dwd & religion

Religious Groups and Their Positions on Death with Dignity

Beliefs concerning what is permissible at the end of life are shaped in part, by religious values. For this reason, we have compiled a list of several denominations' positions on the issue of hastened dying.

Simplified versions of these positions are listed below.

Baptist: Assisted dying violates the sanctity of human life.

Catholic: The killing of a human being, even by an act of omission to eliminate suffering, violates divine law and offends the dignity of the human person.

Christian Science: The Church's experience with healing indicates assisted suicide is not a genuine expression of faith and is a denial of God's presence and power.

Disciples of Christ: The customary reasons for assisted dying, suffering and irreversible conditions, are nullified by the biblical witness to meaningful suffering and to possible healing.

Eastern Orthodox: Physician assisted dying is morally and theologically impermissible because of God's sovereignty and the sanctity of human life.

Episcopal: Some Episcopalians believe it is morally wrong to take human life with medication to relieve suffering caused by incurable illness. Others approve of assisted dying in rare cases.

Islam: Assisted dying is forbidden. Physicians must not take active measures to terminate a patient's life.

Jehovah's Witness: Physician assisted dying violates the sanctity of life and Christian conscience.

Judaism: Orthodox Jews believe that active steps by a physician to hasten death violate the sanctity of human life. Conservative and Reform leaders have called for increased discussion of end-of-life issues but not issued official positions on assisted dying.

Lutheran: Assisted dying destroys life created in the image of God and is contrary to Christian conscience and stewardship of life.

Methodist: Methodists generally accept the individual's freedom of conscience to determine the means and timing of death. Some regional conferences have endorsed the legalization of physician assisted dying.

Mormon: Any person who participates in the death of a person suffering from incurable conditions or disease violates the commandments of God.

Presbyterian: Some adhere to an ecclesiastical deference to a person's own choices about the timing and method of dying. Others believe life should not be taken by a patient.

Unitarian Universalist: The right to self-determination includes the choice of hastened dying. Unitarians support immunity from prosecution for those who, with proper safeguards, honor the requests of terminally ill patients.

United Church of Christ: The Church affirms individual freedom and responsibility. It has not asserted that hastened dying is the Christian position, but the right to choose is a legitimate Christian decision.

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