Disclaimer from the author: The title of my piece let's you, the reader, know where I am coming from. Yes, I am a Bible believing, God fearing Christian woman. Yes, my beliefs have a huge contribution to how I view the world and how I form opinions on many important and controversial topics. I make no apology for that fact. Everyone brings their own personal bias to a conversation. Those that are atheist, or those who believe science is the only truth there is, bring just as much bias and agenda to a topic as a christian person. Once we realise we are all on an even playing field, that is when true conversation and respectful interaction can occur. The moment we look down on others and assume they are less of an intelligent person simply because they are religious, or atheist or agnostic etc... - then we are robbing each other of the chance to share some life experience and wisdom that may actually have an impact on our lives.
On to the topic at hand. As I write, Canada's supreme court is hearing a challenge on the ban of physician assisted suicide. Advocates for assisted-suicide in Canada call it the right to die with dignity. Let's think on that for a moment. Suicide is dying with dignity? Those who choose to end their life at a time of their choosing have dignity? Dignity- "the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect, self-respect, self-worth". So those who choose to fight until the end, or whose families and doctors take care of them through their suffering, those people don't have dignity? My opinion is that those people are much more worthy of honour and respect than those who choose to hasten the end of their life. How is it dignified to decide when life is worth living and when it is not.
We have seen the value of human life slowly chipped away over the last 40 years- and yes I am going to bring up abortion, because it and euthanasia are two sides of the same coin. The question is not should a person have the right to end their life if they are facing terminal illness- the question is do we value human life enough and are we going to stand up for that value with everything we have?! For years I have watched Christians and non-Christians pulled into the lies of our society- maybe abortion is ok if the woman was raped, maybe abortion is ok if you're a teenager, maybe abortion is ok if you are not ready for kids, maybe abortion is ok and should be on demand and without apology. Now we are at the place where people look down on others who dare to stand up and speak out for life. The same thing is happening with assisted- suicide... maybe it is ok because those poor people are suffering, maybe it is ok because I just watched my dear loved one suffer a terrible death, maybe it is ok for the severely depressed to have assisted suicide because their lives are a misery and what kind of life is that...and down the slippery slope we all go.Also, one might wonder how doctors who have studied for years how to prolong life, how to save lives, how to make life better for people; can decide to go against everything they have learned and help their patient to die before their time. Possibly before a miracle cure is found, before they get much more time than the doctor's thought they had. I think that doctors, like so many other advocates of assisted suicide really do have good intentions. They think they are helping people, empowering them. However, they fail to see the whole picture. They brush aside arguments against assisted suicide- saying that only religious people are against it and assume those against it are just unintelligent people who believe what they have been taught.
I try to work things out for myself. I read and research. I put myself in other peoples shoes and try my best to understand where they are coming from. However, I have been against abortion ever since I found out what it was at age 11. No one had to brain wash me or preach at me to form my opinion. I knew in my heart and soul that it was wrong- that abortion ended a life. And I know in my heart and soul and mind that assisted-suicide is wrong- it is ending life and devaluing human life.
To those who may think the Bible should have no influence in this topic, I would say this. We need to set an example to others, if we want our lives to matter and have a lasting effect on those around us and to have some benefit to the world we are leaving to future generations. We need to set an example to those who are suffering mental illness, bullying, stress at work, abuse at home, financial troubles, anger issues, illnesses, disabilities and many other terrible things we all suffer through. We need to send a message of hope that we can embrace life, choose life in every difficult circumstance and carry on through the most awful of circumstances. Because in that enduring, in that suffering to the end we will find something beautiful- we will find dignity and worth.
Life is beautiful, life is hard, suffering is a part of life whether it's physical, emotional or something else. I do not completely understand what people considering this are going through- these people who are facing terminal illness and imminent death. Let me tell you about someone who does- a man who faced a terrible death, a man who endured suffering beyond what we can even imagine so that we may have life, eternal life. Jesus knows and He understands- He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane "Father if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done". Jesus was tempted to avoid the awful suffering but He overcame that temptation and I am so glad that He did. For it is His suffering that has brought me new life, it is His suffering that means I can face death and know that it is not the end. Kara Tippetts has terminal cancer and she wrote a beautiful letter to Brittany Maynard (the young woman who is ending her life in a few weeks and who is being used by many to further the agenda of assisted-suicide). Let me share what she says about Jesus " He died and He overcame death three days later and in that overcoming He overcame the death from cancer that you and I are both now facing. He longs to know you, to shepherd you in your dying, and to give you life and to give you life abundant- eternal life". Hastening death may rob you of the greatest thing of all- knowing Jesus.
~ Debbie Allen
I understand the view and even lean strongly toward it. However, we view it as merciful to 'put down' a pet that is suffering, but insist people must suffer. We insist those dying and suffering live on potent drugs (which hardly touch the pain) which cause more problems, especially when used in combination with each other. We insist on 'persevering' when life would have 'naturally' ended without medical intervention. Suffering, agony, and incontinence of every sort as part of a slow death brings about zero glory, other than for the loved ones to say, "I'm glad it's over." They live with the last memories of brokeness, rather than vitality.
ReplyDeleteNow, the real issue in my mind is 'the slippery slope'. Theory is often much different than reality. For me, that is where the real issue lies, given where other countries with legal assisted suicide have gone.