Is Assisting in a Suicide the Same as Killing?

Killing takes a human life against the will and without the consent of a person who wants to continue living, and has the primary intention of doing harm. Assisted dying, by contrast, should always be a compassionate act voluntarily requested by the patient who is destined to die and wants to die to relieve his or her suffering; it should be carried out only after open dialogue with one’s physician and significant others, assessment of all possible options, opportunities for counseling, and serious reflection.

Killing takes a human life against the will and without the consent of a person who wants to continue living, and has the primary intention of doing harm. Assisted dying, by contrast, should always be a compassionate act voluntarily requested by the patient who is destined to die and wants to die to relieve his or her suffering; it should be carried out only after open dialogue with one’s physician and significant others, assessment of all possible options, opportunities for counseling, and serious reflection.