Thou Shalt Not Be Complaisant
The practice of euthanasia is viewed throughout the country as an immoral form of endof-life care which shouldn’t be a considered as a means of patient relief. The legalization of
euthanasia has been debated consistently throughout the history of the practice. There is a
notable problem between the thoughts of the religious, and the opposing views of those who see
it as mercy killing. This controversy has led to the debate of making a decision to legalize
euthanasia countrywide. To end eminent pain and desperation, euthanasia should be legalized so
that the inevitable suffering of a human being will stop recurring. The option of life or death
should be a personal decision, and should be made by the patient suffering. If people are denied
this practice, they will have to bear suffering through a life that is too painful to enjoy for far
longer than they should have to endure. While euthanasia is frowned upon religiously, allowing a
person to continually live in pain is inhumane and undoubtedly cruel
Euthanasia can be defined as the painless killing of someone who is destined to suffer,
and inevitably pass away due to a terminal illness. Medically speaking, the opinion of physicians
and doctors are as split as everyone else’s. People of religious affiliation tend to believe that
euthanasia is never an option, and that Christians aren’t supposed to use it as recourse. Usually,
when faced with a life or death situation, the religious wish for any means of a possible life
extension (Bulow.) People of religious affiliation believe exclusively in prolonging lives. The
arguments for euthanasia rely mainly on the fact that people have the right to their own body,
however, the Bible states that in actuality your body belongs to God, therefore you do not have
control over your own fate. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who
live in it (The Holy Bible New International Version, Psalm 24:1.) Christians believe that
euthanasia is murder due to the fact that there is never an instance in the Bible that states the
allowance of killing to ease the pain of suffering. With “thou shalt not kill” etched into the minds
of all Christians, euthanasia becomes a sin in the thoughts of almost anyone who claims to be
religious (The Holy Bible King James Version, Exodus 20:13.) The Bible reads “We must obey
God rather than human beings” (The Holy Bible New International Version, Acts 5:29.) The
religious believe that even though people of this world continuously try to convince them that
euthanasia is a helpful practice, they are being deceived. The Bible specifically says that it is a
sin to kill for any reason whatsoever. Euthanasia is killing, and therefore it is considered murder
in the minds of Christians.
Unknowingly, people of religious affiliation are blinded by the scripture, which is often
misinterpreted and often translated incorrectly. In many cases the Bible is said to be flawed, and
in some ways hypocritical. In the instance of euthanasia, religion is being selfish. Instead of
thinking of the person who is having to live with a terminal illness, people are just thinking of
how it will affect their spiritual track record. This is a problem because the Bible tells Christians
to put others before themselves. “Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the
interests of the others” (The Holy Bible New International Version, Philippians 2:4.) So instead
of Christians trying to “do well” and keep their hands clean with their Savior, they should try to
use their religious values to help those in need; those who are destined to a life suffering. Instead
of thinking of themselves selfishly, they should do as they scripture tells them, and put other
people first. Due to their religious beliefs Christians believe in the concept of hell, and that those
who do not call upon the name of the Lord and accept Him as their savior will be damned to hell
for all eternity. Christians constantly try to spread the word of God, in hopes of saving people
from everlasting pain. However, on the contrary, when someone is permanently suffering on
Earth they just turn their heads. An entire religion revolving around loving one another, and
helping each other out in times of need, but then claims these acts to be ungodly when the
challenge comes into a real life situation. Continuing to let people suffer, people’s loved ones,
doesn’t seem like the most loving and caring thing to do. What would Jesus do? I’m certain that
he wouldn’t allow for unnecessary pain to continue to occur. While it is important to take
religious affiliation under consideration concerning this practice, the Bible is not the answer to
everyone in the nation to which the law effects.
While euthanasia is illegal in all states in the US, assisted suicide is legal in a mere five.
While the religious believe that it is completely unacceptable, some believe that it is a way
passing away while they’re still themselves. Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old from Oregon, made
the choice that she would die with dignity (Maynard.) The newly wed found out that she suffered
from a terminal brain cancer. Maynard and her family’s lives become completely enveloped with
her condition. She underwent multiple surgeries which were all unsuccessful, and ultimately
faulty. Maynard’s tumor had worsened, and the only possible way to save her would be for her to
undergo full brain radiation. While this procedure may have helped her, the side effects would
take away the life she was so used to living. She would be unable to live to the fullest, and she
didn’t like that idea. After considering slowly passing away under hospice care, she knew that
she would lose the person she was, and be nonetheless miserable. With her brain tumor, she
would suffer a multitude of personality and mind issues. Her young age put her in good health,
which would prolong her suffering due to the terminal brain illness. She decided to move to
Oregon, a state where assisted suicide is legal, where she would be able to be put to sleep before
she has to suffer. Maynard boldly stated “Who has the right to tell me that I don't deserve this
choice? That I deserve to suffer for weeks or months in tremendous amounts of physical and
emotional pain? Why should anyone have the right to make that choice for me?” (Maynard) She
felt that she had the right to her own body, and that the government shouldn’t tell her what she
could and couldn’t do with it. She was approved for assisted suicide and was given the
prescription, so that she could decide when and where she would pass away. She planned on
spending her last days celebrating her husband’s birthday, and wished to die painlessly
surrounded by the ones she loved. Being able to die without suffering lifted a burden off of
Maynard’s already stressful life. Assisted suicide, by Maynard’s choice due to her terminal
illness, has proven to be an excellent choice for her family. They didn’t have to watch their
beloved relative suffer months, or even years, with no means of helping her. They can remember
her how she was as they let her pass with dignity (Maynard.) Brittany Maynard died on her own
terms in Oregon on Saturday, November 1st 2014 (Egan.)
