I Hope My Father Dies Soon

Indeed. And the mother of friend of mine had to search for her own slippery slope so she could fall out of a window to end her life to end the constant pain of the tumors in her bones.

I had the relatively good luck of having my parents die quick and clean death - but still there were traumas that needed years to heal. My father spend in vegetative state only 48 hours - and the load was unbearable. Having to live with that for months or years - I am sure that no person would like to cause that to their children and relatives.

Ending the suffering soon is good for the patient, but is even better for the ones they loved. I don't want to burden anyone when my time comes and I insist on the right of going away the way I want to and not the way fate decides.

To expand on this. How do you decide when it is appropriate for euthanasia? Is it only for terminal patients? Patients with chronic incurable diseases? What about people with Huntington's and are otherwise healthy? Are depressed people who can't bring themselves to commit suicide afforded access to physician assisted suicide? If a demented patient had previously requested not to be killed earlier, but now in their demented state the family, who are now responsible for all medical decisions, request it. What do we do?

Since this concerns the U.S. government, I'll say that the vendetta against euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide by the Christian right is puzzling. The Bible has a very ambivalent view on suicide (as with any other topic), the tale of Samson being a prime example. The main argument against suicide comes from Corinthians, but it is starkly contradicted by other passages.

A person who is slowly succumbing, immobile, on the brink of death and suffering has nothing to offer or worthwhile to live for. Their life is effectively over and they're simply waiting for the moment their biological functions will at last cease.

Yet the Christian right insists that the agony be prolonged to a maximum. The religion is notably fascinated with martyrdom, asceticism and persecution complexes. But that suffering has no purpose in overcoming tribulation when you're a near-lifeless bag of meat. Then, of course, very few Christians actually ascribe to the ascetic life as laid down in their scripture.

Sorry for your loss.

I got half way through that and had to stop reading.

I have a very close relative with moderately advanced dementia, and it's heartbreaking to see.. I wish I lived closer, because every time I see her (which is as often as I can afford to make the trip), it's worse and worse..

I don't even want to imagine her getting to that stage..

I realize it's our own doing, but there is nothing 'right' (or 'left') about Christianity.

That being said... your post is completely accurate (in my experience), and speaking as a Christian, that infuriates me (likely even more than it does you...)