The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil,
but by those who watch them without doing anything.
– Albert Einstein
Most people think that sanctity of life is only about abortion. It’s not. The sanctity of life is everything from the womb to the tomb. A culture that does not protect a human being at the beginning of life will have a low priority of protecting a human being at the end of life.
Current American current views on the legality of euthanasia, a procedure in which a physician intentionally acts to end the life of a patient, are increasing. Over seven in 10 Americans believe doctors should be “allowed by law to end a patient’s life by some painless means if the patient and his/her family request it.” At the same time, doctor-assisted suicide – a term used to describe patients ending their own lives with the aid of a physician – garners slightly less than that. 66% of Americans believe that doctors should “be allowed by law to assist the patient to commit suicide” for terminal patients living in severe pain who request it.
Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday. Moral matters are quickly changing in a world that doesn’t believe in absolutes and lacks a moral compass. Human life has less value. With an aging population it’s moving from murder of the pre-born to the murder of those at the end of life. Where will it stop?
Changing wording to “reproductive rights” doesn’t alter the fact that it is still the termination of a human life. Euthanasia is labeled as “death with dignity” or “the right to die.” As someone who’s been at countless deathbeds, “dignity” is the last word that should be used to describe it. It’s tragic. It’s sad. It’s horrible and most fight it off as long as they can.
Currently, the rational for many is to let those who are terminally ill choose their own exit plan. Why should they suffer in pain? One key part that’s missing is “what constitutes suffering”?
Is mental illness a form of suffering where euthanasia should be an option? It was for 29-year-old, Aurelia Brouwers, a young Dutch woman who drank poison supplied by her doctor and then lay down to die. But Aurelia Brouwers wasn’t terminally ill. She was allowed to end her life because of a psychiatric illness.
While euthanasia is against the law in most countries, in the Netherlands, it’s allowed if a doctor is satisfied that a patient’s suffering is “unbearable with no prospect of improvement” and if there is “no reasonable alternative in the patient’s situation.” So, while nearly 7,000 deaths from euthanasia in the Netherlands were cases of people with a physical disease, some 100 were euthanized on the grounds of psychiatric suffering. These were people – like Aurelia – who was in no danger of dying from a physical illness. For the Dutch, suicide is an option if you’re “suffering.”
In the Hippocratic Oath a physician pledges to prescribe only beneficial treatments and refrain from causing harm or hurt. Can we agree that death is “harmful”? Do we really believe that the boundary in our culture of death will end with the pre-born or the terminally ill?
With abortion, the pre-born person never has a choice. Life and death decisions are made by others. In the not-too-distant future is it too far a leap to believe that if someone is seriously ill, others will make life-or-death decisions for them, perhaps by withholding lifesaving treatments?
Our world is aging. End of life care for the last 3 months of life can be the most expensive and emotionally draining for a family. In a world of broken families, strained relationships and spiraling health care costs, doesn’t euthanasia seem like a simple and, for some, more realistic, choice?
Already insurance companies decline health care options because of cost that might make someone’s life more enjoyable. Is it too far a leap to think that to control the costs of those who are in failing health, not terminally ill, will be denied treatment? That it will no longer be about what is right, but what is cost effective?
The psalmist prayed, Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone (Psalm 71:9). Yet, the aging are often not valued in a youth driven culture. Just watch how the elderly or disabled are treated in public venues.
All human beings are Imago Dei, created in God’s image. Because of that, whether the preborn or aged, each one of us possesses irrevocable value, worthy of protection. Actively hastening the end of life is morally wrong. It can be equated to a failure to love (Matthew 22:36-40). It’s a violation of the 6th commandment, You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). Implied in the 6th commandment is not only the forbidding of taking of innocent life, but a moral obligation to preserve life whenever possible.
In a culture of death, we must ask some vital questions: Who will define suffering? Who will define quality of life? Sometimes an aged individual will say something like, I don’t want to be a burden on my family. Aren’t children a “burden”? Do we discard them because they’re a burden? Christ-followers are to extend mercy toward those who suffer. Jesus said, Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).
Compassion never justifies physician-assisted suicide, yet it does guide us away from overly aggressive, painful interventions when such measures are futile. “Life” can be extended medically endlessly. There’s a huge difference between preserving life or prolonging death. Often real-life situations aren’t as clear cut as we’d like them to be. As we work through this a vital question to ask is: Will this course of treatment constitute the preservation of life or the prolongation of death and unnecessary suffering? When considering end-of-life decisions, we must carefully examine the patient’s medical status, including the functionality of major organs. Positive medical indicators of major organs suggest potential for improvement or stabilization. That should factor in the decision-making process to continue life-saving treatment for recovery. Questions for the medical team and family help to answer the difficult questions: What is the likelihood for recovery? Will the available treatments worsen suffering, with little chance of benefit?
Such decisions are very difficult. They’re best made prayerfully in the context of a loving Christian community, guided by a medical team that shares a biblical worldview, along with pastors and godly individuals the Lord has placed in your life. Theologian Al Mohler’s words are wise: Life is God’s gift to us, and we have a responsibility to protect and cherish it. When facing end-of-life decisions, we must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing our faith to illuminate the path of righteousness.
Even in a culture of death, Christ-followers are to uphold God’s value of the sanctity of life.