Relationship Between Religion and Health on the Topic of Euthanasia

Abstract

In 1963 Michel Foucault writes that his book “The Birth of the Clinic” is about space, language, and death, about perception. There is a shift of societal problems to the field of medicine, in other words, modernity formulates some social problems through medical categories. But in fact, questions that seem purely medical are often a product of social factors. In society, medicine is a conservative force that maintains the status quo and distracts from major threats to human health. The growth of individualism, the desire for autonomy, and the decline of religiosity allow discussions around death, tolerance of mystery, and euthanasia. For example, in Canada, 2021 marks five full years of access to medical assistance in dying. In 2021, there were 10 064 cases, bringing the total number to 31 664. Annual growth continues to increase steadily each year. Are the major religions capable of facing that challenge?