Voluntary euthanasia (from the Greek ευθανασία meaning "good death": ευ-, eu- (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. Voluntary euthanasia (VE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have been the focus of great controversy in recent years.
As of 2009, some forms of voluntary euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US states of Oregon and Washington.
Read more about Voluntary Euthanasia: Assisted Suicide, History, Arguments For and Against Voluntary Euthanasia, Medical Ethics of Euthanasia, Voluntary Euthanasia and The Law, Voluntary Euthanasia and Religion, Euthanasia Protocols
Famous quotes containing the word voluntary:
“All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than any political organisation. For the latter makes use of violence, the former—of the corruption of the will.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)