Living will does not resolve medical-ethical-legal dilemma. 1976

J F Monagle

The Living Will is an ethically acceptable document that serves to convey a patient's attitude toward terminal illness and to facilitate a physician's decision not to prolong the dying process. But in a Christian context, the Christian Affirmation of Life is a superior document by which to express and aid such decision making. Because the Living Will advances the concept of negative euthanasia--an ethical, legal, and political misnomer--and abets the effort to legalize positive or direct euthanasia, it should not be given legal recognition. As a legal document, the Living Will could seriously affect both patients and physicians.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007603 Jurisprudence The science or philosophy of law. Also, the application of the principles of law and justice to health and medicine. Litigation,Medical Jurisprudence,Constitutional Law,Court Decision,Law,Legal Aspects,Legal Obligations,Legal Status,State Interest,Aspect, Legal,Aspects, Legal,Constitutional Laws,Court Decisions,Decision, Court,Decisions, Court,Interest, State,Interests, State,Jurisprudence, Medical,Law, Constitutional,Laws,Laws, Constitutional,Legal Aspect,Legal Obligation,Litigations,Obligation, Legal,Obligations, Legal,State Interests,Status, Legal
D012068 Religion and Medicine The interrelationship of medicine and religion. Religiosity Coping,Spiritual Coping,Medicine and Religion,Coping, Religiosity,Coping, Spiritual,Religiosity Copings
D002410 Catholicism The Christian faith, practice, or system of the Catholic Church, specifically the Roman Catholic, the Christian church that is characterized by a hierarchic structure of bishops and priests in which doctrinal and disciplinary authority are dependent upon apostolic succession, with the pope as head of the episcopal college. (From Webster, 3d ed; American Heritage Dictionary, 2d college ed) Roman Catholic Ethics,Roman Catholicism,Roman Catholics,Catholic, Roman,Catholicism, Roman,Catholics, Roman,Ethic, Roman Catholic,Ethics, Roman Catholic,Roman Catholic,Roman Catholic Ethic
D004992 Ethics, Medical The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families. Medical Ethics
D005065 Euthanasia The act or practice of killing or allowing death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy, i.e., in order to release a person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. (from Beauchamp and Walters, Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 5th ed) Mercy Killing,Killing, Mercy,Killings, Mercy,Mercy Killings
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013727 Terminal Care Medical and nursing care of patients in the terminal stage of an illness. End-Of-Life Care,End of Life Care,Care, End-Of-Life,Care, Terminal,End-Of-Life Cares
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014918 Wills Legal documents that are declarations of individuals' wishes regarding the disposal of their property or estate after death; esp: written instruments, legally executed, by which dispositions are made of estates. LIVING WILLS are written declarations regarding prolongation of life by extraordinary means. Inheritance, Legal,Legal Inheritance

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