e rule against active euthanasia contributes to the continuation of suffering in many cases. Tong finds that the idea of active euthanasia, while distasteful to many and while being something most Americans state they would not choose, is also something most Americans today feel should be a matter of personal choice and should be judged on an individual basis:
The fact that so many people are interested in euthanasia is not necessarily a sign that this is a death driven culture. On the contrary, we are a culture very much enamored with life and almost obsessive about our physical and psychological well being. Few of us like pain and suffering, and only those of us who are profoundly religious can find meaning in them (Tong 33).
It is this attitude that comes under the heading of what the pope calls a "culture of death," though he is placing a certain value judgment on the matter by his choice of terms. Supporters of euthanasia under certain circumstances see their position as a "culture of life," as a dedication to the quality of life, to the prevention of suffering, and to personal choice in the matter. Pope John Paul II discusses a number of things he sees as part of the "culture of death," but he is not always as absolute about the matter as some see him to be:
John Paul is equally adamant in his opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia. Both practices are "intolerable and burdensome." But here he makes distinctions. Life in the terminally ill need not be prolonged by "aggressive medical procedures." And drugs that reduce suffering are acceptable even if they shorten life (Woodward 59).
Physicians tend to assume that what patients and families want is resuscitation--life at all costs, but it seems that this is not true as surveys show that public opinion is on the side of withdrawing all "invasive" and "extraordinary" treatment in such cases ("Euthanasia; what is the 'good death'?" 21). In many cases, the ...