Discussion I do not understand why anyone would ever be against suicide for the terminally ill.

[Jon Arbuckle]

I can at least understand why someone would be against suicide for the depressed/non-terminally ill, but I truly can't see a single reason why you would be against suicide for someone who is terminally ill.
Yes, I understand that it is sad when someone commits suicide, but is it also sad when someone dies of a terminal illness. they are going to die regardless and you are going to feel sad regardless. it is a part of life. wouldn't it be more sad if they died slowly and painfully, rather than quickly and on their own terms?
I also don't see why you would disagree from a religious standpoint. why would god be mad at you for taking your own life if he already decided you were going to die soon? If god is real I truly do hope he can understand and 'forgive' those who commit suicide.
I'm just rambling at this point. I don't know. I was doing better for a short while but I can feel things are going to get worse. I am not terminally ill, for the record.

 

[Grim days]

It's the usual pro-life cope - they have no idea what terminal illness, constant pain, or other real suffering look like.
Every discussion of this I've been involved in or found involves naive pro-lifers having a utopian idea of what terminal illness looks like - someone old, in care, every need and want catered to, medicated so they're somehow not in pain and fully lucid at the same time, no need or reason to rush their death, they can just comfortably enjoy their final days. Nothing short of them or someone very close experiencing otherwise can change their mind, and even then not always.
People love having strong opinions on things they have no knowledge or experience of, it's so tiring.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I don't understand it either. It seems barbaric to me.

I can only really see a couple of reasons it would make sense. One- that it is effectively admitting failure on the part of modern medicine- there's no more doctors can do for them. I wonder how often they like to admit that. Plus- I suspect it's at odds with what doctors signed up for to refer a patient to death. They must realise logically that people can't live forever but, I wonder if there is much push back from the medical field. I don't actually know- to be fair. Maybe, it's the reverse of that. I expect there will be medical professionals who support assisted suicide when a patients life has become untenable.

The only other reason I can get my head around is if they truly believe in hell. I suppose they could genuinely feel like they needed to save someone's soul from eternal damnation.

As to people who claim God won't do that, God isn't like that. How on earth do they know? We don't completely know whether there is even a God for starters. Some religious texts are clear on God's stance on suicide, some aren't. All we've actually got is interpretation and belief. Personally speaking- looking at how this world was created to begin with, I'd say its creator is absolutely capable of creating a hell and dumping people in it! Like- I really hope not- obviously but truly- if there is a God, I'd say a lot of us are screwed either way!

I suppose I can see their reasoning if they truly believe that but that's not to say I support them pushing their ideas on everyone else. Even if they think they're doing it to 'save' people's souls, they are pushing ideas and rules that aren't substantiated. It isn't fair to expect everyone to live by their personal beliefs.

 

[iloveyouihateyou]

i agree with with the replies in this thread, something i have to add that is from personal experience through discussion with friends is that unfortunately there are some family members out there who are so, self centered or something along the lines of that, that they will control what happens to said ill person because that person isn't "able" to anymore. i hope it makes sense i'm not really sure how to explain but i can see someone like a narcissist parent not allowing one's child to fully go through with such a thing, fully ignoring the suffering of their loved one for their own selfish need of "missing" or "needing" them. something along the lines of that.

if i was terminally ill in pain, i know i would want out of it ASAP so it does confuse me how people could strongly advocate for otherwise, against an ill person's own will.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I think it's due to religion and the indoctrination that life is always worth it no matter what. Most people really do see death as the worst thing ever and would rather suffer horrifically than die peacefully.

they are going to die regardless and you are going to feel sad regardless. it is a part of life. wouldn't it be more sad if they died slowly and painfully, rather than quickly and on their own terms?
I also don't see why you would disagree from a religious standpoint. why would god be mad at you for taking your own life if he already decided you were going to die soon?

I have no idea why this argument is only being used for terminally ill people. Regardless of whether somebody is terminally ill or not, they are going to die anyways. Nobody is immortal.

 

[Emeralds]

Most people aren't against euthanasia for the terminally ill. I think that those who are against it mainly for religious reasons. They believe that God is the only one who should decide when it's someone ones time to die. They don't feel comfortable playing God and taking part in someone's death. I know people who are atheists who also don't feel comfortable with the idea of euthanasia for the same reason.

The second reason is that some people believe that someone's soul may be sent to Hell if they take their own life. I don't personally believe that God would send someone to hell for ending their life especially in a case of a terminal illness, but no one can know for certain what he would do.

 

[FuneralCry]

Personally I find it so cruel and horrific how people cannot have the option to be euthanised to escape from suffering, it terrifies me how there is no limit as to how much one can suffer in this existence that just leads to decay and death anyway. People shouldn't be forced to die slow painful deaths tortured by illness but in my case I'd prefer to not exist no matter what, all I see as desirable is non-existence, having the option to peacefully cease existing would save me from all future suffering.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

We Are all terminal.

You can't save a life because we all will die

You can only prolong life / suffering

Everyone should have the right to move away from pain or suffering or to solve all their problems at once by hiring someone else to help u in exiting this hell