An Enticing Sounding Option
At the beginning of February of this year, a couple, both 93, died together. They did not die in a car crash or at the end of a gun. They died quietly, holding hands. This sounds like an appealing “way to go.” If you died with your spouse, you would not experience grief or loneliness. You could live without burdening your family with your needs as you age. All these aspects put this approach to dying in a favorable light.
One way to achieve these results is to receive a lethal dose of a drug usually administered by a doctor, or in other words: Euthanasia. That is exactly what the former Dutch prime minister, Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie, did. They joined the many couples who have died by euthanasia in the Netherlands. In 2022, 29 couples, or 58 people, were killed together by euthanasia.
Unfortunately, history tells us that America still takes many cultural cues from Europe. Although the Netherlands is 19 times smaller than the United States it holds great influence. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to how the Netherlands and other countries are addressing end of life issues and the consequences of the way they handle them.
In fact, the US has already begun to shift in the direction of widespread legalization of euthanasia. There are 10 states as well as Washington D.C. that allow euthanasia, or medical aid in dying as it is called by those who support the practice. As of now, Georgia is not on that list. However, that does not mean that euthanasia may not be legal in our near future.
What is the Struggle?
The most widely used argument in the pro-Euthanasia debate is that lethal injections help alleviate pain and suffering of those on the verge of death. Or in the case of the Van Agts, euthanasia would prevent loneliness and the burden of a grieving widow on the rest of the family.
However, former British Tory MP Matthew Parris poses an important question, “I can’t dispute the objectors’ belief that once assisted dying becomes normalized, we will become more apt to ask ourselves for how much longer we can justify the struggle.” The question then becomes, “What is the struggle?” Different people define pain and suffering by different standards. For instance, neither the former Dutch prime minister nor his wife was suffering from any terminal disease. However, they had decided that they were finished with life’s brokenness. Perhaps, they viewed the struggle as not being able to bear the other’s death.
In fact, Dame Margaret Somerville, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Notre Dame Australia, arguing against euthanasia affirmed that pain is almost never cited as the major reason for those requesting lethal injection. She goes on to state that main reasons were a fear of loss of independence, a feeling of loss of dignity, and very often a feeling that they are a burden on other people.
At this point in the argument, those defending natural death in God’s timing, must come
to terms with why the struggle of life matters in the first place. Christians have a unique advantage in this conversation. Like the author of Hebrews wrote, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Like in the case of an unwanted pregnancy, we do not get to kill the child just because its life is inconvenient for us. As Christians, we also do not kill ourselves because we are inconvenienced, frustrated, or fear living on under certain circumstances. We live on with hope until the day that the Lord has appointed. This issue boils down to one’s fundamental belief of the value of life.
The Duty to Die
Rob Edens, the press officer for a Dutch organization focused on research, lobbying and education about assisted suicide and euthanasia in the Netherlands was interviewed for an article with the Washington Post. He is quoted saying, “An accumulation of age-related complaints can lead to unbearable and hopeless suffering […] The expectation is that if doctors are increasingly willing to provide euthanasia when there is an accumulation of old-age complaints, the number of duo euthanasia [cases] will increase.” This will begin to put enormous pressure on older members of the population to commit euthanasia.
Many who promote euthanasia argue from a financial standpoint as well. They contend that many families have a difficult time providing for aging loved ones and if aging loved ones are suffering it is better for them to “die peacefully.” Those that have “aged out” of usefulness may feel pressed to end their lives prematurely so as to not burden their families.
As Christians, we support Biblical Personhood not only for the preborn, but also for the disabled, elderly, and for every human being created in the image of God who is the Giver of our worth. We are not autonomous. We have no right to end our lives. We have been bought at a high price and now belong to Jesus. (Gal. 2:20).
I think that with all of this discussion of life and death it is important to remember the words of Ecclesiastes 9:7-9. “7Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.”
As humans, we are only allotted a certain amount of time on this earth. The Lord has graciously allowed us to take part in the joys of this world, food, drinks, and relationships, and the Lord knows the timeline of each of our stories. In Psalm 139 the psalmist says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” The Lord knows when my life began and when it will end. There is a lot of peace in surrendering to that knowledge.
Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/13/netherlands-duo-euthanasia-dutch-prime-minister/; https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/normalizing-assisted-suicide-will-lead-to-a-duty-to-die/; https://www.compassionandchoices.org/resource/states-or-territories-where-medical-aid-in-dying-is-authorized; https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/15202/people-ask-for-euthanasia-out-of-fear-of-being-a-burden-
Virginia-Lee Finnell
Georgia Right to Life Intern