The attitude of students of European universities to euthanasia from the point of view of religious ethics

Abstract

If humanity takes the path of legalizing medical murders and justifying them out of a sense of mercy, there is a high probability of a transition to a sense of expediency, and the scale of such activities is difficult to predict. In this regard, it is necessary to recall the principle of the "inclined plane", which was described by Archbishop John of San Francisco. If we impose the essence of this principle of the "inclined plane" on the problem of euthanasia, we will get the following: if today we legalize the artificial deprivation of life of hopeless patients, an hour before their expected death, then tomorrow such philanthropy would come to the conclusion that it is necessary to artificially interrupt the life of patients 3 days before their possible death, then one month, six months, a year. The idea of class politics, racial purity, economic expediency, and similar ideas will demand new human sacrifices. The main religions of the world have ambiguous views on euthanasia, a comparative analysis will begin with the position of the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church considers biological death not as the death of vital organs, but as a sacrament, a great blessing that is filled with hidden spiritual meaning. Euthanasia in Europe is no longer a taboo topic, and the proof of this is the fact that it has been legalized in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Albania. Some forms of euthanasia are also used in Switzerland, where a hypnotic drug can be attributed, but the patient must take it to heart.