It is necessary to note that the judgment made here is not that the person's life is useless or excessively burdensome. However, there is a grave danger that laws permitting the withdrawal of artificial sustenance will be construed in the context of euthanasia. If statutes or court decisions look upon the withdrawal as an act causing death and then permit such an act, then the door is opened for legal justification of other acts which more directly and immediately cause death. Hence one must not advocate the withdrawal of sustenance in a context or with reasoning which leads to euthanasia, a moral evil that is to be condemned. There are many different versions or variations of living wills, some of which are morally acceptable while others are clearly wrong.
Living wills have a limited role, but a well recognized one in the treatment of dying patients.
There are certain particular cautions that should be taken in executing a living will. First, the document should clearly distinguish between a terminal condition in which death is imminent, and other conditions in which one could live a long time with easily provided medical care. This is not only wrong for the signer of the document, but it also does a serious injustice to physicians, family and medical personnel to whom such immoral demands are made. Whenever a person executes such a document, he or she has to confront the realities of life and of death. It is a time when the family, especially a spouse, should be consulted and decisions are best made together.