: Yes Alex, determining where 'intent' moves
: from the relief of suffering to the taking
: of life, is, so often, not easy.
It might, or might not be easy, but that doesn't mean that there is no difference between the intention to relieve suffering, knowing that one of the possible outcomes is death, and the intention to simply cause death.
: Loved ones -- some of whom have legal
: responsibility for the person who is dying
: -- come to the situation with very different
: 'baggage' and very different experiences of
: death and dying and very different views
: about where to draw the line.
Of course there are different "views". It is a question of whether one's view is ethical. Not all "views" are equally moral. One's "view" should be the decision of a well-informed conscience.
: Added to that, loved ones are often in a
: state where making a coherent,
: well-considered decision and engaging in a
: constructive dialogue with others, is very
: difficult.
This is the same argument often used to justify abortion - so long as the expectant mother "agonises" over the decision, it is OK for her to go ahead and have her baby killed.
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