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[ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ] Since the days of the Greek physician Hippocrates some 2,400 years ago, those who practice the science of medicine have taken an oath to protect and preserve human life. For centuries physicians have declared, "I will give no deadly drug if asked for it, or make a suggestion to this effect." In the contemporary version of the oath, known as the Declaration of Geneva, doctors pledge "solemnly, freely, and upon my honour," that, "I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception; even under threat I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity." In light of this longstanding tradition and a universal consensus within the medical profession regarding the sanctity of human life, it is hard to fathom the change in attitude that has allowed large numbers of doctors and, reportedly, even a majority of the American people to decide that euthanasia is a legitimate option, and that "doctor-assisted suicide" is a basic human right. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1992 described the situation. At the end of World War II—when faith and traditional values were still strong in America—less than 36 percent of those surveyed thought individuals should have the right to end their own life. By 1990, however, researchers found that 63 percent of Americans approved of euthanasia as a medical option. A USA Today/Gallup poll in 1995 indicated that 75 percent support the idea of suicide for the terminally ill. What changed? Why has there been such a radical shift of opinion in such a relatively short period of time? Since the "Scopes monkey trial" of 1925, when the dramatic legal contest between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan brought attention to the theory of evolution in this country, secular humanistic values have infiltrated elite institutions, including the courts and the universities, as well as many of our churches. Subtly but progressively, society’s views have changed. The evolutionary hypothesis holds that man is merely an accident of time and chance, that life is transitory, and death is final. With the systematic indoctrination of this concept, people’s thinking has shifted from the importance of living a full and meaningful life to the practical expedient of living life to the fullest and finding gratification wherever and however you can in whatever time you have left. Today, the "Get all the gusto you can" ethic dominates the popular culture. According to Dr. Brian Clowes, a Catholic layman who has written extensively on the issue, the shift from a "sanctity of life" ethic to a "quality of life" ethic is the most profoundly evil step a nation can take. "Once they make this transformation," he says, "they can justify any atrocity by disguising it behind the alluring masks of ‘compassion’ and ‘realism.’" Any society that loses its belief that life is sacred and that only God can decide when to give or take a life has taken a risky step down the road to totalitarianism. In time, life in such a culture will become meaningless, and death will be incredibly cheap. Dr. C. Christopher Hook, director of ethics education and consultation at the Mayo Clinic, describes how doctors in Nazi Germany began authorizing euthanasia for mentally ill and deformed individuals, then for other "undesirables," until they were able to rationalize the extermination of six million Jews, Poles, Evangelicals, and others deemed expendable by Hitler’s Third Reich. The American Medical Association has, thankfully, come out against euthanasia. In her testimony before a congressional committee on April 29, 1996, Dr. Lonnie R. Bristow, president of the AMA, made the following statement: In enunciating the official policy of this important association of physicians, Dr. Bristow cited several important studies and results of tests in other countries—particularly Holland, where voluntary euthanasia is being tried—and reported that, "No other country in the world, including the Netherlands, has legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia. This is one movement in which the United States should not be a ‘leader.’" Despite the linguistic tricks of the pro-death community, neither the laws of man nor of God can grant anyone a "right to die" at their own hand. Pro-euthanasia activists have framed the debate in such terms in an attempt to appeal to those who have been misled into believing that every "right" is good. But the perverse logic of such thinking becomes apparent, as Brian Clowes has said, when you observe that the rights being sought in this case and others focus on practices such as abortion, direct and indirect infanticide, homosexuality, pornography, euthanasia, and other "illegal, illicit, and contemptuous behaviors." Over the past several years, activist courts have misused the idea of the "right to privacy" to legitimize behaviors that most of us find abhorrent. God’s laws are not determined by majority opinion. Even if everyone in America, or in the world for that matter, were to decide that we should have the right to kill ourselves, that would not change the reality of God’s immutable law. The Sixth Commandment could not be clearer: "Thou shalt not kill." The word in the Hebrew text means "murder," and it applies to any form of killing that usurps the authority over life and death that belongs to God alone. Throughout Scripture, this prohibition against murder affirms God’s authority and preserves the "sanctity of human life." The Sixth Commandment was given as a hedge to protect human dignity. The "right to die" celebrated by pro-death activists is not a right at all; rather, it is a forfeiture of rights and a loss of dignity. And, as doctors in the Netherlands are discovering, wherever euthanasia is allowed, all too soon the "right to die" becomes the "duty to die"; which becomes, in turn, the authority for the state to put to death those deemed "expendable" or "taking up vital resources." Consider, for example, the words of former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. Long before signing on as Ross Perot’s running mate in the 1996 presidential campaign, Lamm said in an address defending the idea of euthanasia in 1984: The image is too close for comfort to a scene from Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel, Brave New World. Imagine a science fiction movie in which the aged and infirm are disposed of to make way for the next Whether or not we approve of the use of euthanasia, it’s true that all people hope to have a dignified and peaceful death when their time comes. But the pro-death advocates have given the concept of dignity a sinister new definition. Dying "with dignity," by their definition, might well mean participating in, or at least allowing, the assisted suicide of individuals who have suffered illness, become incontinent, incoherent or confused, or who merely suffer from extreme levels of pain. In such cases, as Dutch doctors have discovered, the temptation for the state to "pull the plug" is simply too great to resist. A recent report from the National Right to Life Committee reveals that individuals considering suicide as an option are almost always suffering with clinical depression. Pain, feelings of uselessness, and fear of losing control, places these people under such severe pressures that they may be led by pro-death advocates, medical personnel, care-givers, or anxious relatives to take the quick way and "end it all." In such circumstances, the patient’s judgment is faulty, and the decision to commit suicide (whether voluntary or physician-assisted) cannot be a rational or legally binding choice. When such individuals can overcome their fears and transcend them with a deep sense of peace with God and with the knowledge that their eternal security is taken care of, they understand that "dying with dignity" at their own hand or that of a physician is not an alternative. True compassion demands that all of us love and support these incapacitated and suffering individuals; and as Christians we have the capacity to help them prepare their hearts and minds for their eternal relationship with God. This is a perspective that supersedes merely dying with dignity, and ensures that they are able to live with dignity, as well. The pro-death movement has an aggressive agenda and has been active in this country and around the world for nearly thirty years now. High on their target list are handicapped newborns, people in comatose conditions, and the elderly. These pro-euthanasia groups are anxious to extend their lethal agenda to patients in nursing homes, regardless of their emotional state or levels of pain. If they achieve their goals, the number of people who become victims of "mercy killings" will mushroom, just as it did in Nazi Germany, and as it is doing today in Holland. If healthy pre-born babies can be killed by "legal abortions" in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, there is nothing to prevent the pro-death movement from winning the right to kill children after birth, especially those with handicaps or other defects such as Down’s Syndrome. The long-range implications of such policies should be horrifying to those who understand the value of life and who care about the eternal implications of these issues. There are many resources available from Christian and pro-life groups that will help you deal responsibly with these questions and concerns; several are listed below. Above all, become informed in this area. Pray, speak up, resist where you can, and stay focused on the Word of God. Moses declared to the people of Israel: That should always be our guiding principle. Pro-Life Council International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force Joni Eareckson Tada. The Life and Death Dilemma: Families Facing Health Care Choices. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995. International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force: http://www.iaetf.org/ [ Previous | Table of Contents | Next ] Copyright 1997, Coral Ridge Ministries. All rights reserved.
Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric© Copyright 1997, Coral Ridge Ministries The Center For Reclaiming America is an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries.
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