!!!!!!!) , I even think about her !!!! I help mom each time I can !!!!

I was indeed on my dads' funeral , that's something you just have to do !!!! It's showing respect to your parents !!!! Even a lot of my friends were on the funeral !!!! I'll never forget this !!!! I said after dad died:"Of course I come to his funeral , but only because of my dad and my family , not because of the belief or church , BUT I'll be there" !!!! But I also saw a few people who came to the funeral just for fun , inhumans who really hate or couldn't stand my dad and our family; after the funeral , I said to them thanks for coming to the funeral !! Some of this inhumans had understood my message !!!! You had to see their face !!!! I am very hard to this inhumans , I never forget this !!!! And I will NEVER AND FOREVER seeing these VOMITS !!!!

ALSO , I DO HAVE RESPECT FOR THE GRAVEYARDS and THEIR GRAVES !!!! If I see someone who commit a crime here , like vandalism or desecration of tombs , I nail that bull on the ground and call the police with my GSM !!!! Have respect for the people who have living on this world !!!! Let them rest in peace !!!!

greetings:

Laurent LUG

no__religion@hotmail.com

-- Laurent LUG. (no__religion@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

by ending peoples pain and suffering people can not be commiting moral actions as these are actions done out of love for your neighbour, this after all is preached by jesus in the Bible!

-- Stuart richardson (sricha@stanground.peterb.sch.com), April 25, 2002.

SORRY MY MATE CANT TYPE! The answer was meant to state IMMORAL actions sorry again!

-- stuart richardson (sricha@stanground.peterb.sch.co.uk), April 25, 2002.

GSM --> actually I ment Mobile Phone , We here do call it: GSM !!!!

greetings from a NON BELIEVER:

-- Laurent LUG. (my__way_@hotmail.com), April 26, 2002.

Someone pull the plug on this thread pls. (Out of love, of course)

-- JRC (me@nospam.net), April 26, 2002.

A "mercy deletion," JRC?

-- (@@@.@), April 27, 2002.

okay this isnt making sense if the person is going to die a terrible death and yall were talking about living your life to thee fullest wouldnt it be better living it with a peaceful death, so if your a Christian and have accepted Christ as your savior, you can go to heaven and be with Christ forever. So what is morally wrong with euthanasia?

-- patricia Williams (scottymtx@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

this doesnt make sense people pay attention it is unjust

-- Melissa Jeanne (angelbabe@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

Mellissa

What is not making sense? Please elaborate please.

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 07, 2002.

Patricia,

You will not be in heaven with Jesus if you take your own life. It's a sin which will damn your soul. If death is so unthinkable, why did the Father Almighty allow His own Son to die a lingering death on the cross for you and me? Taking a life unjustly is murder. You can't love a person by helping him to damn his own soul. Which is the exact definition of euthanasia.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 07, 2002.

i think that euthanasia is wrong in but rigth because if some one is suffering so bad then it should be preformed but u should have writen contract but it should only be preformed for good mary XXX

-- mary (mary@hotmail.com), May 22, 2002.

Mary

Are you kidding me? To take a life even your own life is a Mortal SIN. Don't twist the facts and wobble. You cannot violate the life that GOD has created, even your own. To assist someone in dying is also MURDER. You cannot change the facts. They are real.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 22, 2002.

Once you pull out the plug , there is no turning back !!!!

it's MURDER FIRST DEGREE , in most of the cases it's done out of selfishness , they don't wanna gave up there lazy life , so they pull out the plug ; well , never I wanna see such murders again !!!! __ Here in Belgium , they change the law about euthanasia , in a negative way , it's allowded in some cases , screw this law , screw the gouvernment !!!! __ It seems , crime doesn't exists anymore !!!!

Greets from a NON BELIEVER , against Abortion & against Euthanasia:

-- Laurent LUG. (my__way_@hotmail.com), May 22, 2002.

Lug

Now you just surprised me on that one. Yes, You are right Murder IS murder no matter how you butter it up. You have the right view on that one. Abortions are done mainly out of selfishness. No will to share life.

Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 22, 2002.

Fred,

I don't believe in Euthanasia.

But, you said, "You will not be in heaven with Jesus if you take your own life." I am not so sure about that, Fred. People who take their own lives are in such darknesss and pain, it is not a decision made by someone in a healthy state of mind. Normal people don't just get up one day and say, "I think I will kill myself today."

So, I think God will be the judge on this....don't you? Suppose someone is in a deep depression, or some kind of psychotic state...and kills himself, do you think God is going to send that person straight to hell? I would think God is going to look at the entire picture and what led this person to want to end his life.

MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 23, 2002.

David Sullivan,

"...This board has some living Future Saints, that would love to show you how!I am sure by now, that you know who they are! These Catholics, and I do not mean myself, are just like it says, Top Level! God Bless these Top Level Catholics....."

