Legal Status of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide.

Author(s):  
Barry Rosenfeld
JAMA ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 289 (17) ◽  
pp. 2279-2281 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Batlle

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1059-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Wisneski ◽  
Brad L. Lytle ◽  
Linda J. Skitka

Theory and research point to different ways moral conviction and religiosity connect to trust in political authorities to decide controversial issues of the day. Specifically, we predicted that stronger moral convictions would be associated with greater distrust in authorities such as the U.S. Supreme Court making the “right” decisions regarding controversial issues. Conversely, we predicted that stronger religiosity would be associated with greater trust in authorities. We tested these hypotheses using a survey of a nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 727) that assessed the degree to which people trusted the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legal status of physician-assisted suicide. Results indicated that greater religiosity was associated with greater trust in the U.S. Supreme Court to decide this issue, and that stronger moral convictions about physician-assisted suicide were associated with greater distrust in the U.S. Supreme Court to decide this issue. Also, the processes underlying religious trust and distrust based on moral convictions were more quick and visceral than slow and carefully considered.


1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-429
Author(s):  
Irccs S. Lucia

AbstractTheme I: Health and Human Rights. Health and human rights in relation to children and other vulnerable groups - for example, ethnic minorities and migrants; the role of health professionals in promoting respect for human rights; discrimination on the basis of health status. Theme II: The Death Debates. Cross-cultural and comparative religion perspectives on dying; euthanasia; nurse-assisted and physician-assisted suicide; the futility debate; advance directives; transplantation ; procuring organs from heart-beating donors or anencephalic infants. Theme III: Genetics and Reproductive Technology. The nature of human identity; genome mapping; genetic manipulation and counselling ; embryo research; preimplantation and prenatal diagnosis; the legal status of embryos, fetuses, infants, and families created by assisted reproduction; fetal tissue transplants; eugenics; population ethics. Theme IV: Health, Ecology, Persons and Planet. The connections between human health and ecological health, including how concepts developed in medicine, ethics, and law might be applicable in the promotion of ecological health, and vice versa. These include resource allocation; justice (including intergenerational justice) in health care; open and closed legal systems; and concepts of trust, covenant, and quality of life.


Crisis ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Kelleher † ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Paul Corcoran ◽  
Helen S Keeley ◽  
Eileen Williamson

The present paper examines the occurrence of matters relating to the ending of life, including active euthanasia, which is, technically speaking, illegal worldwide. Interest in this most controversial area is drawn from many varied sources, from legal and medical practitioners to religious and moral ethicists. In some countries, public interest has been mobilized into organizations that attempt to influence legislation relating to euthanasia. Despite the obvious international importance of euthanasia, very little is known about the extent of its practice, whether passive or active, voluntary or involuntary. This examination is based on questionnaires completed by 49 national representatives of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), dealing with legal and religious aspects of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, as well as suicide. A dichotomy between the law and medical practices relating to the end of life was uncovered by the results of the survey. In 12 of the 49 countries active euthanasia is said to occur while a general acceptance of passive euthanasia was reported to be widespread. Clearly, definition is crucial in making the distinction between active and passive euthanasia; otherwise, the entire concept may become distorted, and legal acceptance may become more widespread with the effect of broadening the category of individuals to whom euthanasia becomes an available option. The “slippery slope” argument is briefly considered.


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