Kevorkian, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: A Christian Response

by John F. Kilner and Daniel S. McConchie

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	John F. Kilner, PhD is Senior Scholar for The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity and Franklin Forman Chair of Ethics at Trinity International University, both in Deerfield, IL.
	Daniel McConchie is Vice President & Chief of Staff at Americans United for Life, Chicago, Illinois.
	Post Date: November 19, 2001

1. What has Jack Kevorkian done now?

Previously, Jack Kevorkian has assisted in over 100 suicides. He has either set up his "suicide machine" or provided some other means for patients to end their own lives. However, this time Kevorkian actually did the killing himself by administering a lethal injection to Thomas Youk, a 52-year-old patient with Lou Gehrig's disease. Kevorkian has now decided that it is O.K. for him to kill other people when he considers it to be appropriate.

2. Whose life is it anyway?

No one's life belongs to Jack Kevorkian-to destroy as he sees fit. In fact, patients' lives are not their own-to destroy as they see fit (with or without Kevorkian's assistance). "You are not your own," writes Paul (I Corinthians 6:19). We are to entrust every circumstance to God and allow him to determine when the time is right for our deaths. In Job 13:13-15, Job resists the temptation to take his life into his own hands even in his dire situation. He waits to see if God will heal him of his infirmities or has something else in mind. We, as well, should wait on the Lord.

3. Why is life so valuable?

Human life is sacred. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). Any destroying of that image/life is prohibited in Scripture except under certain specific circumstances. A judgment that someone's quality of life is too low is never an exception that allows people to kill others or themselves.

4. Can't death be better than painful living?

Yes, Paul reminds us that death is something that is a gain for Christians (Philippians 1:20-26). For them, to die is to be with Christ in a state without pain and suffering. Yet, as Paul recognizes, it is not for us to decide when we are to die. God reserves that right. There may be more involved than we realize. Unbelievers do not have a pleasant eternity awaiting them. Even believers-in the midst of suffering-may have something God knows only they can contribute or model for others (e.g., see II Corinthians 1:3-6).

5. Has euthanasia been practiced before?

Nazi Germany had a comprehensive program to euthanize those whose lives were judged by others to be "not worth living." This included people who were elderly or mentally impaired. Today, The Netherlands does not prosecute any act of euthanasia as long as certain conditions are met, including patient consent. However, it is not surprising that once the prohibition on killing was removed, some people started judging when others should be killed even without obtaining their consent first. An official Dutch government study has documented nearly 6,000 cases in which patients have been killed without their consent.

6. Can't euthanasia be compassionate?

The Bible's concept of compassion reflects the word's literal roots, passio + cum: "suffering with." We are to suffer with and support people in their suffering. We are not to remove (kill) the sufferers in order to remove their suffering (or-perhaps more honestly-to remove our own). In Galatians 6:2, Paul writes that we should "carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Not only must we be personally involved in meeting needs, we must also point people to the outstanding palliative care (pain management) and end-of-life care (e.g., hospice) available today.

7. What help is available?

Center personnel are addressing this issue through many avenues, including the media. (For example, following the airing of Kevorkian's video on CBS's 60 Minutes, Nigel Cameron appeared on the CBS morning program-on Thanksgiving-and former Center Director John Kilner appeared on the CBS Evening News immediately following the Center's bioethics conference at Harvard Medical School in Boston-on the eve of the 60 Minutes program.) A researcher is available at the Center to assist people with questions about euthanasia and assisted suicide, including recommendations concerning hospice and palliative care. The Center also has developed an array of helpful resources to help you understand and address these issues:

For people at all educational levels:

1. Audio and video versions of a public "secular" debate between Kevorkian's attorney and spokesman, Geoffrey Fieger, and eminent Christian physician Edmund Pellegrino.

2. Suicide & Euthanasia booklet, 1998, 80 pp. In an understandable Q/A format, this booklet answers 40 questions people most frequently ask about suicide (assisted or unassisted) and euthanasia. It provides information and biblical-Christian counsel.

3. End-of-Life Decisions booklet, 1998, 89 pp. In an understandable Q/A format, this booklet answers 29 questions people most frequently ask about better ways to end life than resorting to euthanasia. It provides information and biblical-Christian counsel.

4. Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia: A Christian Perspective notebook, 1997, 63 pp. This notebook includes pithy overviews of the key issues from secular and Christian perspectives, a case study with discussion questions, an analysis of relevant biblical passages, an annotated bibliography distinguishing explicitly Christian from other sources, a Bible study with a leader's guide, a sample sermon, and eight helpful articles.

Of special interest to professionals and teachers:

1. Dignity and Dying: A Christian Appraisal, 1996, 256 pp. This book is a collection of essays by Christian leaders addressing the experience of dying, underlying issues such as suffering and the right to die, pressing challenges such as euthanasia and assisted suicide, particular settings such as The Netherlands, and constructive alternatives such as hospice care and congregational ministry.

2. Many audios and videos in the "Ethics at the End of Life" series.

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