The view that assisted suicide is an act of compassion Essay Example for Free

The view that assisted suicide is an act of compassion Essay Assisted suicide can be an act of compassion because it relieves immense suffering both for the patient and the family. Thinking that it is purely about pain is naà ¯ve, in reality terminally ill patients fear the loss of independence, dignity and function more than pain. Pain can be managed, but other regressive symptoms cannot. When considering this issue, utilitarianists think about quality of life as well as quantity of life. Sometimes assisted dying may be necessary to produce the greatest amount of happiness. There is little to be gained from keeping someone alive when they are dependent on machines to carry out basic functions. Ultimately suicide is a tragic but conscientious moral choice. For some patients euthanasia will be seen as the ultimate expression of autonomy in that they determine the time and mode of their dying. It may be the only thing left they are able to control. If we have the right to life it follows that we should also have the right to die in our own terms. To force someone to continue living against their will could be considered torture. Society’s views are changing regarding assisted suicide, which is demonstrated even by the change in language used. The media now refers to it as assisted dying, or mercy killing. Although it remains illegal in the UK, the public opinion is gradually changing. Even some Christians believe that it can be a charitable act. Paul Badham, an Anglican priest, wrote a book in favour of assisted suicide for both social and economic reasons. However, the Christian Medical Fellowship dismissed it: â€Å"The highly selective and infrequent use of the Bible, the pick n mix theology, the fundamentalist view of human autonomy, and the slapdash use of Church history do not constitute a Christian case at all.† On the other hand, many believe that assisted suicide is not an act of compassion. These views are usually influenced by Christian teaching. The Bible speaks much about God’s control of when we die, such as Job 14:5: â€Å"Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.† There are cases of people seeking assisted suicide in the Old Testament, but these requests tend to come from disobedient characters such as Saul. Furthermore, just because the Bible records an event does not mean God approves of it. Christians would instead promote palliative care as a better option. Furthermore, opponents of assisted suicide often cite the slippery slope argument. We are descending into a culture of death. Many opponents would fear that even the strictest of legislation would gradually be opened up until assisted suicide is available on demand. This has already been witnessed with abortion. Legislation that was supposed to only allow it in exceptional cases has been revised to a point where it is available on demand. Finally, assisted suicide is not an act of compassion because it breaks down professional and legal norms. Doctors are supposed to be preservers of life, not bringers of death. It would transform the job description of a doctor. Assisted suicide is contrary to the Hippocratic oath, which sets forth certain ethical standards for doctors – including, â€Å"you will exercise your art purely for the cure of your patients.† To conclude, our opinion on any form of suicide will depend on how we see our own bodies. Are they mere disposable tools, or do they have a higher, divinely ordained purpose? To quote Dignity in Dying, â€Å"An assisted dying law would not result in more people dying, but in fewer people suffering.†

Religious Beliefs :: Religion History Essays Papers

Religious Beliefs Today's religious beliefs, governmental structures, laws and traditions of social behavior find their roots in the development of three main belief systems - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although other religious movements have developed throughout the years, these three belief systems have had the most impact on civilizations of the West. To better understand this impact, it is important to trace the development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and review the relationships between them. While each belief system is unique, there are many similarities due to their common beginnings. The philosophies and traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam most prominently begin with the founder of the Hebrews known as Abraham ca 1800 BCE Historically, these teachings were also subscribed by nomadic tribes, which settled in present day Palestine, near Mt. Sinai. The people of these tribes did not label themselves as Hebrews, and referred to God as the god of Abraham. This came about as God promised Abraham a son, and in the course of the events doubting that is old wife could give him a son, he had Ishmael with his maid, Hagar, and then later God's prophecy would be fulfilled with the birth of Isaac, by his wife Sarha. Due to their belief system, the tribe proliferated the idea that Isaac and his descendants were chosen by God to carry forward Abraham's holy lineage. Isaac was the forefather of what was to become the 12 tribes of Israel, while Ishmael and his descendents were to constitute a different Semitic tribe and follow Arabic traditions. The term Judaism came about after the establishment of the state of Israel when the tribes divided into two, the northern and Judas kingdoms, ca 922-587 BCE The customs and belief systems of these nomadic tribes to be later identified as Arab tribes were very similar to the Hebrews'; however, the Arab tribes developed in some subtle ways. They remained nomadic, whereas the Hebrews tended to follow the teachings of the Holy Scriptures to the achievement of The Promised Land. As for the Arab nomadic tribes because of this development, a centralized governing agent who organized the religion did not develop as it did with the Hebrews. In approximately ca 1290-1250 BCE, Moses further supplemented both traditions with a covenant between God and his believers. Moses married Zipphora, from a different Semitic tribe, (Ishmael descendants?) as they referred to God as the God of Abrahim; this would indicate the strong similarity of beliefs and customs between the Hebrew and Arab tribes at that time.

