Helping Gramps die

There is a desired visible act of suicidal in the situation. Gramps wants to sojourn his feelings of being totally depressed because he feels like he is already a burden to the family and he is also stressed because of the possibility that my parents abandon him to a nursing home that really break his heart. In halting all of these difficulties in life, he wishes to commit suicide by begging to me to get the sleeping pills. The situation has a dilemma on what I am going to do: Giving him the pills that might help him half way or giving him the pills that might aggravate his health condition. But, it is very obvious that I am convinced that he will take an overdose of sleeping pills that might put his life into danger and that might put his life into an end. What I am going to do is to make him feel that he is very important, that he is still part of the family and that he will not be put into harm or into sorrow. I would not let him to take the sleeping pills because I am not entitled to do it because my parents didnt give me any instruction that I should give him one. Besides, it might put his life into danger. What Gramps will do is against to the natural law of God, it will break the sanctity of life. I would not let him drink the pills because what will I do will be immoral. If I let him drink an overdose of those sleeping pills and let his life be in danger, it seems that I already support assisted suicide or euthanasia that is definitely against the natural law given by God. I would try my best to put him in calm. I would try to explain that what he is going to do will be worse. I am rest assured that what my decisions will be would be probably for the good of my Gramps. Based on St. Thomas Summa Theologiae about the Natural Law, one of the most basic precepts of Natural Law is not to commit suicide. The law orders us that we take care of ourselves for the common good. If gramps will take his life, he really doesnt love himself because every man should love himself. It is an injury to the common good because as we all know every part belongs to the whole and Gramps belongs to the community and the whole society. When he kills himself, he wounds the community. Nevertheless, sometimes suicide

can be apparent good when the pain already reaches its peak that the person who is in pain cannot handle the pain anymore. It is also sad for us to see our loved ones suffering, dying little by little, shouting in grudge, and begging us to help them cease extreme pain. But in the case of Gramps, we can still handle the situation. We can still explain things that might enlighten his mind. The depression could still be diminished by helping him fathom the real value of life. We could explain everything to him: the consequences of his intention and the like. Churchs stand is that we have to obey the Wisdom of God. We have to obey the three laws that he authored: Eternal Law, Natural Law and Divine Law. No one has the right to recklessly destroy the gifts that God has given to us. Killing is against in one of the Ten Commandments (Thou shall not kill), and killing oneself is a mortal sin that absolutely destroy ones relationship with God. The church is absolutely concerned on our moral standing because everyone has the responsibility to love each other. As Christians, we have to face death with confidence and faith on Him. We let things happen not we make things happen. Even though humans have free will, everyone has to keep the commandments. By also following the principles of stewardship and creativity, God makes us stewards of his creation and we are part of his creation and we do not have an absolute control of ourselves that means that we do not have the right to murder ourselves. Church is saying to us that ones life has to be preserved and perpetuated. Sometimes this can be morally permissible if the intention is to cease the extreme pain but we always have to remember that God has given us the responsibility to preserve the sanctity of life that He has given to us. If the situation is not grave or extreme, we should find means on how to resolve one case. In the case of Gramps, we still have means in order to let him understand that he is not alone, and to let him feel that he is loved. Mark Gerald A. Lagamia October 8, 2012 2A12 Philosophy 5