EUTHANASIA AND THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE: RELIGIO- ETHICAL RESPONSE AS A THERAPY

Abstract

Euthanasia and the sanctity of human life: religio-ethical response as a therapy is the focus 
of this research. Euthanasia is an act of willful termination of life. The phenomenon of 
euthanasia has been a very controversial issue that has attracted serious attention of 
scholars within the purview of religion, ethics and medicine in the annals of human 
civilization. This is owing to the fact that human life is sacred and inviolable, otherwise 
called the sanctity of human life. Sanctity of human life shows that no man can create life, 
and man must value it, care for it and love it. While some countries like the Netherlands 
and Belgium have legalized euthanasia and its dynamics, other common law countries like 
Nigeria and Britain have criminalized it. It is based on these divergent views of mercy 
killing that the paper seeks to examine the responses and perspective of euthanasia by some 
religions such as; Christian, Islamic, African traditional religions, and Hindu perspective. 
This research adopted a descriptive, qualitative methodological approach to probe into 
euthanasia and the sanctity of human life. Also, books, internet sources, journals and 
etcetera were used. The research reveals the etymology and meaning of euthanasia, the 
sanctity of human life, forms of euthanasia, types of euthanasia and the religio-ethical 
response therapy for euthanasia and the sanctity of human life. It recommends amongst 
others that although death is inevitable, anyone who aid the practice of euthanasia should 
be prosecuted by law to serve as deterrent to others.