I personally do not condone euthanasia because:
-It is immoral and unethical
-Every patient, regardless of their degree of illness, deserves utmost care
-Both passive and active euthanasia should be banned and hence palliative care wards should be closed so that "palliative patients" who are fed high dosages of morphine can be admitted to other departments
-By legalising euthanasia, more and more medical professionals would develop the incentive to "get rid of their patients" by euthanizing them
-Patients who request to be euthanized are usually mentally ill (e.g. some suffer from depression) and hence they feel that "life is not worth living".
-Legalising euthanasia would have an adverse affect on medical research as medical professionals would begin to see euthanasia as an alternative to possible treatment options and research would therefore be slowed down or stopped completely
(2) is alright, assuming they want care. If they ask for no care, whats the option then, force it on them? Some patients do refuse care in an attempt to end their own lives (or for many other reasons of course).
(3) is problematic, morphine is for pain control, it's the gold standard drug in a way. I don't see why we shouldn't allow dying and pained people pain control. Obviously, it can be used to tip it over the edge and end their lives (either fully accidentally, partially accidentally or totally on purpose). Not really sure what passive euthanasia is, allowing people to die? They'll do that anyway. (4) is a bit problematic depending on the nature of the illness, likewise, just because someone does suffer a mental illness, it does not
automatically cloud their judgment or rule them out of making decisions about their own life.
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AGAINST:
Euthanasia is an example of rejecting life which is valuable.
Jesus suffered on the cross, yet he didn’t cut his life short, so why are we different?
This type of suicide is devastating for the people that loved that person.
People may commit euthanasia even if it is against a person’s wish
Your second point is not a good argument at all (whether you believe it is another matter entirely). In arguments and debates, your opponent has to accept or at least entertain the idea you're presenting to him or her. If you say that Jesus suffered on the cross, if they just say they don't believe that Jesus was divine, your argumentation along that line falls apart, you could shut it down in a sentence. The others are a bit harder to argue against and are more convincing.
(3) is mildly problematic as well. If you ask most people the following question "Do you want to see loved ones suffer ?", almost everyone would answer "No". Suicide is devestating but so is the process of seeing someone you formerly love waste away to nothing in pain. Their death (if you are following the usual definition of euthanasia ONLY relating to those who will die soon anyway) will be sad too. Either way they are going to die. You essentially have two options here (1) their inevitable death comes quicker and they suffer less OR (2) you prolong their pain and they eventually die anyway.
It is also tinged with a bit of selfishness. Some people say suicide is selfish, i won't take a position on that. Expecting a person who is ill and discomforted to stay around because their death will devastate you is also quite selfish in my opinion. It's almost tinged with the opinion that they're "yours" or almost like property, its inwardly focused on the person asking that question or making that demand, rather than the person suffering or terminally ill. Not a personal attack on you or anyones views at all, just trying to point out the potential issues with some of the arguments. In-fact, i may agree with them but of course, that won't help anyone do well will it :p.
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Not taking any particular side, just trying to be the devils advocate here.
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