a request to die. A related issue is physician-assisted suicide, a form of self-inflicted euthanasia that has been supported by Dr. Kevorkian and others as a viable alternative for people with debilitating or terminal illnesses, and Manning states that while some do not see a moral difference between physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, others do make a distinction (3).
Recently, Pope John Paul II stated that we are creating a "culture of death" by deciding that there are times when euthanasia is acceptable, and he instead believes there is no time when "pulling the plug" is acceptable (22). Critics believe that an absolute position ignores the reality of human suffering for both the patient and his or her family and makes both agree to allow suffering as something that has to be endured. In truth, the pope's position is n
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