Ending Life Support = Suicide?

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Dougbro1

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I have been in a conversation with a fellow CAFer and this topic came up. You may have seen it in another thread.
So the question is, is choosing to end your own life support suicide? Or not?
On the one hand…
We aren’t obligated to receive life support and prolong our lives when are bodies are dying, and by ending life support, it would have us die naturally.

On the other hand…
Pulling the plug is an active measure of taking your own life, whether the intent is to die a natural death or not. Also, the same principle applies to euthanasia, where the only difference is that the decision to end life support is chosen by someone else (Note that this does not include the instances where the person on life support is unconscious and has absolutely no hope of regaining it and living on consciously).

Bonus: If advocating to end your life support to die a natural death is wrong, is it a mortal sin?
 
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The Church’s moral theology on this point distinguishes between ordinary care (like nutrition and hydration, at least until the dying person’s body can no longer process ot) and extraordinary care (like operating someone’s heart or lungs for them). The former cannot morally be discontinued (until that point I mentioned), while the latter may if there is no hope of recovery and the person would simply die naturally without the extraordinary means.
 
As I understand it from an old Priest friend of mine… As a Catholic, you can choose to end extra ordinary steps to prolong life. However, you can’t make a choice to take say pill A knowing it will kill you that would be suicide
 
Not. If “life support” is keeping the patient alive, but there is no hope of recovery, and no hope of continued life processes without the support, it is not suicide.
 
DIERM said:
Not. If “life support” is keeping the patient alive, but there is no hope of recovery, and no hope of continued life processes without the support, it is not suicide.
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So if you manage to get a plenary indulgence, and fulfill all the usual conditions, and then decide to end your life support while in that state of grace, you would end up dying and going right to Heaven?
 
Dougbro1 said:
So if you manage to get a plenary indulgence, and fulfill all the usual conditions, and then decide to end your life support while in that state of grace, you would end up dying and going right to Heaven?
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I can’t answer that…I can’t even answer whether if one does not even die in a state of grace does is his salvation really lost?..I don’t think any of us, except for the great I Am, who holds the rights in deciding our ultimate salvation or damnation.
 
I would follow the Church teaching on euthanasia, particularly CCC 2277-2278:
2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.

2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of “over-zealous” treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.
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We had a case once where the wife was declining (naturally as part of her disease process) but not fast enough for the husband’s satisfaction.

He started blocking the entrance of her room when staff brought in her meal trays.

He swore this was what she wanted.

I don’t live on a state with legalized euthanasia.

Long story short, administration had to get involved and after a day of this she got fed again and wolfed down her food.)
 
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