In these summaries, religious leaders, scholars and ethicists from 16 major American religious groups explain how their faith traditionsโ teachings address physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia and other end-of-life questions.
Most Americans say there are circumstances in which doctors and nurses should allow a patient to die, but a growing minority says medical professionals always should do everything possible to save a patientโs life.
In recent years, legislatures and courts, religious leaders and scientists, citizens and patient advocates have all weighed in on end-of-life issues ranging from whether the terminally ill should have the right to take their own lives to how much treatment and sustenance those in the last stages of life should receive.