Eveline by James Joyce

Essay 2 Leaving the only â€Å"home† that one has ever known can be very emotional, especially when you hold so many memories and have established a routine of life in that home. Many say â€Å"live life to the fullest,† yet they come up with excuse after excuse that holds them from leaving. They feel as if they can’t make this decision on their own. Trying to find the meaning of life and making attempts to discover the reason why they were put on this Earth is hard enough. Every day one lives new experiences that we hope will one day lead us to our destined future.Yet, for so many, not knowing where to begin keeps them from moving forward. Reminiscing on the memories created in our home; thinking about how much those memories have faded, and will eventually disappears if they are to leave that home. Being attached to the environment that one is used to or the routine of life holds one back from what the future could hold. Even when given the key to escape, think ing too hard makes one doubt their ability to adapt to a new environment. â€Å"What if’s? † and breaking that routine of life gives one fear of failure, not â€Å"making it† once leaving the environment.Feeling stuck in trying to find meaning of life makes it easier to come up with excuses to stay in the routine in which one is accustomed to. This is true because it is what happened to Eve line in â€Å"Eve line† by James Joyce from Ireland during the early 20th century. No matter how many times Eve line sits and thinks about moving forward, and living new experiences, she was stuck in her past and thinking about it so much does not let her move on and travel to break out of her routine and bad habits. Joyce does an excellent job illustrating Eveline’s decision making process with language and symbols throughout the short story.He begins by telling us where Eve line is sitting in her home â€Å"at the window watching the evening invade the avenue † as she smells the â€Å"odor of dusty cretonne† letting readers know that it was a particular aroma that he had to describe. As she is looking out she begins to reminisce on the memories that she still has of the big open field where all the children of the avenue used to go out and play when she was younger. Joyce choice of character names for those children’s families (the Devines, the Water, and the Dunnes) helps the reader picture them as very friendly neighbors who Eve line almost saw as family.The name â€Å"Eve line† is another clear symbol that the author makes in the story comparing the main character to â€Å"Eve† from the â€Å"Adam and Eve’s† biblical story where â€Å"Eve† is confronted by the serpent or â€Å"Satan† just like Eve line was always confronted by her father out in the field or the â€Å"Garden of Eden† as the biblical story goes. Eve line believed that her father â€Å"wasn’t so bad then† and that she used to be â€Å"happy† then but now everything was different. Joyce reminds the reader many times that Eveline’s mother isn’t alive any more, letting the reader know that Eve line still lamented this loss so much.One of the â€Å"Dunn’s† had also passed now and â€Å"the Waters† had moved back to England. She didn’t want to be another person who just left her â€Å"home† full of those memories of the past. Joyce repeats the word â€Å"Home! † and emphasizes it using an exclamation point as if Eve line was reminding herself that it was the only home she knew. Eve line reminisces on the smallest details of her home, like â€Å"the objects she had dusted once a week for so many years† and the â€Å"yellowing photograph hung on the wall† which her used to always pass and quotes his exact words â€Å"†He is in Melbourne now. † The picture was above the broken harmonium and beside the â€Å"print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. † Margaret Mary Alacoque is a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church who was very popular in Ireland during the early 20th century. The broken harmonium is another symbol that Joyce uses to connect the reader to the â€Å"broken† environment of her home and of Ireland in general. With all the memories Eve line holds of her home she had still â€Å"consented with Frank to leave with him and leave it all behind. Eve line begins to really doubt her self.Her mind is spinning and not knowing if her decision was wise. She would break her routine of working hard at home and at work. She was only 19; she begins thinking about what everyone else would say about her. She imagined everyone at her job would think she â€Å"had run off with a fellow† and would stir up all kind of lies and rumors. Still undecided Eve line begins to build a fantasy of â€Å"Buenos Ayres† which is where Fran k has promised to take her. She imagines being a married woman, treated with respect and not the way she was treated at home by the father.Joyce makes it clear to the reader that Eve line is terrified of her father, he would still â€Å"threaten her and say he would do it for her dead mother’s sake. † Eve line has no one to make her feel safe from him. Ernest her brother was dead, and her other brother Harry was in â€Å"the church decorating business† and was never home. She had too much responsibility in her home and no one to help her with it all. Her father never helped out with money and the â€Å"[children] left to her charge did not make her life any easier.With all this she still didn’t find it a â€Å"wholly undesirable life† writes Joyce indicating that Eve line is still hesitant of leaving with Frank. Joyce describes Frank as a â€Å"very kind, manly, open hearted† guy who Eve line saw as the only person who could protect her fro m her father. He tells her they will go on the â€Å"night-boat† and that she will be â€Å"his wife† in â€Å"Buenos Ayres† where â€Å"he already had a home waiting for her. † Joyce shows how naive Eve line is being about Frank. She had met him not too long ago and had gone out with him a couple times.He had given her a nickname, Poppens, and met her outside of work every evening. Frank had many â€Å"tales† about the places he had sailed to all around the world and explains how he had â€Å"fallen on his feet to Buenos Ayres. † Although Eve line didn’t see any of Franks flaws Joyce does use language to prove that Franks intention’s with Eve line may not have been good one’s considering that during that time Buenos Aires, Argentina was well known for its sexual trafficking. Her father finds out about the relationship and forbid Eve line to keep seeing Frank calling him a â€Å"sailor Chap. Joyce brings the reader back to the present and gives more excuses for Eve line not to leave her home. She held two letters on her lap, one to Harry and one to her father, she noticed her father becoming old and thought that he would probably miss her, she reminisced on the moments which her father was nice. Joyce illustrates Eve line still sitting on the couch, having just moments left to make her decision. She the odor of â€Å"dusty cretonne† returns and she begins to â€Å"hear a street organ play† just as she did the night of her mother’s death and the promise that she had made to her mother.She promised her mother to â€Å"keep the home together as long as she could. † Most of all it reminded her of the life her mother had lived, â€Å"that life of commonplace sacrifices closing in on final craziness. † She wanted to break that cycle that her mother had. She wants to escape that life and believe that â€Å"Frank would save her [,] give her life, perhaps love, too. â₠¬  Joyce exposes to the reader that Eve line is aware that Frank doesn’t love her and if she leaves with him there is a chance that things do not work out between them.Upon arriving to the station Eve line looks around examining everything around her. She is still isn’t sure if she is getting on that boat. †She prayed to God to direct her† she wanted to know what she â€Å"was her duty. † At that moment the boat blew â€Å"a long mournful whistle. † Eveline’s decision is determined by of the â€Å"mournful sound. † She thinks about â€Å"tomorrow† how she would break out of her routine if she leaves with Frank. Eve line chooses to stay home. â€Å"Her eyes give [Frank] no sign of love, farewell or recognition†

