Editing Euthanasia (section)

=== 1949 New York State Petition for Euthanasia and Catholic opposition ===
On 6 January 1949, the Euthanasia Society of America presented to the [[New York State Legislature]] a petition to legalize euthanasia, signed by 379 leading Protestant and Jewish ministers, the largest group of religious leaders ever to have taken this stance. A similar petition had been sent to the New York Legislature in 1947, signed by approximately 1,000 New York physicians. [[Roman Catholic]] religious leaders criticized the petition, saying that such a bill would "legalize a suicide-murder pact" and a "rationalization of the fifth commandment of God, 'Thou Shalt Not Kill.{{'"}}<ref name="Mercy Killing">[[The Moncton Transcript]]. "Ministers Ask Mercy Killing." 6 January 1949.</ref> The Right Reverend Robert E. McCormick stated that:
{{Blockquote|The ultimate object of the Euthanasia Society is based on the Totalitarian principle that the state is supreme and that the individual does not have the right to live if his continuance in life is a burden or hindrance to the state. The Nazis followed this principle and compulsory Euthanasia was practiced as a part of their program during the recent war. We American citizens of New York State must ask ourselves this question: "Are we going to finish Hitler's job?"<ref name="Mercy Killing"/>}}
The petition brought tensions between the American Euthanasia Society and the Catholic Church to a head that contributed to a climate of anti-Catholic sentiment generally, regarding issues such as birth control, eugenics, and population control. However, the petition did not result in any legal changes.<ref name="Dowbiggin"/>