Passive euthanasia is to leave an incurable patients in the stage of dying as it is giving up taking any active measure to extend his/her life, although it is possible to do so even temporarily by blocking or delaying the progress of death. The development of science and technology, especially biomedicine, allows the almost-mortal patient to extend his/her life in a vegetative state through the life-maintaining devices with minimum physical signs of being alive, although he/she would be already dead in the past. Therefore, it is the most disputable issue among many others in biomedical ethics. Therefore, as suggested by the title, the present study focuses Christianity-oriented ethical approach. However, various other approaches were also required including legal, medical, ethical and theological ones.
Understanding passive euthanasia does not simply mean the biological understanding of the death but the understanding in relation to God. The death from Christian perspective is one of the ways to recognize God's sovereignties. Therefore, euthanasia is not a natural death. The unnatural death under the names of comfortable and easy death for the patient, reduction of family's suffering and decrease of economical and social cost shall be prohibited. There should be only the death allowed by God as stipulated in the Bible.
The balance between the patient's autonomy and the duty to preserve life shall be established in the specific cases through the analyses of the euthanasia allowance in each country and the major cases. Of course, this study identified that if there is a prior instruction, the passive euthanasia is allowed in the cultures that emphasizes individual autonomy such as the U.S.A. From the Christian ethic's perspective, even though the motivation to alleviate the patient's pain is good, the passive euthanasia cannot be accepted as it is, which place the priority on the individual's absolute right of choice over God's sovereignty. However, it is also impossible to deny euthanasia completely. The medical technology to maintain the serious patient's life among modern medicine develops continuously so that the number of patients who are waiting permanently for their death in a vegetative sate keeps increasing annually. In addition, the cancer patients who are suffering intolerable pain lay burdens and pain on their family and society. Thus, euthanasia is implemented on the basis that it would be right to shorten the life than to extend meaningless life longer. In addition, the ethical disputes over euthanasia continues based on such facts. This study examined the passive euthanasia from three perspectives.
First, this study proposes that euthanasia should not allowed in any case when we find human dignity in God, Since the Bible does not regard the pain as an absolute evil, it cannot be accepted that we choose death to avoid pain. Nevertheless, since the patient's extreme pain continues and his/her family suffers economic and social pressure, it is necessary to find the best alternative. Therefore, the appropriate alternative would be a hospice where the patient can 'be prepared for one's death and accept God's will. Therefore, it is necessary for the patient to alleviate his/her physical pain and get better prepared for leaving the world without any further unnecessary medical activities through the effective hospice. Second, the Christian life ethics should be established under the condition where the trend to make light of life prevails, and the specific medical ethics guidelines should be established including euthanasia. In addition, it should be also avoided to indiscriminately get on bandwagon to bring into the public discussion and legitimate in a system the passive euthanasia. Instead, the sovereignty of God and dignity of life should be discussed in depth. Third, in case the patient has no possibility to recover and only extends his/her death process, our society has to share the family's economic suffering. Therefore, the social responsibility of the medical cost shall be discussed in a more serious manner, and the health insurance system should be improved in addition to the restructuring of the systems for the patient or family including medical insurance or public assistance system.
The present researcher identified many indications in euthanasia through this study. The implications of this study would be to add a clue to the interdisciplinary research on euthanasia and to provide future directions in the future studies and an alternative from the Christian ethic's perspective.