VERY VERY VERY TOUCHING !!!! You have made up my day !!!! :)

Thank you one and all for all your wonderful post.

God Bless

-- Xavier (xavier_david24@yahoo.com), May 24, 2002.

Fred Bishop , just for the record , why you're so surprised ??

Greets from a NON BELIEVER:

-- Laurent LUG. (my__way_@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002.

MaryLu

Did you forget the Lord's Prayer already? Remember the words we speak every time we say it, DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION? It really means that we expect GOD would never give us more than we could handle.

When on the Cross did Christ while in enormous pain ever ask to be put to death. NO never did he ask. He knew that he had to suffer in order to show his love for US and his FATHER. To ask for a speedy death is the same as denying the will of GOD and not taking the CUP which Christ accepted in the Garden of Gethsemane.

That is why we have the Scriptural Rosary which is from the K of C. It teaches us how to suffer as Christ did in the Sorrowful Mysteries.

The next time you are praying your Rosary, read the passages in the Bible of the Passion of Christ in Luke Chapter 22. You will see all of what I am saying about our lives and the struggles we will have in our own death. I have done this many times daily as I think of the way Christ had shown us the way of life. To die a grace filled death is to also honor Christ for the way he died for us so we can also see him in heaven. I know I cannot speak as a Priest can in a homily, but I have tried to show you this the best way I can. This is the most important lesson I had to learn from GOD about 14 years ago. Now death in itself has NO POWER over me.

Back in 1991. An wlderly woman in her 80's taught me a valuable lesson during Christmas Vigil. AS I watched her sitting in the pew after recieving the Host from the priest, he was 86 and still living today in his late 90's. She cradled the host in her hand and said this: " Lord thank you for all of the you gave me and I love you. I am ready for you now whenever you are ready." Then she consumed his BODY. I sat there in tears and marveled at her enormous faith and thanked GOD for allowing me to see her gift of life and enormous gift of faith. Twelve months later just before Christmas, my late wife Linda died in pain, but she never did lose sight of GOD.

GOD never gives us more than we can handle. Check the passages in Luke Ch 11:4 "and do not subject us to the test", and Matthew 6:13 which says the same thing. He will never give us more than we can handle.

Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 24, 2002.

oops.

"An wlderly woman in her 80's taught"

'wlderly' should be elderly

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 24, 2002.

Thanks, Xavier. That was very kind of you. God bless you. David S

-- David (David@excite.com), May 24, 2002.

Fred,

I do not understand what you are trying to tell me. I am well aware of "Lead us not into Temptation, etc." I do not believe in euthanasia, nor do I believe in suicide.

I just don't think that someone who kills himself is going directly to hell because, obviously, people who commit suicide are not well, are emotionally unbalanced, coming from a very dark place....usually, deep in depression. Most don't even want to die, really, they just don't see a way out of the dark pit they are in.

I understand that depression is a sin - because it shows a lack of faith - but serious depression has so many causes - if it is clinical in nature, usually means the person has a chemical imbalance and no control over it - although can be treated with medication.

I don't want to go overboard here, this is not a medical site...it is a catholic site. Forgive me. There was a time the catholic church would not bury someone who committed suicide, now they do.

I just think God would look at that, Fred. He is the final judge of one's life - that is all I am saying.

I think it is very important for everyone to have a living will so no one can make choices for you when you are not able to. MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 24, 2002.

MaryLu,

I agree. Don't get me wrong, Fred. You have great thoughts! But, I think if we personalize it, say it was your sister or mom, then it would be a little harder to damn the person right away. God is our Father, so for Him it is personal. It is the same as the sin of Murder. Murder, in order for it to be a sin, must be premeditated, maliciace, and directly in opposition to the will of God. However, self-defence would be an exception. Also, one might argue that a severe mental condition that lead to a murder might also be excused. I don't believe that everyone, no matter what the conditions were, who commits suicide automatically damns themselves. It does, however, mean that they cannot enter heaven immediately - like most people. They must be purified and sanctified for the Great Wedding!

In Christ.

-- Jake Huether (Jake.huether@lamrc.com), May 24, 2002.

Jake

What you are now telling me is that hell no longer exists. You tell me this one, Where is Judas Iscariot? He committed suicide too. Your thoughts are causing some leeway now. To take ones life in spite of teaching and knowledge is SIN. You cannot escape that reality. Furthermore, Euthanasia is a form of suicide assisted or not. It is inescapable. The person makes the choice NOT GOD. We have been taught that and to chose otherwise is to reject GOD.

Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 24, 2002.

Some people are going to get annoyed because I am bringing up Mother Teresa again, but she said..."In the final analysis it is between you and God....." and that is what I believe. MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 24, 2002.

