I’m hungry for a cheeseburger. I think I’ll grab one at the fast-food chain on my way home. As I get to the counter, the cashier refuses me service. Yes, I’m wearing pants and shoes. The reason they refuse service is because they tell me that it looks like I’ve already had a couple too many burgers and it wouldn’t be healthy for my heart.
Smarting from my cheeseburger refusal, and feeling a little insecure about my frame, I decide to get a new pair of pants. I pick out the pair I like and go to pay for them. No dice. They refuse to sell these to me because, “these won’t look good on you. You need a darker color.” That’s offensive. I’m an adult, I can pick my own clothes, thank you very much.
Frustrated, I go to the movie theater at the mall. “One ticket for that new movie that everybody has been talking about, please.” The teen at the counter informs me that he won’t grant me a ticket. “You won’t like that movie, sir. I’m going to put you in theater 4 so you can watch something more your speed.”
Denying someone the ability to make decisions on their life feels like an overreach. I should be able to decide for myself what clothes I wear, what I eat, what movie I want to watch, etc. We as a culture assume that people should make their own decisions in everyday matters. These include decisions like when to go to the bathroom, how to spend their free time, or even when to accept a helping hand, because autonomy is so deeply ingrained in our sense of dignity and a deep-seated belief in personal agency.
Does the same logic apply when we talk about end-of-life issues? If I am terminally ill, and would prefer to not suffer — or have my family walk through such suffering with me — is it not right and compassionate to allow for a physician-assisted suicide? Let’s explore that very question.
The question of suicide and assisted suicide was varied in the ancient world. In ancient Greece, some viewed it as a rational choice, while others (like Aristotle) condemned it as against the natural order. Other civilizations viewed it as a potentially noble or pragmatic choice, if it was done in order to avoid dishonor. Assisted suicide was rarely discussed, though the Hippocratic Oath (400 BC) seems to have strictly forbade giving lethal drugs to someone who asked for it.
As Christianity spread through civilization, the thought of suicide and assisted suicide became unthinkable. It was heartily condemned in Christian doctrine, emphasizing the sanctity of human life. Suicide, or assisting anyone in the practice, was criminalized. But in the 19th century, as advances in medicine began to prolong human life, the accepted immorality of assisted dying was questioned.
Some thinkers, like John Stuart Mill, put human liberty at the center of their philosophy. His Liberty Principle stated that “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” Note, that harm to self is not in that consideration. To use modern terms, Mill believed that individuality was the ability to fully “be yourself.”
As these views of the individual gained traction within Western society, euthanasia movements emerged. By the late 20th century, some US states had legalized the practice of assisted dying. And many countries (including Canada) have legalized medically assisted dying.
Public perception of the practice has been on the rise for decades now. In 1947 only 36% of Americans were in support of doctor-assisted suicide. That number rose to 53% in 1973 and is now at an all-time high of 71%. According to a Gallup poll, seven out of ten Americans believe doctors should be “allowed by law to end the patient’s life by some painless means if the patient and his or her family request it.”
Many Christians still believe that physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong. Despite pressure from constituents, the Church of England remains against the practice. One researcher found that this is one issue where leadership within the Church of England is “at odds with wider moral thought.” Another found that, “Christian undergraduates believe voluntary euthanasia to be infinitely more human than doctrinaire enforcement of prolonged suffering of the terminally ill.” They continued, referring to the stance of not accepting euthanasia as a Christian option as being “morally blind”.
Is there a Christian argument for assisted suicide?
Though I will ultimately adopt another position, I want to put forward the best Christian argument for assisted suicide. To me, the best argument centers around three points: an argument for compassion, the respect of human dignity, and as an act of sacrificial love.
At the heart of the Christian faith is a belief that we are called to love one another as Christ loves us. Jesus healed the sick, comforted the grieving, and offered rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28-30). If no other options remain, would it not be the most compassionate response to provide a relief to pain from suffering? Yes, Christians affirm the sanctity of life. But we also work to alleviate human suffering. On occasion these will be in conflict. Assisting someone in dying to keep them from suffering may align with an ethic of mercy. Is it truly loving to force a person to endure intense physical suffering, when we have the means to quicken the inevitable?