Bates College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Bates College is a highly selective private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 17.8%. Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates was founded in 1855 by Maine abolitionists. Bates typically ranks among the top 25 liberal arts colleges in the country and is one of the top colleges in New England. The college has an impressive 10-to-1  student/faculty ratio, and two-thirds of students participate in study abroad. Students can expect a lot of interaction between students and faculty as the college places a strong emphasis on seminar classes, research, service-learning, and senior thesis work. Bates College was awarded a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa  for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences. Students may apply to Bates College using the Common Application or the Coalition Application. In addition, applicants must include letters of recommendation from 2 teachers and a high school counselor as well as a high school transcript. SAT and ACT test scores are optional.  Prospective applicants in the arts (music, theater, dance, art, film, and creative writing) may submit an optional art or performance portfolio. Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the admissions statistics you should know. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Bates College had an acceptance rate of 17.8%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 17 students were admitted, making Bates admissions process highly competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 7,688 Percent Admitted 17.8% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 38% SAT Scores and Requirements Bates has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Bates may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 46% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 640 720 Math 650 740 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted test scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Bates admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Bates scored between 640 and 720, while 25% scored below 640 and 25% scored above 720. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 650 and 740, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 740. Requirements Bates does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Bates participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements Bates has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Bates may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 32% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile Composite 29 32 This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted test scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Bates admitted students fall within the top 9% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Bates received a composite ACT score between 29 and 32, while 25% scored above 32 and 25% scored below 29. Requirements Bates does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Bates participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. GPA In 2018, the average weighted GPA of Bates Colleges incoming class was 3.91. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Bates have primarily A and B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Bates College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Bates College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Bates College, which accepts fewer than one-fourth of applicants,  is a highly selective liberal arts college. Bates uses a holistic admissions process which is based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most successful applicants had high school averages of A- or higher. Youll see a wider spread for standardized test scores, but nearly all applicants self-reported above average scores—often above 1200 for the SAT (ERWM). Bear in mind that Bates College is test-optional, so students with scores outside of the reported range need not submit their scores to Bates. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Bates College Undergraduate Admissions Office.