? Conservative religious groups. They are often the same organizations that oppose access to abortion.

? Medical associations whose members are dedicated to saving and extending life, and feel uncomfortable helping people end their lives.

? Groups concerned with disabilities, which fear that euthanasia is the first step towards a society that will kill disabled people against their will.

These groups bring both a religious and professional ethics perspective to the opinion that physician assisted suicide should be prohibited by law.

The other side of the debate over euthanasia is those individuals who fellow the convictions of Dr. Jack Kevorkian and the Right to Die organization. The book "Prescription: Medicide" is an interesting, yet controversial book about physician assisted suicide. Authored by the only physician known to provide assisted suicide to terminally ill patients, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the book brings up some topics of heated debate. Kevorkian discusses his suicide machine, reasons for assisted suicide, and some

Bruce A Robinson. (1999, April 24). Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: All Sides of the Issues. http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm#doctor [1999, April 30].

A recent survey performed by Dr. Diane Meier of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY, of 1,902 doctors showed that 6.4% of those who responded admitted that they had helped at least one patient commit suicide. The doctors questioned specialized in aging, infectious diseases, cancer, and diseases that affected kidneys, nerves and lungs.

5. be unable, without assistance, to commit suicide

In his book, Dr. Kevorkian explains the ancient roots of euthanasia and his invention of the Suicide Machine. He gives examples of how doctors in the time of the Pythagoreans readily gave poison to any patient who requested it. Kevorkian tries to justify assisted suicide by carefully stating the words of the Hippocratic Oath. He also thoughtfully interprets both the laws and the oath in order to make it look like they agree with his ideas.

One justification for assisted suicide that Kevorkian uses is that of a proclamation by a medical committee that it is ethical for physicians to help terminally ill patients commit suicide. Only, he doesn't make it very obvious that the committee is part of a special interest group known as the Society for the Right to Die. This committee was obviously biased because it was part of this society.

3. be, as a direct result of the illness, either suffering intolerable pain, or only has available a life that is unacceptably burdensome (because the illness has to be treated in ways which lead to her being unacceptably dependent on others or on technological means of life support);

Stephen R. Katz, M.D. (1998, April 27). Doctor Assisted Suicide - a Bad Oxymoron and a Bad Idea. Connecticut Post [Online], 2. Available: http://pages.prodigy.com/DOCTORINFORM/suicide.htm [1999, April 30].

Kevorkian seems to think of himself as some sort of saint for offering assisted suicide as a professional service. I don't agree with Kevorkian that euthanasia and "obitiatry", as he calls it, can benefit everyone. There are definite rules and regulations at to when assisted suicide is permissible.

2. God does not send us any experience that we cannot handle. God supports people in suffering. To actively seek an end to one's life would represent a lack of trust in God's promise.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1728
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)