In the book, Forced Exit, Wesley Smith relates the case of a man with a history of mental illness who "thinking he saw the sign of the devil on his right hand, cut it off with a circular saw. He was taken to a hospital, where, things took a 'crazy turn.' Upon being told by the surgeon that his hand could be saved, Passmore refused treatment, still believing that his hand carried the sign of evil. A psychiatrist interviewed Passmore; lawyers were consulted; a judge refused to intervene. In the end, no one would decide that Passmore was incompetent to make his own medical decisions, and his hand was permanently lost."
Is it hard to imagine how this scenario could be repeated over and over again - but with people's lives - if euthanasia is legalized? We are talking about people - who are not sure what is the right thing to do - making decisions for others who are vulnerable - the mentally ill, the depressed, the incapacitated.