Should euthanasia be legalised everywhere?

     Through this argument, I am not saying that people can just go to a Swiss clinic and say they want to die for unfounded reasons. There have to be regulations. Going back to the Dignitas example, people who request euthanasia "have to be of sound judgement, themselves able to do the last act which brings about death, and submit a formal request including a letter explaining their wish to die". But, for people with terminal illnesses which cause them to suffer in life, the right to die with dignity and in peace must be available.

     Many religious factions are against euthanasia. The Roman Catholic Church states that "intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms and motives, is murder." The Church of England (hereafter referred to as the C of E) is not always against passive euthanasia, but is strongly against active euthanasia. In the Qur'an and the Hadith of Islam, early termination of life is considered a crime. And, in Judaism, there is some debate, and they hold a similar position to the C of E. In fact, passive euthanasia was actually declared legal by the highest court in Israel; I don't necessarily agree with everything that Israel does, but I believe this is a step forward, and an example that the rest of the world could follow, when it comes to allowing a terminally ill patient to die with dignity.

     Religious or not, however, it has to be agreed that, if someone is suffering from an illness which causes them nothing but pain, they should have the right to die peacefully. Take pets for example: when our pets are suffering from a terminal illness, they are put down to stop them from suffering. So why on Earth must it not be the same for human beings, when our needs and wants are much clearer to understand than those of our friends in the Animal Kingdom?