by Maureen Totterer

Created on: October 19, 2010   Last Updated: October 23, 2010

Compassion does not trump murder. Assisted suicide is murder. Those who could never pull the lever in capital punishment cases might lean in favor of assisted suicide. Those who are against abortion are generally in favor of capital punishment. Individual beliefs make it impossible to find common ground. As a result, these battles are fought out in the court system.

Assisted suicide is bad law and should be struck down by the court system. The obvious problem with assisted suicide is the murder of another human being. Another problem is the questionable necessity of assisted suicide. Hospice care is available in most states, if not every state.

Assisted suicide and hospice care are not the same thing. Assisted suicide is accomplished with a one-time lethal dose of medication with the express purpose of ending a life. Hospice care dispenses measured non-lethal doses of medication under the orders of a physician. Medications are ordered by a physician in order to reduce pain and anxiety while subsequently providing comfort at the end of life.

While both end in death, assisted suicide interrupts the death process by someone taking on the role of God. Hospice care is an intervention that eliminates or greatly reduces pain and anxiety during the death process. Some patients pass away sooner, some weeks or months later. Every hospice patient is different regarding time of death because that part is left up to God.

On the other hand, assisted suicide is accomplished by someone who believes that human intervention is necessary, for whatever reason. An assisted suicide victim may not know that hospice care is an available and better answer to their life of pain.

Legalized assisted suicide is fairly new in America and infects our court system and country with humanistic ideology. Humanism chips away at American values with ideas that are alien to American principles.

The serpent predicted to Eve in the garden of Eden, "ye shall be as gods." The serpent provided Eve with a choice though told by God if she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would "surely die." Humanism always provides a choice while disregarding sin. Substituting choice in place of sin is at the heart of these battles.

Some might say, "But isn't capital punishment a sin?" Capital punishment is just retribution that maintains order in our American society and is rooted in our Judeo-Christian principles. 

Learn more about this author, Maureen Totterer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.