Blog 6

While watching the South Park episode, I kept thinking about how people base their arguments over controversial issues based on their religious beliefs.  Whether it's gay or transgender rights (everything else that matters over the right to marry), abortion, or physician-assisted suicide.  Most of the arguments that I hear are people saying these issues are wrong because they don't agree with that person's faith.  What I really don't understand is this country's government is supposed to be separated from religion, so why are we validating these arguments when laws are being discussed?  I understand if someone doesn't agree with something for themselves and their own personal life, but their faith is different than everyone else's and laws should not be created in favor of a specific religion.  Since I tend to focus on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, I want to now focus on physician-assisted suicide.  A large portion of people who are against this say that suicide is frowned upon by their specific faith, and that's why they don't think that an entirely different person who has no part in their life should be able to have the right to die if they are terminally ill.  A recent topic that is part of this controversy is Brittany Maynard's physician-assisted suicide in Oregon.  She was terminal due to cancer and lived in California where assisted suicide is illegal.  Maynard moved to Oregon, where it is legal, to have the procedure done, and now there is this huge controversy over whether or not this law should exist.  The movie, “Million Dollar Baby” shows how Hillary Swank’s character wanted to end her life, but the nurses wouldn’t let her and the pastor said it was a sin.  It is her choice, and I believe Maynard, as well as the character, had the right to make that decision.