Beginning and Ending Life Issues

¶ … life [...] legal and ethical issues of the beginning and ending of life. Legal and ethical issues abound surrounding how we begin and end our lives. Abortion and euthanasia are two of the most controversial subjects facing Americans today, and how we resolve them indicates what type of society we will perpetrate and uphold. Abortion has been legal in this country since 1972 when the Supreme Court ruled on Roe vs. Wade, but the decision has remained contentious for a number of reasons, and anti-abortionists continue to fight for an abortion ban.

The ethics of abortion for each side are quite clear. Pro-choice proponents of abortion believe it is a woman's right to choose what happens to her body and her unborn child, while anti-abortion proponents feel it is the right of the unborn child to live. One expert writes, "Throughout the history of the United States, religious revival has been responsible for or closely associated with all manner of social and cultural change" (Jacoby, 1998, p. 16).

Most of those who support an abortion ban also base their choice on religious principles, and so, their beliefs are truly attempting to change our society and culture. The legality of abortion is being challenged because of the ethical questions surrounding it; including, who is responsible for giving and taking life? Is it the parents, or is it God? These are difficult questions to answer, and that is one reason these problems are so thorny and perplexing to everyone, despite their beliefs.

Clearly, having an abortion is a very personal decision, and one that is not right for everyone. While the decision may be appropriate for some, it may not be for others. The person's religious upbringing, principles, and ethics all play a part in the decision. The legal issue, for now, is mute, for abortions are legal in our country, but that does not mean they are accepted, or the ethical and moral choice for everyone.

At the opposite end of the scale of life, euthanasia is also a hotly debated topic in our country today. Euthanasia is legal for animals, but a family member that is suffering in the final throes of a terminal disease does not have the same rights. The legality of euthanasia has been consistently questioned, and currently, it is only legal in Oregon. Obstacles to the practice are the healthcare industry's fear of legal reprisal.

One expert writes, "An additional obstacle to withdrawing therapy that has already begun is a fear of legal liability. Many worry that stopping treatment, even when ethically justifiable, will constitute wrongful killing" (Berger, 1990, p. 29). Ultimately, the choice to die remains with the patient and the patient's family, and it is a difficult decision to make because of the ethics involved. Some find it a principle of the "greatest good," as Joseph Fletcher discusses in his case on the morality of euthanasia.

He notes, "The Christian love ethic, searching seriously for a social policy, forms a coalition with the utilitarian principle of the 'greatest good of the greatest number.' Of course it reshapes it into the 'most love for the most neighbors'" (Fletcher 19). Thus, euthanasia only benefits the patient, and may actually harm the overall relationship and function of the family, and so ethically, it is a difficult decision.

In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) does not approve of euthanasia, so a doctor carrying out the wishes of a family could face censure, disbarment, or even murder charges. Ethically, many people believe euthanasia is simply another word for murder, and it should never be legalized. Again, the question, who is responsible for life, man, or God? comes into play. The legal issue.