Assisted Dying. For or against?

Yes

My 101 year old mother fell and broke her hip then got fluid on her lung so no op was possible. I knew she’d had enough, she’d said so many times and I had to make the decision to keep her pain free and let her go. It was the longest 4 days of my life ?. So although it wasn’t technically assisted dying, it felt like it.

Yes. It's been accepted for a long time here in Belgium.

My FIL had stomach cancer and died last November. It runs in his family and is a very aggressive form. He was a quite fit, active 84 year old and then suddenly he developed cancer. He had chemo but it wasn't able to stop it. It spread and he was terminal within 2/3 months. At the end in hospital he said he'd had enough and was ready to go after he'd seen all his family (large one) and had last goodbyes etc. They gave him some thing (don't know what) normally it takes between 4 to 24 hrs. His heart was still strong so it was 4 days but he was in no pain. Just a sort of coma where he slipped away. It was very peaceful.

I hope I have not upset anyone by writing this but I want to show how it can be a positive thing if available.

I agree with not intervening to prolong the life of someone who has no quality of life, and with pumping as much painkillers as possible into someone who is dying painfully, even if that will hasten death.

Otherwise no.

Absolutely Yes. But with very strict rules.

Absolutely. We acknowledge that it is unimaginably cruel to force an animal to suffer. Yet we allow humans to do so.

Life and any cost is no life. Quality of life is what counts. When there is no quality of life it is cruel to make people suffer.

I talk from experience. My dad wanted his life to end as he hated what he had become. I truly believe he willed himself to death. He was 80 when he died.

I nursed my husband with grade 4 malignant melanoma when he was told he was terminal he had 3 tumour's in his right lung, 1 in his chest and 2 in his brain. This was late 2003 we had enough morphine in the house to kill several herds of elephants. We talked about if the pain got to much and told him I would help him end his life if he wanted to. Our children supported that view. The cancer killed him before the pain got to great. He couldn't breath on full oxygen I told him to stop we would be ok. He died a few minutes later. He lived just under the 4 months they gave him.

He always said quality of life was what was important not quantity he was 47 when he died.

My mom would of hated what the dementia did to her. I lost my mom long before here body died. She became violent . If in her lucid moments she had asked me to end her life I would have. I looked after her on my own until she died . She was 90.

I am now 63. I do not want to live a long life if the quality has gone. And am doing everything I can to keep active and mentally well. My daughter knows my wishes.

Why are animals treated better than humans. No animal lover would let their pet suffer unnecessarily. So why are humans allowed to suffer unnecessarily.

I know a lot won't share this view. But if you have never nursed loved ones who's quality of life has gone and they are in agony see how you feel if you do.

Life is not black and white it is shades of grey.

No, definitely not. As a Christian, I trust in God totally. I believe death in this life is not the end, and would worry about where the person is going next.

I have to say...as a young non Christian nurse, I felt differently, so understand where you all coming from.

Generally, I think it could open the doors to all kinds of abuse, and you should be worried about that, Christian or not.‘ Safeguards’ can become unsafe.

Yes, definitely.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

As Discodancer says, Christians know death is not the end and we have a choice in this life that determines where we go in the next. Assisted dying - let's call it what it is, murdering someone may deprieve them of making that choice with eternal consequences.

Beswitched has the right attitude, we should make people as comfortable as possible and let them die naturally.

Thanks Kali2 for alerting us to this debate in the House of Lords. I shall write to a peer to vote against this.

P.S. Kali2 - you might be a commited humanist now but on your death bed you might change your mind and cry out to the Lord. I hope you do.

Another one for NO. Same reasons as above. There’s a big difference between keeping someone alive, who would otherwise naturally die, and giving them drugs to kill them, when they may have more time to make different decisions. I too, will be voting against.

HolySox

P.S. Kali2 - you might be a commited humanist now but on your death bed you might change your mind and cry out to the Lord. I hope you do.

Exactly ?

