Q&A Home > E > Ethical Dilemma > DNR How does the church view DNR (do not resuscitate) e.g., a cancer patient at end of life or a patient that has heart failure that keeps on going into the hospital every week? The church allows for DNR orders. If a person has a severe chronic medical condition and no longer desires to receive difficult and intense treatment, the church will permit the individual to make that personal decision. This is not in any way to be confused with euthanasia, which the church forbids. If a person has a living will for when he/she can no longer make decisions for themselves, the church will respect their written wishes. If one is caring for someone else, he/she may make that decision if it is confirmed that the patient is in a pervasive vegetative state.
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