Session 16: What About Euthanasia (Physician-Assisted Suicide)?

Welcome to Apologetics and the Gospel. My name is Pastor Jonathan White, and I am the Lead Pastor at CrossPointe Family Church in Winfield, WV as well as a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician.

Question for Today: What About Euthanasia (Physician-Assisted Suicide)?

Today’s question is another difficult question for people in our culture today. Our last session dealt with depression and anxiety and today’s session has some overlap with this. Many people with severe mental health conditions are applying for euthanasia in states and countries where it is legal. The rules for such practices have continued to become more lax and more and more states are passing euthanasia laws. And even in cases where someone has a terminal condition such as cancer, is euthanasia okay?

Before answering this question, let’s get into some background information about euthanasia.

What States Have Legalized Euthanasia?

Euthanasia has become legalized in 10 states along with Washington D.C. Washington and Oregon were among the first. However, it is now also legal in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, and Montana.

Does Federal Law Apply?

Interestingly, euthanasia is illegal under federal law. Yet, this federal law has not been applied to states that have passed laws allowing its use.

What is Euthanasia?

The definition of euthanasia varies but it refers to a lethal treatment given to end the life of one perceived as suffering.

In states where this is legal, it involves physicians giving medications that end the life of an individual. Exactly which medications that are given varies state by state and physician by physician.

The pivotal word in the definition that makes this a very subjective definition is the word ‘perceived.’ This word can be twisted to refer to all sorts of struggles such as mental health or special needs as we discussed earlier.

What Does the Medical Community Say About This Practice?

According the AMA Code of Medical Ethics:

“It is understandable, though tragic, that some patients in extreme duress—such as those suffering from a terminal, painful, debilitating illness—may come to decide that death is preferable to life.

However, permitting physicians to engage in euthanasia would ultimately cause more harm than good.

Euthanasia is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks. Euthanasia could readily be extended to incompetent patients and other vulnerable populations.”

https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/ethics-opinions/euthanasia

As a physician, I completely agree with this statement. From a professional standpoint, doctors are looked upon to bring healing and comfort to patients. Taking part in physician-assisted suicide is not good professionally and is also not good socially as trust in physicians will diminish quickly.

The AMA actually presses into an important area including vulnerable populations such as those with special needs. If left unchecked, the moral and ethical ramifications can quickly diverge into something like a Nazi-inspired type of genocide.

How Many People Die Each Year From Euthanasia?

Per Forbes research, the United states has seen an almost 50% increase in physician-assisted suicide with around 850 in 2018 and over 1,300 in 2021. Canada is leading the pack in this area with around 4,500 in 2018 and over 10,000 in 2021.

(https://www.forbes.com/sites/katharinabuchholz/2022/08/12/where-most-people-die-by-assisted-suicide-infographic/?sh=50703cee49a3)

What is Popular American Opinion on This Issue?

According to Gallop, who has been polling this since 1948, the percentage of those approving Euthanasia has gone from 37% to around 70% from 1948 until 2014.

Interestingly, those who attend church weekly have maintained a much lower approval of euthanasia from 2004-2014. The percentage of those who attend church weekly and approve of euthanasia is staying stable at around 48%. This number is still frighteningly high for those who claim to be Christians.

(https://news.gallup.com/poll/171704/seven-americans-back-euthanasia.aspx)

Which brings us to our Biblical response to Euthanasia…

Although we should be willing and able to provide mercy care for those who are suffering - meaning treating pain and symptoms with the best treatments that we have today - we must never let our compassion for mankind lead us to sin against God.

The Bible tells us that man is made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Because of this, we have no right to destroy the body that God has made. We value life because God values life. All life matters and is valuable. No matter how ill someone is, how small someone is, or how intelligent someone is - they are all made in God’s image and are valuable.

The Scriptures also teach against taking the life of someone - also known as murder. See one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:13…

Exodus 20:13 ESV

“You shall not murder.

Paul gives a strong rebuke against murder in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17:

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 ESV

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

God also spoke on this in Genesis 9:6 as He refers back to Genesis 1:27:

Genesis 9:6 ESV

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Here we see just how grievous of a sin that taking the life of another is. God states that it is a sin worthy of death.

There are countless other Scriptures that we could go through here, but the Bible is clear that human life is to be left in God’s hands. God is the one who appoints our time of death - not man:

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Our lives are in His hands. He is the only one with the right and authority to call our number and take us home. When we take the life of another, we pridefully place ourselves in the seat of God. This is a grievous sin and will be judged eternally if one does not repent and turn to Christ.

This is the same reason that abortion is a grievous sin as well. We do not have the right or authority to take the life of another.

The only one other than God who is given authority over life and death is the government when it comes to punishment and war. God has given the government power in this area and it is to be respected. We will discuss this topic in a future session however.

So in conclusion, we see that euthanasia is against the command of God and therefore unacceptable. We, as the church, should fight hard to protect the lives of those who are vulnerable. And we should also be on the forefront of mercy ministries including hospice and palliative care. We will discuss more about those as well in a future session!

Before we close out, it is important to address one other follow up question that comes up.

What About Animals?

Many times, people ask the question what about putting an animal down. This is a valid question. It is one to take with wisdom and discernment as well.

Man is given dominion over the animals as seen in Genesis 1:26:

Genesis 1:26 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

With this, man may kill animals to eat for food as seen in Genesis 9:2:

Genesis 9:2 ESV

The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.

Yet we are also to treat animals with dignity as seen in Proverbs 12:10:

Proverbs 12:10 ESV

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

Now we must also understand that there is a consequence in not putting animals down that are dangerous. Exodus 21:28-35 gives consequences for those who do not put animals to death that are a threat to people or other animals. We are actually held liable and responsible for what our animals do to others. If we know an animal is prone to harm someone or another animal, it is our personal sin if that animal does so.

So in conclusion, putting an animal down is within the dominion of man. We have the right to do so, and we even have the obligation to do so in the case of a dangerous animal. Yet, when it comes to human life, only God (and government because of authority given to it by God) has the power and authority to take a human life.

(Slide Closing 1)

This presentation has been put together to strengthen the faith of believers and to challenge the unbelief of others. I pray that you have found this presentation helpful.

Also, please note that this 10-15 minute presentation cannot exhaustively address most issues. My prayer is that it stimulates you to personally research further, and I am assured that you will find the Word of God proven time and time again.

(Slide Closing 2 with outro music)

Feel free to email any ideas you would like to see addressed by emailing me at crosspointewv@gmail.com. There are slides prepared for each of these presentations which can be accessed at our church website at crosspointefamily.church and select ATG. God bless and have a blessed week.

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