Because of the Sixth Commandment in Exodus 20:13 ‘Do not commit murder’, this means it would be wrong for a Christian to commit suicide or take the life of another. Although some people argue that this is not an exact translation of the Hebrew and it should be ‘thou shalt not murder’.
It also explains that humans do not choose when they die as only God should decide when a life begins and ends. This is said in Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 ‘Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. He sets the time for birth and the time for death, the time for planting and the time for pulling up, the time for killing and the time for healing.’
God gave humans responsibility over the earth Genesis 1:28 ‘I am putting you in charge of the fish, birds, and all the wild animals’ Therefore some Christians would argue that we have to use our responsibility and privileges to the full and not give up because these are God’s gifts.
There are many stories of Jesus healing the sick and the dying for example when he healed a leper in Luke 5:12-16. The bible teaches us to follow his example of his way of thinking and how he lived his life and apply this to our own lives. Therefore doctors should preserve life and not take it.
On the other hand, the Bible continually talks about Christian love and compassion. Jesus’ second of two commandment was ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’, Mark 12:29-31. Also again in John 4:21 ‘The command that Christ has given us is this: all who love God must love their brother or sister also’. The argument Christians may say to support euthanasia would be ending someone’s life that is in incurable pain and disease would be a demonstration of this love.
The Bible also teaches how death is merely an event in life, not the end of life, because there will be an eternity of happiness in the Kingdom of God. In John 3:16 it says ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believe in him shall never perish but have eternal life’. This is another expression of God’s love and his promise to give his believers eternal life.
(b) Explain how Christians may respond to the question of euthanasia. [35]
Christians have different views on euthanasia. In 1993 The Voluntary Euthanasia Society carried out an opinion poll to see if religious people were in favour of medical aid in dying. 83% of Protestants and 73% of Roman Catholics were in favour
Despite these facts, many Roman Catholics are still taught that euthanasia is not right. Pope John Paul approved the words that ‘Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being…a person dying. Furthermore, no one is permitted to ask for this act of killing…Nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit such an action’. This is saying that Roman Catholics are not allowed to be involved in any form of euthanasia, including asking for it for themselves.
Many other Christians also agree with the fact that euthanasia is murder, referring to how the Bible is opposed to killing humans, for example Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, Jehovah’s Witness’s, Mormons, and the Lutheran all agree with this.
Methodists disagree about Euthanasia. The late Rev. Lord Soper who was a Methodist minister says ‘the purpose of life is to love God and to enjoy Him forever. I believe that voluntary euthanasia can be a means to that end’. In comparison the late Rev. Dr Leslie Weatherhead, a Methodist says ‘I sincerely believe that those who come after us will wonder why on earth we kept a human being a live against his will, when all the dignity, beauty and meaning of life had vanished; when any gain to anyone was clearly impossible, and when we should have been punished by the state if were had kept alive an animal in similar conditions.’
EXIT is a society that aims to make a change in the law allowing voluntary euthanasia for adults suffering from severe, painful deaths if they so wish, and for doctors to help.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes how everyone has a purpose to fulfil, everyone has their own individual gifts ‘he gives a different gift to each person.’ This is saying that everyone should live to contribute something to society, even if this is not obvious of someone who is seriously ill they should be kept alive because they have a gift to give still.
Christians such as the Roman Catholics have spread the Hospice Movement. This allows the terminally ill to go for care and spend the last few days of their lives in a loving, sympathetic environment. It allows people to die with dignity, death being the result of many pain-killing drugs.
‘44% of doctors have had a patient ask them for help to die’, says a confidential survey taken by 300 doctors by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society. Doctors have to take the Hippocratic Oath in which they say they will preserve life. Christian doctors have to make a decision perhaps against their oath and
their religious teaching in order to show compassion towards their patient, and according to the survey 15% did.
But despite all the Christian teachings about how euthanasia is wrong, many people do not oppose voluntary euthanasia. Some support it because of their faith believing that to help an ill person to die is an expression of Christian compassion and love.
(c) ‘Euthanasia can never be justified.’
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [25]
A Methodist may argue that euthanasia can be justified because no where in the Bible does it say that the particular type of death, euthanasia, is forbidden. Jesus preaches, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ Mark 12:29-31. It is also thought by some that it is cruel to allow someone to die painfully, if it were done to animals then there would be severe punishment to anyone who would allow it to be done as the Methodist, Rev. Dr Leslie Weatherhead said ‘I sincerely believe that those who come after us will wonder why on earth we kept a human being a live against his will … and when we should have been punished by the state if were had kept alive an animal in similar conditions.’ An example of a patient wishing to die peacefully is Mrs Diane Pretty, a sufferer of motor neurone disease, an incurable disorder causing progressive weakening of the muscles. She went to the High Court to ask for her husband to help her take her life. If she died naturally it would be through suffocation, because the muscles that facilitate her breathing will have become paralysed. Already her speech has to be interpreted by her husband who says ‘she is fighting for the right to choose when she wants to die.’ In this case she is waiting to be suffocated by her own body which is a horrible concept, and just wishes to die peacefully. Many Christians believe that everyone is valuable and they have rights to control their own destiny. This is what Diane Pretty is fighting for.
On the other hand, the argument against this is that everyone has a part to contribute to life, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians:12; which explains how everyone has their own gift which they can use. A Roman Catholic would argue that euthanasia can never be justified because in the bible it says that life is sacred and belongs to God, 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, ‘You do not belong to yourselves, but to God’. There is better medical equipment available than in the past and therefore it is the opinion of some Christians that death can be avoided and should be at all costs because pain can be relieved. This is demonstrated by the belief of Roman Catholics, who agree that patients may take painkilling drugs even though they will kill the patient eventually. There is also the Hospice Movement which allows people to enjoy the end of their lives so there is no need for euthanasia to be an issue. However, hospices are usually privately funded and get very little money from the government and they are only recently being set up and available for a wide range of people.
The problem that I find is that due to recent medical improvements and intervention, people who have terminal illnesses have been kept alive longer than they would have done when the Bible was written and therefore euthanasia has only recently come to be a bigger issue and because of this there is no exact reference to the specific topic that Christians can use for guidance. Overall, I feel that it is inhumane to keep people who really are dying and want to die in a non-painful way. Although the Bible does refer to people staying alive it also talks about how Christians should give kindness to others. I feel that when someone is going to die painfully it is what God would want for them to die peacefully when they are ready. Euthanasia can be justified for people that have a terminal illness and are being kept alive by medicine which is causing a long, slow and painful death.
Bibliography:
Chambers 21st Century Dictionary
The Good News Bible’
Contemporary Moral Issues
The Daily Telegraph
