Twist on another thread; is this a sin?

[Dragoro]

If you had a major heart problem or cancer that needed an operation to survive, and you refused tratment?

 

[wjp984]

It would depend on your reasoning. If your reasoning was you wanted to die and were doing it as suicide, then ya, it probably would be sinful. If you are doing it for other reasons, probably not. I think a good comparrison is the guidelines used on whether someone has a duty to go through with treatment in order to mitigate damages when suing for injuries caused in a car accident. Here are three factors the court uses.

1. What is the probability of success?
2. What are the risks involved with the treatment
3. What are the expenditures of money and effort which are required for the treatment.

Basically, would the reasonable person do this treatment?

So my personal opinion is if the probability of success is less than 50% and treatments such as radiation or chemothereapy will cause a lot of extra pain and suffering, and this would also potentially be an undue burden financially, then one might make a morally neutral decision to rely on God and prayer and let their life be in God’s hands. However, if the probability of success is near 100%, then ya, it might be sinful to not want to undergo a little extra pain to survive especially if it is a suicidal reasoning.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

If you had a major heart problem or cancer that needed an operation to survive, and you refused tratment?

No it is not a sin; to impede another’s operation may be but not your personal choice concerning your operation

 

[BlaineTog]

You are not required to undergo extraordinary measures to sustain your life. If the operation were trivial and covered by insurance, it would probably be at least a little sinful to refuse, but you don’t have to undergo a $100,000 operation with weeks of hospitalization and months of therapy afterwards with a relatively poor chance of survival and virtually no longterm survival on pain of sin.

 

[James_Miller]

WJP984 has given a good summary of the Catholic position. To cover all aspects of the question would be a chapter or two in Medical ethics.

 

[rwoehmke]

You are not required to undergo extraordinary measures to sustain your life. If the operation were trivial and covered by insurance, it would probably be at least a little sinful to refuse, but you don’t have to undergo a $100,000 operation with weeks of hospitalization and months of therapy afterwards with a relatively poor chance of survival and virtually no longterm survival on pain of sin.

$100,000 heart surgery or cancer treatment would be a real bargain. Most of these “lifesavers” when hospital, surgery, meds, and rehab are calculated in run a half mill or more. Heart surgery from a pain standpoint is not that bad and the risk of success often outweighs the risk of dying on the table or of not having it. Some cases, however, are very risky. Chemo radiation, and/or surgery when the doctors think it is a long shot might very well be morally dispensed with.

 

[wjp984]

WJP984 has given a good summary of the Catholic position. To cover all aspects of the question would be a chapter or two in Medical ethics.

This is what amazes me more than anything about the common law. So much of it incorporates the natural law and what would also be Catholic teaching. In fact, I think the Catholic Church was one of the first institutions to develop a system of laws which other countries then could base their law on. It’s only a select few things such as abortion, where the laws contradict one another.

 

[BlaineTog]

$100,000 heart surgery or cancer treatment would be a real bargain. Most of these “lifesavers” when hospital, surgery, meds, and rehab are calculated in run a half mill or more. Heart surgery from a pain standpoint is not that bad and the risk of success often outweighs the risk of dying on the table or of not having it. Some cases, however, are very risky. Chemo radiation, and/or surgery when the doctors think it is a long shot might very well be morally dispensed with.

I was just throwing a number out there (and I didn’t mention heart surgery at all), but yeah, same idea.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I cannot help but notice no actual Catholic teaching is listed, could someone list a teaching which requires one to undergo medical treatment? My guess is the greater good argument is being misunderstood here those issues involve actions which can be sinful as sterilization but are not intended however will occur as a result of a therapy, those issues are quite difficult.

 

[wjp984]

How about don’t kill yourself. If you refuse treatment since you don’t feel like living anymore then that probably is sinful.