Religious Attitudes on End of Life (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

Christian attitudes to euthanasia

• There is no single Christian teaching on euthanasia

• Different denominations take different views, but most agree that:

  • Life is precious and must be treated with respect

  • Life is a sacred gift from God

  • Only God has the authority to end it

The sanctity of life and the Bible

• The Bible teaches that humans are made in God’s image

• This means every person has dignity and worth, and life should be valued and protected

• It also means that all Christians believe in the sanctity of life: all human life is sacred because it comes from God

• The Ten Commandments say:

• Many Christians believe euthanasia breaks this commandment

• The Book of Job reminds believers that life and death are part of God’s plan:

• Christians believe God knows and cares for each person:

• Many Christians see the final stage of life as a spiritual time to prepare for death and draw closer to God

• Because of these beliefs, most Christians reject euthanasia, trusting God to decide when life should end

Roman Catholic and Orthodox views

• The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches teach that euthanasia is always wrong because it deliberately ends an innocent human life

• The Catholic Declaration on Euthanasia states:

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

• Pope John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae (1995):

• Catholics believe ending life early interferes with God’s plan

• Life must be respected and protected, not shortened

• Suffering can have spiritual value, helping people grow closer to God and develop compassion for others

• They follow the principle of double effect: methods for easing suffering — even if they may shorten life — are acceptable, provided the intention is not to kill

• Catholics support palliative care, which relieves pain without intending death

• The Church strongly supports hospice care, helping people die with dignity rather than ending life early

Anglican and Protestant views

• The Church of England teaches that life is sacred but recognises that moral decisions can be complex

• It generally opposes euthanasia. However, there may be rare cases where ending life could be seen as the “lesser of two evils”

• Some Anglicans and Protestants take a situation ethics approach, deciding what is most loving in each case

  • If a person is suffering terribly and wishes to die, helping them could be viewed as an act of compassion

  • Others believe that love means providing care, not ending life

• The Presbyterian Church teaches that Christians should focus on caring for the dying rather than ending life

Liberal and Evangelical views

• Evangelical Christians often take an absolutist view, believing that all forms of euthanasia are wrong because the Bible is the literal word of God

  • They see euthanasia as a breach of God’s commandments and the sanctity of life

• Liberal Christians may take a relativist or compassionate approach

  • They might agree that turning off life support is acceptable if doctors are certain the person has experienced brain death

  • They may also accept withholding treatment that only prolongs suffering, following Jesus’s teaching to love others

  • However, they would still oppose deliberate killing or involuntary euthanasia

Alternatives to euthanasia: Hospices and palliative care

• Many Christian churches promote hospice care as an alternative to euthanasia

• Hospices provide medical, emotional and spiritual care for terminally ill people and their families

• They help patients die with dignity, surrounded by love and care, while managing pain through palliative care

• They also support families emotionally and spiritually during and after a loved one’s death

• The first modern hospice was Saint Christopher’s Hospice, founded by Dame Cicely Saunders in 1967 in London

  • Saunders was inspired by her Christian faith

  • She aimed to relieve suffering and uphold the sanctity of life

Muslim attitudes to euthanasia

• Most Muslims believe that euthanasia is always wrong (haram) because it goes against the sanctity of life

• Life is a sacred gift from Allah, and only Allah has the right to give life and to take it away

• Ending life deliberately through euthanasia is seen as a rejection of Allah’s gift

The sanctity of life

• Muslims believe that all life has been created by Allah and has a purpose

• Each person’s life follows a plan set by Allah, and no one should interfere with that plan

• Islam teaches that all life should be valued equally, whether healthy, disabled, young or old

• It considers euthanasia as interfering with Allah’s will and plan

  • Euthanasia also prevents a person from completing the test of life that Allah has given them, which may affect what happens at their judgment and in the afterlife

  • Muslims believe that suffering can have spiritual value and is part of the test of life

• Those who remain patient and faithful during illness may receive great reward in the afterlife

• Families who support and care for a loved one through illness are also carrying out an important religious duty

• Although Islam teaches compassion, deliberately ending life to end pain is never seen as acceptable

• Even when the body is weak, the soul remains pure and valuable

  • What matters most to Allah is the soul’s condition, not physical health

• Muslims show compassion by providing medical treatment, emotional support and prayer, not by taking life away

Medical decisions and end-of-life care

• Islam recognises that there are times when medical treatment cannot restore life

• In these cases, Muslim scholars say it is acceptable to stop treatment that only delays death

  • This is not euthanasia, as it allows the natural process of dying to take place

• The Islamic Code of Medical Ethics supports this view

• Turning off a life support machine when recovery is impossible may therefore be permitted

  • Some scholars also allow a do not resuscitate (DNR) order when further treatment would only prolong suffering

• However, deliberately causing death through medication or other active measures is strictly forbidden

• Hospices and palliative care are encouraged as compassionate alternatives, helping patients manage pain and maintain dignity without ending life early

Humanist attitudes to euthanasia

• Humanists do not believe that life is sacred because it was created by God, as they do not believe in God or an afterlife

  • Instead, they focus on the value and quality of life in the here and now

• Humanists believe that each person has the right to make decisions about their own life, including how it should end

  • This is sometimes called self-determination

• Therefore, many humanists support voluntary euthanasia and assisted dying

  • Individuals should have the right to choose how and when they die

• Humanists uphold the right to life, but they believe that life should not be prolonged when it brings only pain or distress

  • They argue that if someone is suffering and there is no chance of recovery, choosing to die peacefully may be the most compassionate option

• Many humanists also point out that people often end an animal’s suffering when it is in pain, so allowing a person to suffer without choice seems inconsistent or cruel

• They see being able to die with dignity as a fundamental human right, and they believe that good end-of-life care should include the option of assisted dying for those who want it

• Rather than focusing on the sanctity of life, humanists emphasise quality of life

  • They believe that when quality of life is lost beyond recovery, an individual should have the choice to end life on their own terms

  • This should only apply when the person is mentally capable of making that decision and has not been pressured by others

• Humanists UK and other organisations, such as Dignity in Dying, have campaigned to legalise assisted dying and voluntary euthanasia in the UK

• The organisations argue that:

  • People who are terminally ill and mentally competent should have the legal right to choose assisted dying

  • Suffering should not be prolonged when death is inevitable

  • Assisted dying should be strictly controlled and only carried out at the person’s own request

• Dignity in Dying calls for the law to be limited to terminally ill adults who are mentally competent, to prevent abuse or pressure

  • This approach is designed to give people a choice while protecting the vulnerable