Why say no to the idea and deprive somebody whose life is an absolute misery of the opportunity of ending it just because of your own personal religious beliefs? They have the Medical Assistance In Dying system in Canada, there are very strict rules and if you want to take advantage of it you can apply. So those who want to end their life can apply and those who don’t for religious or other reasons don’t apply. We have two examples in our Canada family, one aunt in her nineties who had limited mobility, a lot of pain and she was nearly blind. She was previously a very active lady and could out walk us when we visited us. every night she prayed to die in the night so she applied for MAID. It had to be authorised and when it was granted she could choose when and where to end her life so she had time to see all her loved ones and say goodbye. My sister-in-law’s husband, also previously a very fit and active man had MND or ALS as it is called in Canada and although his final years were an absolute misery for him and his family he chose to die naturally, his choice but the point is he had the choice and so did our aunt, both made different decisions but at least they had the choice, we don’t and I wish we did,

I’m a Christian and believe death is not the end. I don’t fear death but I fear the manner in which I may die. I also fear becoming dependent on others for personal care. I don’t believe God would punish me for choosing to avoid suffering and degradation, nor someone who helped me to avoid those things if I needed assistance. I don’t believe that a loving God would turn His back on someone for choosing to hasten their death, nor someone who did them that kindness, as many of us have for beloved pets. A devout Catholic may think otherwise I know, but that’s not my chosen faith.

So sorry to read your post Whiff. I’m in complete agreement with you.

I'm so for it, I've seen too many loved ones suffer for far too long before they died not to mention their loved ones who have to watch them, trying their best to give comfort, that's if they can, they're suffering too.
My ex-husbands gran had a massive stroke which paralysed her and she was in hospital for 2 years until she died, she didn't know who anyone was and was unable to speak or communicate. We visited every day and night which was drain on us all mentally and financially as the hospital was 30 miles away, but we always hoped she would come back to us so we kept going, kept holding her hand and talking to her,hoping she was getting some comfort from our presence,hoping she wasn't in pain & trying to bring her back to us as she was precious.
Going through that 40 years ago made me realise that I don't want to linger in pain being a burden on my family or the state for months or years I want to be able to choose to die peacefully on my terms.

A good well explained post Jane.
It’s a choice made by themselves for themselves and I am in full agreement.
Holysox As for crying out to the lord, no offence but that definitely won’t happen.

Yes.

If it's not for you, then ensure that you make your wishes known, but please please please do not deny others the choice.

Yes, with strict safeguards. I don't fear dying but the way in which it might happen.

And I agree, DerbyshireLass If it's not for you, then ensure that you make your wishes known, but please please please do not deny others the choice.

DerbyshireLass

Yes.

If it's not for you, then ensure that you make your wishes known, but please please please do not deny others the choice.

I know where I am going when I die.

Sorry if my Christian beliefs aren't popular but Jesus taught us much about the next life and is depends on our choice in this life. From my point of view I don't think it is right to deny someone as much time as possible to decide if they want to be with the Lord or not.

No doubt I will now be told off as this isn't a 'religious' thread. But it is o.k. to spout humanist doctrine....

DerbyshireLass

Yes.

If it's not for you, then ensure that you make your wishes known, but please please please do not deny others the choice.

This

Agree Holysox. Germanshepherdsmum, you are a Christian, so you know whatever you do, you’re under Grace. It’s non Christians who may be prevented from having the choice, that worries me. We all have a right to that choice, and some people might leave it to the very last minute, and then be too late.

silverlining48

A good well explained post Jane.
It’s a choice made by themselves for themselves and I am in full agreement.
Holysox As for crying out to the lord, no offence but that definitely won’t happen.

Like you silverlining48, I'm with David Hume.

aeon.co/ideas/he-died-as-he-lived-david-hume-philosopher-and-infidel

I don't deny anybody their religious faith but many of them seem quite intent on denying me my freedom of choice.

A resounding YES here

To anyone on this thread who doesn't want assisted dying, if you don't want it fine, don't you apply for it, simple as that. Please don't deny others their choices over their own lives & death if they DO want it. All you have to do is say no for yourself, just let others speak for themselves & make their own choices about their lives too.