The Biblical View of Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Euthanasia or good death is an attempt to make life happy or painless for those suffering.  There is active and passive.  Active euthanasia is producing death to avoid suffering. Passive euthanasia is allowing death to occur to alleviate suffering.  In either case, when death is self-caused is a form of suicide. When it is caused by someone else it is a form of homicide. Under passive euthanasia there is natural and unnatural.  In the former withholding unnatural means (such as respirators  and artificial organs) that leads only indirectly to the individual's death.  In the latter, it means withholding natural means such as food, air, and water which leads to death.

Why Active Euthanasia and Unnatural Euthanasia is Wrong?

1. It is contrary to God's Sovereignty over Life.

According to the Bible, God is the creator and owner of all things (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 24:1). He made humans in his own image (Gen. 1:27) and holds them responsible to him for  human life (see also Deut. 32:39). He alone has appointed when we will die (Hebrews 9:27)

2. It is against the sanctity of human life.

Not only is God sovereign over human life, but human life is sacred. Genesis 1:27; Gen. 6:11; Gen. 9:6; James 3:9

God has forbidden that anyone kill another, for he has thereby indirectly attacked God. See 1 Samuel 31:3-4; Judges 9:54

3.  It is a form of murder or suicide. Ex. 20:13; 21:12-13

There is no moral right to kill.  The basic fallacy of active euthanasia and unnatural passive euthanasia is to presume upon the sovereign right of God over human life.  The proponents presume to play God rather than simply be man.

4.  It fails to take responsibility for the life God has entrusted us.

5. It is based on a Humanistic Ethic.

The Humanist Manifesto II specifically recommends abortion, suicide, and euthanasia.

6. It cheapens the value of human life

"For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone." (Rom. 14:7)

The value of life is significantly cheapened by such callous disregard for human beings.

It puts a price tag on human life and reduces human beings to an animal level.  The Bible does recommend giving a person a shot (Prov. 31:6-7) to alleviate suffering and not that they be shot. We can do that with an animal because it  is not human, but no so with humans, if the value of life is to be retained.

7. It produces guilt in the family and society.

8. It is not merciful to kill a sufferer because it inflicts death upon the sufferer.  

Furthermore, the ends does not justify the means because killing is not a good act.

If it is merciful to kill a sufferer then logically it justifies killing in general, abortion, killing Aids victims, genocide and even human experimentation.

9. It fails to acknowledge what can be learned through suffering.

Suffering is a great evil to be avoided at all cost, even the cost of oneÕs life. This is not the Christian view of suffering (see James 1:2-4; Job 23:10; James 5:11; Hebrews 12:11)

Formulated from "Euthanasia" in Christian Ethics   by Norman Geisler (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1991)

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