TH 398 - Euthanasia and the Problem of Suffering

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: TH 201 . How can a good, all-powerful God allow the innocent to suffer? Is it licit to end suffering by intentionally ending the life of the suffering person? This course addresses the age old problem of evil and suffering from the perspective of both Christianity and unbelief. The question of whether human suffering can be meaningful is considered by taking up the issue of euthanasia. The related issues of what constitutes "ordinary" (and thus morally required) and "extraordinary" (and thus not morally required) care is discussed in light of a consideration of whether human life is intrinsically valuable and inviolable no matter what its condition. IC