assisted dying

[scooterscot]

where people would top themselves at the drop of a hat, or at the whim of a ruler often for the most trivial perceived offences or slights, and the lives of peasants and slaves and petty criminals wasn't worth a bean, hardly an advance ethically on Christianity.

God save the Queen.

Would you not slay yourself by a thousand paper cuts if you thought it would save Queenie?

[SpontaneousOrder]

If arguing on those lines it might be better to say "die with dignity".

That phrase "die with honour" is more associated with past militaristic societies like Ancient Rome and Shogun Japan, where people would top themselves at the drop of a hat, or at the whim of a ruler often for the most trivial perceived offences or slights, and the lives of peasants and slaves and petty criminals wasn't worth a bean, hardly an advance ethically on Christianity.

Sure. Either way wouldn't be taboo - the first thing that popped into my head was the HBO 'Rome' series I watched the other week, and Mark Anthony doing himself in.

[mudskipper]

Can we assist some other CUK poster instead?

[mudskipper]

Texts - Of Suicide & Of the Immortality of the Soul (1777, 1755)

David Hume eloquently argued against the religious taboo way back in the 18th century.

[greenlake]

And in today's Independent....

The 'suicide tourists': 126 Brits opt for assisted death in Switzerland since 2008 - Health News - Health & Families - The Independent

[NotAllThere]

4. AndyW's mum will be the death of me.

Fixed.

Switzerland is tightening up its laws to prevent suicide tourism.

In the UK that nasty Christian ethic has prevented assisted suicide being legal, but has engendered the hospice movement. In enlightened countries like Belgium, where assisted suicide is available for children, they don't have many hospices.

The biggest problem with assisted suicide is ensuring that people don't come under pressure to choose it.