Mary Lu

You are right on that point. But if the Holy Spirit told you that you cannot achieve heaven if you take your life prematurely are you going to argue with him? The Church has stated for 2,000 years that suicide is a SIN then it is. You cannot modify that with excuses.

Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 24, 2002.

When I first read the discussion between Fred and MaryLu, I immediately went to the Catechism to determine the Church's view on this. After reading the pertinent paragraphs, I cannot determine if the Church teaches damnation for all suicides.

I can only recommend that all three of you take a look at the following paragraphs from the Catechism. Catechism search

Paragraphs 2276-2279 deal with Euthanasia. Paragraphs 2280-2283 deal with Suicide.

Plus paragraph 2325: Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.

Just use the site I mentioned above with suicide as the search, and all three sections above will be returned.

-- Glenn (glenn@excite.com), May 24, 2002.

I didn't mean to negate the fact that Hell exists, Fred. But I wanted to point out that not all suicide victims are sent down the shoot. Here is a Catechism paragraph that might help to strenghthen MaryLu and my point.

2282. "If SUICIDE is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in SUICIDE is contrary to the moral law. Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing SUICIDE. "

One must also look at the cercumstances surrounding the act, thats all. Hell does exist, but it is only open to those who truly deserve their eternal punishment. It is stated in the bible, and I believe, that only a very select few will make it to heaven. The path to hell is streight and wide. However, our God is a Just and Loving God. That's not to say that at any whim He will pick you back up and dust you off. But the fact is, God does not want us to go to hell.

Hope that clarifies things.

In Christ.

-- Jake Huether (jake.huether@lamrc.com), May 24, 2002.

Jake

"Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing SUICIDE."

That is precisely the point, "diminish", Where does one draw the line on this. Euthanasia is against moral standards and the person KNOWS this and neglects this is ignoring the will of GOD. You mean if I have a toothache and I commit suicide, I will deminish my SINFUL act? I think not.

The line is TOO wide to decide from where it is now. Yes again I realize GOD does have the last word. But has anyone ever tried to answer the overwhelming suicide rate that is occurring today only because of secular demands? I wonder about this.

Blessings

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), May 24, 2002.

Jmj

Hello, Fred.

As with every sin, one has to distinguish between the objective side and the subjective side of the act.

I think that everyone who is in on this conversation (Jake, Glenn, MaryLu, David-e, even Laurent) will agree with you on the fact that suicide is -- objectively speaking -- a great evil, a mortal sin, totally against God's will.

However, the other thing that most everyone here is saying (in keeping with the Catechism) is that an individual who commits an "objective" mortal sin sometimes incurs a diminished -- sometimes greatly diminished subjective guilt for that sin.

Therefore, there may be cases in which a person commits suicide and incurs the total subjective guilt of mortal sin, because there is no "diminished responsibility." The souls of these persons would be damned in hell.

But, the Church teaches us -- both in the CCC and by the fact that she now offers Mass of Christian burial for most self-killers -- there may be cases in which a person commits suicide and incurs a lesser subjective guilt (venial sin) or no guilt at all, because of diminished responsibility or almost total exculpation. The souls of these persons would not be damned in hell -- at least not for the suicide.

To the best of my knowledge, no one in the Church's Magisterium has the power (or has ever tried) to judge a specific self-killer -- or any deceased committer of any other objective mortal sin -- as damned to hell. If popes and bishops do not speak out to proclaim anyone as damned, we certainly may not either. There is no "reverse canonization" in Catholicism.

Fred, you asked: "You mean if I have a toothache and I commit suicide, I will deminish my SINFUL act? I think not."
We also "think not." Maybe you were just using hyperbole for dramatic effect. A toothache cannot take away the guilt of suicide, since everyone knows that a toothache can easily be remedied. We are talking about much greater physical or psychological pressures than a toothache -- in other words, things that are difficult or impossible to remedy. But the Church has never tried to "draw the line on this" (to use your phrase) and spell it out in detail. Only God knows whether or not a particular pressure is so great as to take away part or all of a self-killer's subjective guilt, leaving him capable of salvation.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 26, 2002.

Ker-bump!!!

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), February 28, 2003.

Ale pierdolicie bzdury, sami nie wiecie co mowicie. Kiedy człowiek jest w agonii i nie zostało mu już wiele czasu, a do tego ma ochotę gryźć ściany to chyba ma do kurwy nędzy prawo skożystać ze swojej wolnej woli i zrobić ze swoim życiem, co mu się podoba. I to jest właśnie demokracja. Ateista P.S. If you are couriose what is written above I suggest finding a Polish- English translator or a dictionary.

-- Peter (bialy99995@wp.pl), March 01, 2003.

it is agianst all rules of nature to take your own life. even to think of it is just a sin against god and the right to serve life's purpose god put us on earth to live life to the fullest not shorten it out i just think its wrong!

-- (ozzyg@netscape.com), March 07, 2003.