The Bioethics of Assisted Suicide

MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) is in the news in Canada again with a National Post article reporting (May 9, 2023) on a paper by two University of Toronto bioethicists who argue it would be wrong to deny medical assistance in dying (MAID) to people whose request is being driven most of all by poverty or other unjust conditions.

Secular Ethics … in a secular world … arrive at secular conclusions.  “Convincing” narratives can be constructed to support the idea of “assisted suicide”.

BUT … A role of the church is to make plain God’s morality — as listed in scripture — rather than the reasoning of men.  Many people choose to look to scripture for moral guidance – to understand God’s intent & direction for mankind … To put a stake in the ground identifying what is right & wrong (“discernment”), to allow mankind to work within God’s truth.

The scriptural ideal is to understand that every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and has the potential to be born into the family of God (Romans 8:29).  Suicide is considered a sin, as it goes against the sixth commandment, which states “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).  The Bible teaches that life is a gift from God, and it is not ours to take away (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Clearly, the world in 2023, is not likely to cast off its own reasoning to embrace the direction of the Bible.  Mankind usually wants our “own way” & often people like to sin… & don’t WANT God telling us how to live our lives!  As the Bible records thousands of years ago in the book of Judges.

Judges 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

When Bioethicists start from the premise that mankind is not special — we are just another living thing – like a dog or a lizard or a blade of grass … it is not surprising that they conclude assisted suicide is “good” even due to unhappiness, boredom or frustration about our lives.  With such a low value to human life, history is filled with examples of “superior men” deciding for others that their lives are worthless … and society would be better off if these “inferior people” were simply destroyed — killed off!  This is the “slippery slope” consequence of not having a proper value for human life.

To know more about mankind’s HOPE & potential — for each human life … please click here for our booklet…    Man’s Awesome Destiny
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