(October 7, 2010 at 5:46 pm)padraic Wrote: Excellent point. That's how society tends to define define murder,then immediately starts making exceptions ;self defence ,capital punishment, war,human sacrifice, atheist babycues etc,etc. -
Is murder ALWAYS wrong? No.
Is involuntary euthanasia always wrong? Of course not. However,the slippery slope argument rears its head,and the word which comes to mind is 'eugenics'.
Fortunately, the slippery slope argument is usually rubbish. It seems to think that we have some kind of legislative incontinence, where, once we legalise some form of euthanasia, we're halfway to legalising genocide. It may be a legitimate point in certain circumstances, but it can't be used as an a priori argument. There has to be evidence that a slippery slope is likely to occur.
'We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.' H.L. Mencken
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