Secondly, the sanctity of human life means far more than having a beating heart. It is not merely biological — it is so much more. Part of what it means to be human is to make decisions and to steward all that which God has given us — including our own bodies. Rather than diminishing the sanctify of life, allowing people to make their own end-of-life decisions might actually be affirming their inherent worth. That is not to mention how prolonged suffering may strip individuals of their dignity. Should we not respect personhood?
Lastly, many of the people who choose physician-assisted suicide do it for others. As Jesus willingly laid down his life for others, so also some who choose this route are laying down their own life. They know what kind of burden it can be having to walk with someone through unbearable pain. There is an emotional, financial, and even physical toll taken when we are called to be the caregiver for a dying person. Personally, I don’t want my children to have to experience this. Why not allow a person the ability to make what they deem a selfless choice, not one out of despair, but out of a deep love for others?
If I wanted to frame a Christian argument for physician-assisted suicide, it would center around those three legs. I think one can make a compelling argument that rather than being a selfish and God-belittlingly choice, it is made with an intention to glorify God.
Yet, while I have compassion for such a position, I do not ultimately believe it is biblically defensible.
There is a fundamental error that underlies my opening illustration and the arguments for assisted suicide. That error is an assumption that end-of-life decisions are under our sphere of authority. Yes, I ought to be able to pick my own clothes. But are there not also some situations where you absolutely cannot pick your own clothes? A soldier cannot decide that he’d like to wear a t-shirt and shorts while on the front line of battle. He has a prescribed uniform, and we don’t bat an eye at this because we believe there is a higher authority now calling the shots on his clothing.
Likewise, we rightly acknowledge that a child, even if a teenager, shouldn’t be allowed into a pornographic film just because he thinks it’d be a great idea. We limit freedoms — even if they only do harm to ourselves and are not directly harming others. We understand that our personal autonomy and authority has limits. Scripture tells us that God is the one in charge of the beginning and ending of human life. Yes, we do whatever we can to prolong that life, believing that God uses means. But Scripture doesn’t seem to work in the other direction — that it is morally permissible to take our own life into our hands.
Also, while compassion as well as the self-giving love of Christ is at the center of Christian ethics, it must also be governed by biblical truth. When Jesus gave His life, it was out of obedience to the Father. Can we make a solid biblical case that God is calling us to end our life? That will be difficult to do. Compassion is God-directed.
Furthermore, when we think about being created in the image of God, we need to be careful to establish that no illness, pain, or dependence upon others can diminish this. True compassion means walking alongside of someone, offering hope, and if necessary embracing palliative care. It is difficult and painful, but Scripture tells us that this suffering is achieving for us “an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine.” A Christian view of suffering is to get through it, not to be taken out of it.
It should also be noted that this argument intersects with many others within our culture. End-of-life issues are intricately connected with beginning of life issues. Does your argument for physician assisted suicide interfere with a belief in the sanctity of human life in regards to abortion? Furthermore, if we’re going to argue for personal autonomy to the extent of choosing the day of our death, are we willing to make a similar argument in regards to transgenderism? There is an underlying philosophy in common with all of these.
I’m not attempting to make a slippery slope argument as much as I’m saying to consider the foundation and starting point of your argument. Are we beginning with God or humanity? Scripture tells us much about human suffering, and it says that it isn’t meaningless. But we’re only able to take on this perspective when we have a God’s-eye view of things.
While I have compassion for those who make this decision, I do not believe it is ultimately the best decision. That doesn’t mean that if you decide for physician-assisted suicide, or that you come alongside a loved one who does, that you’ve somehow committed the unpardonable sin. Jesus covers this one too. But it does not appear to me to be the path which God outlines for us. Suffering is awful. But it doesn’t get the last word, and neither do we. God does. And in Christ, it’s a beautiful one.
Source
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859
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