Culture Of Life 101 . . . “Church Teachings On Euthanasia”
By BRIAN CLOWES
(Editor’s Note: Brian Clowes has been director of research and training at Human Life International since 1995. For an electronic copy of chapter 23 of The Facts of Life, “Euthanasia,” e-mail him at bclowes@hli.org.)
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“Once any human being becomes worthless or expendable, all are reduced from an absolute to a relative value and no two human beings would be of equal worth, thus demolishing the very foundation of moral order….By devaluing life — the life of the unborn, the elderly, the comatose patient, the handicapped — we are, quite literally, digging our own graves” — Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, who was a fugitive from Nazi Germany.
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Scripture on the Purpose of Our Lives. There can be no doubt that euthanasia is contrary to the will of God. Scripture is replete with references as to how God created us; how He has a purpose for each of us; how He reserves the right to call us home; how He cares for us; and how our suffering in this life purifies us and prepares us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. The Holy Bible paints a complete picture of the arc of our lives and how we should expend them in the service of God.
To begin with, God created us from literally nothing; we owe our existence to Him and Him alone (Gen. 1:27, Exodus 4:11 12, Rev. 4:11). We may not dispose of ourselves as we see fit: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20, Romans 14:7-8). In fact, only God knows what His mission is for us (Jer. 1:4 5).
Only God has authority over our lives, and only He can extend or end them: “No man has power to retain the spirit, or authority over the day of death” (Eccl. 8:8, Deut. 36:39).
In times of suffering, we must take heart, because God Himself has gone before us and has suffered much more than any of us ever will (Isaiah 52:14, 53:3-7, 10). When we do suffer, we must trust in God and His plan for our lives: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble…call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 46:1; 50:15, Heb. 12:3-8). “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord” (Jer. 17:7-8).
Most important, our suffering prepares and perfects us for the Kingdom of Heaven and is a very high form of service to God. St. Paul says it best in Romans 5:1-5; 8:16-18: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us….I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
St. Peter, the first Pope, added: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish, and strengthen you” (1 Peter 5:6-10).
Finally, God does not test us beyond our limits to endure, particularly when we are reinforced with His grace: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
What Do Other Faiths Teach About Euthanasia? These days, it is extremely rare that all of the major faith traditions are united on a moral question. In the case of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, however, they speak with one voice in condemning these practices. In fact, their teachings regarding various elements of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (such as the use of painkillers and ordinary/extraordinary means) very closely parallel those of the Catholic Church.
These faiths include the Assemblies of God, Buddhism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church USA, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.
Furthermore, all three major Jewish movements in the United States — Orthodox, Conservative and Reform — prohibit assisted suicide, even in the case of painful terminal illnesses. In addition, a large majority of Hindus oppose euthanasia, because it is an act of violence, and any attempt to circumvent karma in this life will lead to an increase in bad karma in the next life, both for the patient and for the doctor who assists in the suicide.
The only denominations that embrace euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are a small number of ultra-liberal church groups that have chosen to follow man instead of God. These include the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association, whose combined membership totals about 1.2 million, or less than one percent of all churches.
Interestingly, while there are a number of ersatz “Christian” groups pushing abortion (such as the Interfaith Alliance, “Catholics” for [a Free] Choice, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice), there seem to be no such organizations promoting euthanasia in the United States.
Who Owns Us? The question of who owns us is at the very heart of the euthanasia debate. Do we own and control our own bodies? If so, then we can do anything we want with them, regardless of the effects upon others. However, if we do not own ourselves — if our bodies and our souls were brought into existence and nurtured by Someone Else — then, of course, our lives belong to Him, and we cannot just dispose of them as we wish, even under the most extreme of circumstances.
Just as God created us for missions that only He knows, He reserves for Himself the right to call us home. We are His finest creations, we are the only creations made in His image, and we have no right to destroy ourselves. The Fifth Commandment does not refer only to acts committed against others — it prohibits the abuse and destruction of our own bodies and souls.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God Who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for His honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of” (n. 2280).
