Euthanasia occurs whenever a doctor is involved in one way or another in the termination of a patient's life. There are many reasons why euthanasia should not be legalized. One of the strongest arguments against euthanasia is that it goes against the traditional moral codes of society. Since ancient times, all of the major religions have encouraged a respect for human life. According to this viewpoint, life is a divine gift. As such, it is morally wrong for a person to take another person's life for any reason. Proponents of euthanasia claim that there are certain circumstances in which killing may be humane. For example, it is argued that killing a terminally ill patient is merciful because it stops the suffering of that patient. Despite this argument, the strong moral and social prohibitions against killing still exist. These values are reflected in the legal tradition which likewise prohibits the taking of human life under any circumstance. Another argument against legalized euthanasia is seen in the fact that doctors are sworn to save lives rather than end them. Yet another argument holds that the legalization of some forms of euthanasia will lead to other, more dangerous, forms being accepted as well.
Most doctors are trained to uphold the Hippocratic Oath. According to the Hippocratic Oath, the doctor's role in society is to save lives and relieve suffering. By contrast, the doctor is expected to not "intervene to lower the health standards of the patient or to shorten his life." Even with terminally ill patients, the doctor's responsibility is not to end life but rather "to find ways to make them more comfortable in the days and weeks before death." The official position of the American Medical Association (AMA) reflects this point of view. Although the AMA accepts voluntary, passive euthanasia in some cases, the nonvoluntary and active forms of euthanasia are denounced under all circumstances. Thus, a doct...