Euthanasia.

So in case you hadn't noticed...I've been away for a fortnight and will do a proper update sometime but for today I want to look at one of the most read news stories on the BBC recently.

Tony Nicklinson has died after refusing food for the past week and contracting pneumonia. You can read the BBC's story here. Euthanasia is such a sticky sticky subject and I can't say that I've fully formed my opinion on it. I did however attend a seminar on the topic while I was away and have read various bits and pieces in the past. I am by no means an intelligent writer or a theology genius so bear with me!

So, starting with where I'm at personally...

I can understand the logic and the desire of many people for euthanasia to be made legal in this country. I really really do. I read about certain peoples situations and how desperate they feel and feel that their argument is valid. However, I can't justify euthanasia biblically (in my opinion) and this is where I become stuck. I asked the question a few months ago on an apologetics group having watched a programme by Tony Pratchett and received the following responses (para-phrased/editted as it was a lengthy chat!):

‎[CJ]: I don’t know. I understand that being in pain every second of your life must be horrible and that dying would be a welcome relief, and that a government that doesn’t have pity and mercy is seemingly heartless. However, what are the categories for people who can use this facility were it introduced in the UK? People with long standing pain yes, but what about people who’ve suffered for a year? or 5 years? Where is the line drawn? And there is also the potential for this to be utterly devastating and evil, with doctors deciding who should live and who shouldn’t with referrals (this is by NO means an attack on doctors!). Basically, the arguments both for and against assisted suicide are strong, and in that case, I believe that the system should stay the way it is. However, I do not believe that anyone ‘assisting’ with the suicide should be arrested or charged when they come back to the UK.

‎[LE]: I think that’s a similar point of view to me. It’d be such and ethical minefield if it were to become legal in the UK (although I’m sure that sounds a bit like palming off the responsibility on other countries!). I guess the phrase “assisted suicide” is slightly hazy – the man on the programme took the poison himself etc., his wife did not physically “assist” him in anyway and it sounded like the only way Dignitas allowed it was if the person could take the poison without help.

However, you can be sectioned etc. for trying to take your own life so if “assisted suicide” was legalised then what would the stance on ‘standard’ suicide be? It’s such a difficult subject.

‎[TJ]: Hey Laura and Charlie, I watched this documentary too – strong stuff. Do you think that there are any factors that have bearing specifically from a Biblical / Christian point of view?

‎[NJ]: Sanctity of life and being made in the image of God is the first thing that springs to mind. That our bodies are temples and we have God’s spirit within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). “As no one has power over the wind to contain it, s ono one has power over the time of their death.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8) This would ultimately say euthanasia is wrong as we would be “playing God” by choosing the day that we would die (as would the doctors who gave us the necessary drugs). However, there is nothing that I’m aware of that specifically speaks against euthanasia? Lots of moral issues seem to be directly addressed and condemned (murder, stealing, adultery etc.) but there’s nothing so specific about euthanasia – though I guess some could argue it is murder? It could be argued that euthanasia was a loving and compassionate response which would be loving your neighbour as yourself. I don’t know!

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‎[TJ]: You’re quite right that some could argue it’s murder. In fact, Augustine, in the City of God (can’t remember book / chapter ref.) argues something like this 

1. Murder is morally wrong and strictly prohibited by God in Scripture.

2. The murder of certain individuals can be justified in certain circumstances for the protection of others (i.e. certain wars or capital punishment as in Deuteronomy 13:5, 17:7, 21:21, 22:21 etc.)

3. The murder of an innocent is the most reprehensible for of murder

4. Suicide (sua = self, cide = killing) is therefore the unjust killing of an innocent, with yourself pronouncing the judgment against yourself.

If I remember correctly, the particular incident he is condemning is one whereby people were killing themselves to avoid being assaulted or killed by soldiers in an (actual historical) offensive.

At first glance, I found it a strange argument, but I find it hard to fault the logic!

‎[DW]: The euthanasia thing is tricky, but there’s (I think) one incident in Scripture where it DOES happen, and it’s not cool: in 2 Samuel 1, David meets an Amekelite who survives a huge battle between Israel and the Philistines, which is the battle where Saul and his armour-bearer die at the end of 1 Samuel. As it turns out, the reason this Amekelite talks to David is because he met Saul on the battle field, greviously wounded. Saul, as it turns out, asks this Amekelite to “kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers”. Pretty spot-on discription of the euthenasia debate, right?

The moral result of the story is that the Bible treats the Amekelite as a murderer – David condemns him to death, saying "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying “I have killed the Lord’s annointed”." Now, to be fair, that’s just one incident of it ever occuring in Scripture, and there are some nuances because Saul is special – he’s the Lord’s annointed at the time, which makes it double bad to kill him – but the treatment of it is pretty strong.

Again, a mix of I don't know/it's a difficult one amongst the helpful scripture references etc. 

With regards to a Christian medical perspective, Nathan linked me to an article written by Tim Maughan for CMF (Christian Medical Fellowship). He concludes saying: "So Christians should promote compassionate care for all people with terminal illness, not euthanasia, ensuring that their physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met in ways that are appropriate to each individual." It's a fairly accesible article which I'd recommend giving a read if the topic interests you. 

This brings me on to the seminar I attended whilst I was away, if you want to listen to it, it should be available for purchase here in the near future. It was lead by a man called Sean Doherty and he has posted his notes here. These are the notes I wrote during the seminar:

- God knew we would face these issues, they're not explicitly in the Bible but there is stuff there:

1. Exodus 20: Thou shalt not murder
2. Abraham and Isaac (God told him to murder?)
3. Genesis 9:6 - we're made in God's image and this is why we should not murder -  we are precious
4. God commands killing in the Old Testament?
5. Love your neighbour
6. The death of Saul - injured in battle and asks a soldier to kill him?
7. "Heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons" - Jesus shows us perfectly what the Father is like. We can be healed and it's nobody's fault that we are ill. Jesus tells us to care for people (even if they won't get better).
8. Paul had a thorn in his flesh, he prayed for it to go and it didn't BUT we must pray in faith that one day healing will come.

- We need to combine the law/command with the gospel. As Christians we live under gospel and not law.

-  As Christians we see freedom differently. Freedom doesn't relate just to the physical.

- We are created, we are creatures - there are restraints on us and we were created with particular needs. 

- If we assist people to die before the have come to know the gospel then we're taking that opportunity from them.

- Withdrawing treatment (ie. coming to the limits of medicine) is not the same as actively doing something to end a persons life.

- We have a warped understanding of the word compassion. It actually means "to suffer with". So to have compassion on someone means to suffer and go through it with them.

- Life can have value in even seemingly hopeless situations.

- By being cared for you can bless others - he talked of a community we able bodied and disabled live alongside each other.

- Philippians 1: I deserve to depart and be with Christ - we can have complete sympathy with people who want to die! BUT "to live is Christ and to die is gain, I will remain in the body".

- Double effect - morphine may shorten a patients life, but the intention is pain relief not death. This is okay. 

And there we have it. A jumbled and confusing response to a jumbled and confusing topic! I think I'm slowly concluding that I am against euthanasia but sympathetic towards those who believe it is the only way forward. This may be a topic I will mull over for a few more years yet before coming to a definite conclusion! 

TTFN x