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I got into this debate on another thread as sort of a "tangent," but the discussion raised this question.
Now that we can extend life almost indefinitely - if you go as far as life support, respirators, heart-lung machines, dialysis, transplants, etc. - what is our religious obligation to extend life? Not only in others, but in ourselves. For instance, without vaccines, antibiotics, statins, hypotensives, etc., countless thousands would already have succumbed to the former killers: viruses, infections, heart attacks, and strokes. Now even organ failure doesn't necessarily kill us. We now have countless thousands living a horrible existence warehoused in nursing homes just praying for death. Are we required to do so? Now that we have a cure for almost everything (even AIDS and cancer can often be controlled), we almost have to take action in order to die or at least refuse life-extending options being made available to us.
Physician-assisted suicide is legal in an increasing number of states, and one always has the option of ending one's life by voluntary cessation of hydration and nutrition (although this is slower and more agonizing). We have the Living Will, which dictates that no extraordinary measures be taken to extend our lives. And we can always choose not to pursue treatment in the event of a particular diagnosis.
You could argue that to defer treatment is just allowing God's will to be done rather than thwarting it.
Which of these, if any, would be considered "suicide," theologically speaking, and a spiritual misstep?
Excellent questions, especially for those who consider suicide to be a mortal sin. For me it is a matter of personal choice and basing that choice on quality of life rather than quantity carries no qualms.
I got into this debate on another thread as sort of a "tangent," but the discussion raised this question.
Now that we can extend life almost indefinitely - if you go as far as life support, respirators, heart-lung machines, dialysis, transplants, etc. - what is our religious obligation to extend life? Not only in others, but in ourselves. For instance, without vaccines, antibiotics, statins, hypotensives, etc., countless thousands would already have succumbed to the former killers: viruses, infections, heart attacks, and strokes. Now even organ failure doesn't necessarily kill us. We now have countless thousands living a horrible existence warehoused in nursing homes just praying for death. Are we required to do so? Now that we have a cure for almost everything (even AIDS and cancer can often be controlled), we almost have to take action in order to die or at least refuse life-extending options being made available to us.
Physician-assisted suicide is legal in an increasing number of states, and one always has the option of ending one's life by voluntary cessation of hydration and nutrition (although this is slower and more agonizing). We have the Living Will, which dictates that no extraordinary measures be taken to extend our lives. And we can always choose not to pursue treatment in the event of a particular diagnosis.
You could argue that to defer treatment is just allowing God's will to be done rather than thwarting it.
Which of these, if any, would be considered "suicide," theologically speaking, and a spiritual misstep?
In my opinion, suicide is actively doing something to end your physical life by for example slitting your wrists, shooting yourself, jumping from a high place, poisoning yourself or having some life ending drug administered to you, etc., as opposed to passively allowing death to come from some disease instead of taking measures to extend your life for a while.
If I were dying from cancer or some other terminal illness, and I chose to not undergo treatment which would allow me to live a bit longer, but perhaps in great pain, and instead chose to allow nature to take its course, I wouldn't consider that suicide. And as a Christian, I wouldn't consider it a sin. And in fact, I probably would make that choice. I would choose to die and go home to be with the Lord.
As a Christian, I do consider suicide a sin, although if someone who has believed in Christ Jesus does commit suicide he won't lose his eternal salvation. Some will disagree with that last comment, but I believe in the eternal security of the believer.
Suicide is only a grave error if the person is of a sound mind , which would be a unrepentant sinner who is very selfish to God as the person could not repent after they pass away , so they would be lost to God , ...................but people who are losing the mind in pain or drugs or confusion from the devil or a mental disorder, God could judge them as very ill but still would collect their soul for Heaven ............. See God is pro-life , as God say`s ``chose life so your children may live ``
The rationale behind suicide - or murder, for that matter - being considered such a grave sin is that it interferes with and disrupts God's plan for that life. He is the author of life and only He has the right to end it. But with all the fiddling around we're doing in medicine lately, we "interfere" with death every day. Would you consider the hastening of death (as in physician-assisted suicide) sinful? Because grace might come even at the last minute. For that matter, even being sedated at the end could interfere.
But does that mean we're doomed to suffer?
Then there are such things as feeding tubes and IV hydration; some believe that's artificially prolonging life, whereas I believe that to withhold or withdraw it is to cause death. Yet even *I* have a Living Will, because lingering helpless in a nursing home would be hell - or is there a worse hell for trying to avoid?
What is really confusing is that you will get 10 different answers from Christians. As a non-believer, I'm not chained to believing this is a moral question. Let the recipient decide.
personally, the entire matter hinges on three things:
1. pain and suffering that cannot be alleviated with powerful drugs or palliative sedation
2. the nature of the disease eg. something horrifyingly debilitating like ALS (Gehrig's Disease) like what has happened to Stephen Hawking vs getting old and gradually going comfortably downhill
3. the amount of burden, expense and stress being placed on my spouse and/or children caring for my needs
Were I in any of these three conditions (and usually a devastating disease involves all three but not less than two I would elect to die with dignity in Oregon at the right time. I figure each night I fall asleep theoretically I die anyway (go completely unconscious). I figure death is no different. I'd just close my eyes and wake up in another world if millions of NDE's are to be believed. If they aren't then it's like just going asleep and blinkering out like a dead flashlight. I won't know a thing. I'll feel like I did before I was born. As an afterlife is strictly a matter of faith i.e. we have no proof one way or the other, I have no theological or moral scruples about death with dignity. I don't believe in the Christian concept of eternal hell, especially for ending your life because you're going to die shortly anyway in great pain and discomfort and be a tremendous burden on your loved ones in the process.
Watch a portion of the video showing this poor soul with ALS and tell me you could live like that for 3-5 years, possibly the rest of your life if you're like Hawking.
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