Faith & Medical Decisions

How major faith traditions approach critical medical decisions at end of life: DNR, artificial nutrition & hydration, palliative sedation, and hospice. Explore documented guidance by topic.

Not medical or legal advice. This page is for educational and conversation-starting purposes only. It does not constitute medical, legal, or religious counsel. Always consult your own physician, faith leader, and legal advisor for decisions about your care.

What this page does: Summarizes documented guidance from each tradition's authoritative sources to help start conversations. Each entry is labeled by evidence strength and sourced.

What this page does not do: Provide a clinical protocol or speak for all members of any tradition. Individual beliefs vary by denomination, culture, and personal observance. Generalized frameworks never supersede a patient's voiced wishes, documented advance directives, or legal health care proxy. Always ask the patient directly.

How to use this: Select a clinical topic below, then expand any tradition for detailed guidance, sources, and caveats. Use this as a conversation starter with patients, families, and faith leaders, not as a definitive answer.

Evidence strength:

VERIFIEDPEER-REVIEWEDEXPERT CONSENSUSEMERGING EVIDENCE

Do Not Resuscitate / Withdrawal of Life Support

Print bedside reference cards (all traditions, with sources)

Quick Reference Table

A summary view. Expand individual traditions above for full context, caveats, and sources.

Tradition	DNR	ANH	Palliative Sedation	Hospice
Roman Catholicism	Permissible VERIFIED	Generally obligatory with exceptions VERIFIED	Accepted under double effect VERIFIED	Embraced VERIFIED
Protestant Christianity	Generally supported EXPERT CONSENSUS	Withdrawal generally permissible EXPERT CONSENSUS	Supported for symptom relief EXPERT CONSENSUS	Broadly supported EXPERT CONSENSUS
Islam (Sunni & Shia)	Permissible when treatment is futile EXPERT CONSENSUS	Contested — generally maintained EXPERT CONSENSUS	Permissible for symptom relief EXPERT CONSENSUS	Generally accepted EXPERT CONSENSUS
Judaism	Movement-dependent EXPERT CONSENSUS	Varies by movement EXPERT CONSENSUS	Generally acceptable for comfort EXPERT CONSENSUS	Widely accepted EXPERT CONSENSUS
Hinduism	Generally acceptable EMERGING EVIDENCE	No strict prohibition against withdrawal EMERGING EVIDENCE	Tension between comfort and consciousness EMERGING EVIDENCE	Increasing acceptance EMERGING EVIDENCE
Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan)	No obligation to preserve life at all costs EXPERT CONSENSUS	Withdrawal generally acceptable EXPERT CONSENSUS	Tension exists EXPERT CONSENSUS	Generally accepted EXPERT CONSENSUS
Sikhism	Withdrawal of futile care permissible EXPERT CONSENSUS	No specific prohibition on withdrawal EXPERT CONSENSUS	Generally acceptable EXPERT CONSENSUS	Positively viewed EXPERT CONSENSUS
Indigenous / Native American Traditions	Communal decision-making EMERGING EVIDENCE	Tribe-specific — always ask EMERGING EVIDENCE	Varies by tradition EMERGING EVIDENCE	Severely underutilized EMERGING EVIDENCE
Secular / Non-Religious	Individual autonomy emphasized VERIFIED	Patient choice VERIFIED	Full acceptance VERIFIED	Full acceptance VERIFIED
Jehovah's Witnesses *	Individual conscience matter EXPERT CONSENSUS	No doctrinal prohibition on withdrawal EXPERT CONSENSUS	Accepted for comfort EXPERT CONSENSUS	Accepted EXPERT CONSENSUS
Orthodox Christianity *	Permissible when further resuscitation only prolongs dying EXPERT CONSENSUS	Withdrawal may be permissible when death is imminent EXPERT CONSENSUS	Supported for symptom relief EXPERT CONSENSUS	Embraced EXPERT CONSENSUS
Latter-day Saints *	Distinguished from euthanasia; compatible with Church teaching EXPERT CONSENSUS	Withdrawal compatible with Church teaching when unreasonable to continue EXPERT CONSENSUS	Supported; compatible with the Word of Wisdom EXPERT CONSENSUS	Compatible with Church teaching EXPERT CONSENSUS
Baháʼí Faith *	No official position — left to conscience and physician consultation EXPERT CONSENSUS	No official position — left to conscience and physician consultation EXPERT CONSENSUS	No specific teaching; consistent with accepted medical care EMERGING EVIDENCE	No specific teaching; consistent with accepted medical care EMERGING EVIDENCE
Multi-faith and Interfaith Perspectives	Negotiate shared values EXPERT CONSENSUS	Family-centered decision process EXPERT CONSENSUS	Patient preference guides EXPERT CONSENSUS	Generally accepted across traditions EXPERT CONSENSUS

* Citation review pending: this tradition's guide carries sources still in editorial review — treat its positions as provisional.

Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy →

Clinical evidence for why spiritual care matters

Explore All Faith Traditions →

Deeper profiles of each tradition's practices and beliefs

Was this page helpful?

Large language models help source and structure this content; every claim is then verified against primary sources before publication. Tradition-specific claims cite authoritative denominational or scholarly sources. Corrections welcome via Get Involved. Last updated: 2026-08-31.

This matrix is for educational and conversation-starting purposes only, not a clinical protocol. Always consult with the patient, their family, their faith leader, and the interdisciplinary care team.

Faith & Medical Decisions

Roman Catholicism

Protestant Christianity

Islam (Sunni & Shia)

Judaism

Hinduism

Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan)

Sikhism

Indigenous / Native American Traditions

Secular / Non-Religious

Jehovah's Witnesses *

Orthodox Christianity *

Latter-day Saints *

Baháʼí Faith *

Multi-faith and Interfaith Perspectives

Quick Reference Table