The Lies of Euthanasia

One

Justifying Euthanasia

The idea of euthanasia has become so common that it sometimes seems to be taken for granted. How? How can we have possibly come to the point where we think it’s okay to destroy ourselves, to attack this good thing that God has made?

Well, there are probably three dominant justifications for euthanasia.

The first is based on the idea that we can do what we want with ourselves because we belong to ourselves. The second comes from the idea that suffering makes life meaningful. And the third comes from the idea that if someone’s going to die anyway, then what difference does it make?

Each of these ideas is a horrible lie, and it’s not only used to justify euthanasia – these lies can distort the truth of everyone’s life. 

So let’s consider them. 

Two

Self-autonomy

One of the most common ways people justify euthanasia is by saying that people have a right to do what they want to with their own life. 

People think they own themselves, and so they’re allowed to do what they want with themselves. People think they own themselves – that they belong to themselves – but do they? After all, how do you come to own something?

Usually, it’s either because you make it or because somebody gives it to you.

Well, you definitely didn’t make yourself. So you can’t claim to belong to yourself based on that.

Who did make your life? God. And He didn’t give you yourself as your own possession to do whatever you want with yourself. He has made you a steward of his property – and a steward will be held responsible for what he does with another person’s property.

So there is just no way to say you belong to yourself. And if you deliberately destroy what belongs to someone else, you are going to be held responsible. And it’s not just if we destroy God’s property – ourselves – but if we misuse it.

And that’s something we all need to remember, and not just when euthanasia is on the line.

Three

Suffering

Another thing people say to justify euthanasia is that the people who want to end their lives are in pain. But of course, so are we all in pain. Life involves suffering. For everybody. And different people want to die at different levels of suffering.

Jonah wanted to die based on the suffering of not having his shade-plant. Kids say they would rather die than eat their broccoli. The point is it’s totally arbitrary to say that a certain level of suffering makes life meaningless. Especially since heroes are the people we naturally hold up as models of meaningful lives. And they become heroes precisely because they don’t back down due to suffering.

Four

“They’re going to die anyway”

A final thing people say when they’re trying to justify euthanasia, at least in the case of terminal illness, is, “Well, look, what difference does it make? They’re going to die anyway.”

But of course, so are we all going to die anyway. We are all heading towards death – some of us are going to die soon, and some of us are going to die even sooner – but we’re all going to die pretty soon.

St. Augustine says that ultimately, there’s no difference between the words “living” and “dying,” because if you’re dying it means you’re still alive, and if you’re alive it means you're going to die before long.

And it is utterly arbitrary to choose a certain amount of time and say that any amount less makes life unmeaningful.

Some of the most important things in life happen in the space of minutes or even seconds – and we should make the most of whatever small amount of time we have left.

That’s something we should all remember, and not just when the issue of euthanasia is on the line.

Five

Being cared for

One of the biggest fears people have is that they’ll have to be cared for by others. That they’ll be a burden. But that may be your last great act of service and love – the last deep mark you make in the world.

It’s been pointed out that our society is increasingly busy and streamlined like a straight, rushing, frantic river. There are no pools of peace in the rivers, because pools of peace are created by slow, still rocks and logs – and we’ve removed all the slow-moving or immobile people from our world. We remove all the children to the day cares, all the elderly to convalescent homes, and now we’re trying to kill the sick and disabled.

But maybe God is calling you to be an immobile member of this society – a rock in the river, and people will have to circle around you to care for you, and they will have the opportunity to get out of the rush and find peace.

So that your role, even in your convalescence or illness or even senility, may be one of the most important ones in society.