LIFE AND DEATH
“I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Euthanasia is the intentional killing of a terminally ill or otherwise dependent human being, whether by active means (such as giving a lethal injection) or passive means (withholding ordinary care such as food and water). As such, euthanasia violates the fifth commandment against killing. Like abortion and capital punishment, the issue of euthanasia relates to what the Church has called the consistent ethic of life, where all human life is to be respected from the moment of conception until natural death.
The word euthanasia is used appropriately when the intention of what is done is to bring about or hasten the person’s death. The use of strong pain medications when the intention is not to kill but to alleviate pain, even when their use may hasten the person’s death, is not euthanasia. Trying to save a person’s life through a difficult, risky surgery or other procedure would not be euthanasia if the person died, for the intention was to save life, not to take it.
When discussing euthanasia, it becomes clear that it is often suggested to put an end to a person’s pain and suffering; in other words, euthanasia is seen as a compassionate measure when someone we love is suffering greatly. Especially when that person is terminally ill, perhaps on life support systems or in a coma or permanent vegetative state with no hope of recovery, or even in the case of elderly nursing home patients who are more or less physically sound but mentally devastated by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, euthanasia is promoted as a way of hastening what will happen naturally. The person will die, sooner rather than later, bringing their suffering to an end.
Sometimes people who promote euthanasia in a particular instance will say that a person in a coma or on life support would not want to live that way, whether dependent on machines or not. They also struggle to see the person they love in such a state, giving rise to conflicting personal feelings about the situation.
Other reasons given to support the idea of euthanasia are that it frees up financial and medical resources to be used to greater benefit on other persons more likely to recover. A family’s finances can be devastated by a serious illness, especially a prolonged one without hope of recovery. Medicines and the skills of doctors and nurses are used in what seems a hopeless situation where they could be used to help others. Thus euthanasia is seen as a measure that alleviates suffering and relieves other excessive burdens.
The Christian Church rejects the direct and intentional taking of human life in such cases, as it does with abortion and capital punishment. Recalling the dignity of the human person and the importance of the basic right to life (rooted in the fact that every human being has been created in the image and likeness of God), Christianity calls upon her members and all members of the wider human family to respect human life always.
Scripture teaches respect for the elderly. In addition to the fourth commandment of “Honor your father and your mother,” we read “My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate with him; revile him not in the fullness of your strength.” (Sirach 3:12-13) Today when medical technology permits people to live longer, the physical and mental strength of our parents and the elderly in society may fail with age. Scripture teaches us to treasure and protect them.
Jesus, throughout his ministry, showed his special love and care for the poor and the sick. He cured lepers, cripples, the blind and deaf, and people with many different types of diseases. These were people the society of the time had given up on as hopeless cases, but the heart of Jesus went out to them. He went out of his way to show that no human being was beyond the reach of God’s love. He taught his followers that same respect and love for everyone. Those who are handicapped in body or mind, in any way, deserve to be protected and respected.
Popular today as a tool for ethical decision-making is the acronym WWJD, which stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” It’s a simple way for people to look at a situation and try to decide what is the right thing to do by imagining how Jesus would handle it. Sometimes this technique can be abused, however. For example, someone who has decided that euthanizing another person would be the best thing might say, “Jesus would have compassion on this individual and not want them to continue living in this state.” While the basic concept of WWJD is sound, an approach like this latter one shows a basic ignorance of the person, life, mission and ministry of Jesus. Jesus is always for life, not death, for healing, not killing.
As disciples of Jesus, members of the Church seek to emulate his love, his genuine compassion for the human person, his deep respect for human life and human dignity. This is shown most easily in how we treat the weakest among us, whether the unborn, the elderly, the sick, the handicapped, or anyone in need of society’s protection and special respect. Where society promotes death, not life, it fails in its sacred duty to all its citizens. Where society respects the right to life and the dignity of every human being, it lives up to the authority and trust given it by God, from whom life flows and to whom all authority, ultimately, is responsible.
Motivated by a false sense of compassion, euthanasia (or “mercy killing,” as it is sometimes called) masks what it really is: just plain killing. What would Jesus do? He would reach out in love and kindness, with hands for healing, with words of hope. So must the Church teach society to do.