In another case, Sandy Bem, a 65 year old woman with Alzheimer’s disease made the
decision to end her life. After finding out that her condition would take her ability to remember
her life, Bem decided that she would wait until she could no longer live her normal life, and then
she would kill herself. As a psychologist who volunteered at a suicide hotline, she wasn’t a
stranger to the effects of this type of death (Spiegel.) She openly discussed it with her family,
and let them know that it was her plan. After years of putting it off, Bem’s mind was beginning
to slip. She decided that the time had come to put an end to her life before her suffering
worsened. Sandy and Daryl, her husband, decided to set a date and a location. Although her
daughter, Emily, didn’t like the fact that her mother wasn’t trying to hold on, she respected the
fact that she wanted to die with dignity. “This is going to sound really funny, but I wouldn't have
had it any other way. It made it less like a grieving process and less like a sort of horrible thing
that had happened, and more like something that made sense and felt right and actually had some
joy to it in its own way,” Emily explained (Spiegel.) Instead of Bem suffering through several
more years of enduring a life in which she couldn’t remember anyone she loved, or even who she
was, she was dying compassionately surrounded by her loved ones. The option of dying in peace,
instead of struggling to hold on, should be available to anyone who needs it. Instead of watching
her die slowly, while she lost her mind, she was able to go quietly without pain. This method is
better for aiding a family in a time of loss. Bem lived in New York, where assisted suicide and
euthanasia are illegal. Since she couldn’t have medical assistance, she overdosed in her
bathroom, and laid in her husband’s arms until she slipped peacefully away (Spiegel.) In both
Sandy Bem and Brittany Maynard’s cases, these strong women decided that it would benefit
themselves and their family if they end their lives with dignity, and not have to live with the
terrific suffering that the future would hold.
While there are many cases of assisted suicide that are public, there are many instances
that are never heard. On a personal level, a close relative of my own suffers from CreutzfeldtJakob disease (CJD). Proceeded by a stroke, my uncle has been hospitalized for the last few
months after being diagnosed with CJD.
“Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare, degenerative, invariably fatal brain
disorder…Typically, onset of symptoms occurs about age 60, and about 90 percent of
individuals die within 1 year. In the early stages of disease, people may have failing
memory, behavioral changes, lack of coordination and visual disturbances. As the illness
progresses, mental deterioration becomes pronounced and involuntary movements,
blindness, weakness of extremities, and coma may occur” (National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke.)
For months my uncle has been unable to control his mind or his actions. He is unable to speak,
and even lacks the ability to feed himself. It’s also impossible for others to assist in feeding him
since he is incapable of swallowing. For the last several months, my uncle has been laying in a
hospital bed where he can’t move, can’t talk, and can only take in food through a tube. Since his
stroke paralyzed one side of his body, most of his needles and tubes are in the other side. This
means that the only time he moves is when the nurses clean his diaper, or a loved one, whom he
can’t recognize, holds his hand. While none of the family wants to let him go, we would all love
for his suffering to end. He no longer has a life worth living, his days are all the same as the
previous one. My uncle has to live in constant pain, and is utterly brain dead. Although myself,
as well as my family, are highly religious, we feel that it would be the moral thing to do to end
my uncle’s suffering. In the state of North Carolina where my uncle resides, euthanasia and
assisted suicide are both illegal. Since my uncle never married, he is legally under the care of his
mother who, being seventy years old, lives on the small social security checks she receives from
month to month. It is impossible for my family, being more on the lower portion of the middle
class, to move him to a state where it is legal to put an end to his suffering. So for the remainder
of his life, my uncle will “live” in a nursing home, while he unknowingly puts a huge financial
burden on his mother, and much of his extended family. In another state, my uncle could meet
the requirements for assisted suicide since CJD is fatal, but he must live out the rest of his life
miserable because he doesn’t have the right to end his own life.
A life is a valuable thing, and when it comes to the voluntary ending of a human being,
the decision on life or death can be challenging. If euthanasia continues to be illegal, it is
inevitable that thousands of people will suffer from conditions from which they cannot recover.
While most religious people believe that death can be determined by God, and only God,
families with a loved one who is suffering can have a different view on the situation. If a
strongly religious family decides against euthanasia, it doesn’t mean that the option shouldn’t be
offered to others. If euthanasia is legalized, then there will be an option on whether or not
someone can decide to put an end to their life. The option of euthanasia should be a personal
choice, and people should have a right to do whatever is best for themselves as well as their
family. The beliefs of one group of people shouldn’t burden or restrict the choices of another
group. There should be a distinct separation between church and state regarding the suffering of
a living, breathing human being.
Works Cited
Bulow Hans-Henrik, et al. "Are Religion And Religiosity Important To End-Of-Life Decisions
And Patient Autonomy In The ICU? The Ethicatt Study." Intensive Care Medicine 38.7
(2012): 1126-1133.Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Egan, Nicole. "Terminally Ill Woman Brittany Maynard Has Ended Her Own
Life." PEOPLE.com. PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Maynard, Brittany. "My Right to Death with Dignity at Age 29." CNN. Cable News Network, 14
Oct. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact
Sheet." Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet. NINDS, 22 May 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Richmond, David. "How Should Christians Respond To Proposals To Legalize Euthanasia And
Assisted Suicide? “Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought &
Practice 21.1 (2014): 20-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Rigali, Justin, and William Lori. "In Defense Of Human Dignity."America 199.11 (2008): 2728. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Spiegel, Alix. "How A Woman's Plan To Kill Herself Helped Her Family Grieve." NPR. NPR,
23 June 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: American Bible Society: 1999; Bartleby.com,
2000. 31 Oct. 2014.
The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old Testament and the New
Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. Print.