Attitude of the World's Leading Religions Towards Euthanasia

Pitanje eutanazije kontroverzno je pitanje u gotovo svakom društvu i društvenom uređenju te je pitanje koje se pojavljuje već u prošlosti i kao takvo ostalo je sastavni dio gotovo svake religije. Razvojem moderne bioetike, ali i značajnih poboljšanja medicine i mogućnosti očuvanja i održavanja života, pitanje eutanazije još je dodatno produbljeno i postalo je važan bioetički problem u kojem se sukobljavaju sekularna i prvenstveno kršćanska, ali i druge religijske bioetike. Kršćani su uglavnom protiv eutanazije. Argumenti se obično temelje na uvjerenjima da je život darovan od Boga i da su ljudska bića stvorena na sliku Božju. Slično stajalište razvijaju i Islam te Judaizam koji smatraju kako je čovjek najvažnije stvorenje nakon Boga te kako samo Bog ima pravo stvarati i oduzimati život. Židovski zakon oštro osuđuje svaki čin koji skraćuje život i tretira ubojstvo osobe za koju liječnici kažu da će u svakom slučaju umrijeti. Pozitivna eutanazija je stoga isključena. Čak je i individualna autonomija sekundarna u odnosu na svetost čovjeka. Jednako tako, Islam smatra kako je patnja veoma velika žrtva koju čovjek ostvaruje tokom života i „skraćivanje muka“ zapravo je protivno uvjerenjima islama. Hinduizam, Budizam, Sikti i druge istočnjačke religije također se protive eutanaziji, iako imaju blaži stav. Posebice se to odnosi na budiste koji čak u određenim situacijama i prihvaćaju eutanaziju kao milosrdno rješenje. Važna iznimka u istočnjačkim religijama jest Prayopavesa odnosno post do smrti koji se ne smatra samoubojstvom jer je prirodan i nenasilan.The issue of euthanasia is controversial in almost every society and social arrangement, and it is an issue that has already appeared in the past and has remained an integral part of almost every religion. With the development of modern bioethics, as well as significant improvements in medicine and the possibility of preserving and sustaining life, the issue of euthanasia has deepened further. It has become a fundamental bioethical problem in which secular, primarily Christian, and other religious bioethics collide. Christians are generally against euthanasia. Arguments are usually based on the belief that life is a gift from God and that human beings are created in the image of God. A similar point of view is developed by Islam and Judaism, which believe that man is the most important creature after God and that only God has the right to create and take life. Jewish law strongly condemns any act that shortens life and treats as murder a person whom doctors say will surely die. Positive euthanasia is therefore excluded. Even individual autonomy is secondary to the sanctity of man. Equally, Islam believes that suffering is a tremendous sacrifice that a person makes during life and “shortening suffering” is actually against the beliefs of Islam. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other Eastern religions oppose euthanasia, although they take a more lenient view. This lenient view especially applies to Buddhists who accept euthanasia as a merciful solution even in certain situations. An important exception in Eastern religions is Prayopavesa, fasting until death, which is not considered suicide because it is natural and non-violent