[ religious outlook on end of life ethical issues]

ABSTRACT

The ethical issues of end of life decisions making are widespread. Nowadays, physicians constantly involve patients whose lives could be prolonged by new medical treatments and advanced technologies. There are debates on medical futility, quality of life, and justice in such cases. Sometimes the health could not be restored and physicians only can provide for patients a comfortable natural death through palliative care. End of life decisions in the case of brain death, Persistent Vegetative State, and Minimally Conscious State would be very different and challenging. The issue of "Death with Dignity" and defining a good death is also a main matter. On occasion that the life is full of pain and suffering, allowing a person to die, Do-not-resuscitate order, withholding and withdrawing medical treatments [such as Mechanical ventilation], and even euthanasia and physicianassisted suicide are suggested as justified decisions by some practitioners. In some countries, legal approaches like "advance directives" facilitate the process of decision making. However, ethical issues and the related decisions are shaped by many factors. Among these factors, religious values are considered as one of the most influential factor. This article will discuss the ethics of end of life, focusing on religious viewpoints about end of life dilemmas, and the way religious beliefs have affected medical practice at the end of life. The teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam about death and dying process are reviewed in brief