An emerging fad in Western countries is the concept of a so-called "right to die". People fear dying or, in effect, they fear the pain associated with dying, and so they conjure up remarks like wanting to "die with dignity", concluding that they have the right to be able to choose the method and timing of their death! Let us examine these presuppositions and tricks of the mind on the self.
The first question is whether or not there really is a right to die. There is an established right to life, as we all know, so the first question is how could there ever be a right to die? If dying is a right, then there could be no right to life! Since we all have to die anyway, one can hardly speak of a right to die. Rights may be freely applied or chosen to be forsaken. Die we must, so we have no choice. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg thinks that there is no fundamental right to die!
The second question is whether there is any dignity in death at all. Having observed many people die in my life, I do not believe that there is any dignity in dying at all. The dignity is bestowed by those who love the dying person in that they show compassion, empathy and care for him or her and surround that person in the last moments of life with love, understanding and mercy.
Is there any meaning in suffering? Outside God, there is no sense in suffering at all. Therefore, religion helps a hundredfold those who are suffering before death, especially those who believe in an afterlife and the mercy of God. It is not surprising, therefore, that beyond God, some individuals may seek an option of the "right to die". There are, in effect, many secular reasons one may invoke against the so-called "right to die".
One should keep in mind that even those who say they have this right often change their minds when the moment comes, especially if they are surrounded by the right humane conditions. A civil law providing a "right to die" would unfortunately make people at their end of life cycle feel that they are compelled to die, once this attitude becomes accepted in society. Such acceptance would, unfortunately, only make life a cheap option which would then simply become a commodity to keep or take from self or others.
The concept of dignity in death, rather than that of death with dignity, often shows how far society has recently moved from the self in community to self alone. We are not alone, with family and friends to support us. When these break down socially, we feel alone and it is then that we begin to contemplate assisted suicide. However, close examination of our lives often shows that there are extensions of friendship and family who may help out or be affected directly by our demise.
Often the fear of death is extant because there is a dearth of palliative care available to society in general. Even today, most palliative care operations are carried out by NGOs not state organisations, meaning that they might not be universally accessible. Palliative care can alleviate pain and care for the dying in such a way that death is painless and care dignified.
Another issue questions whether society and the state should pass on this power to doctors, some of whom could grossly abuse this power to carry out euthanasia, even against the will of their patients. Some cases surfacing in Holland, where assisted suicide has been on the statute books for some time now, bear out this fear. Not only are cases of assisted suicide increasing exponentially, but there have been cases where some patients' lives have been terminated without their consent. One particularly notorious case has occurred where a doctor had euthanised a Catholic nun on the pretext that, being Catholic, she might have felt some reservation in asking for the assisted suicide regime! I can only imagine what would happen when hospital beds are in short supply and some high dignitary needs such a hospital bed.
Natural law itself, the law promulgated by human practical reason, shows us that such an approach by civil society is wrong. Reason shows us that we should care for our senior citizens, those who have given a prior service, by caring for them in turn now that they need our help. Death should not be an option here. Killing others off does not fall either under the golden rule of doing good and avoiding evil, or under the Aristotelian rule of doing to others as you would want others to do you!
There are several other secular reasons that can be put forward, but the few I have enunciated here can help people and society find other more humane options for dealing with cases of those among us dying.
Michael Asciak MD, M.Phil, PhD, PGT in VET.
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