Unjust Mercy

How could you say no? It is tantamount to torture to say no. It is what they want, why not help them out? It is only a matter of time before it occurs naturally, why not alleviate their pain now? Be merciful, cut life support.

Mercy killings. But they wouldn’t like it to be called that, it’s euthanasia. The argument is very humanitarian, very compassionate and politically charged. What do you do when you have someone dying of old age who wants to die but is still suffering and breathing? Should they be allowed their wish? Should we help them to die peacefully and without all the agony of waiting it out? Is all mercy just, or is there a line that should not be crossed?

The fear behind crossing lines is that once you cross there is no turning back and once you cross one line, you must draw another line - but where do you draw the line? And if you do not draw a line then it is a slippery slope and no end to how far you fall...and if it began politically charged, where do you end up? It is a moral enigma. In light of the emotions, pain and circumstances surrounding such a case, I find even myself, usually so sure on where I stand, balk at the idea of placing judgment upon the situation, though I do find the issue morally wrong. 

I could bring up facts and grim stories of other countries who enact euthanasia, who went down that slippery slope and now can “euthanize” depressed persons (who are clinically curable), from teenagers to elders, practically whoever wants to die, (and sometimes those who may not want to). One story tells of a grown daughter going to the hospital to see her recovering mother to find her euthanized for the bed space. Whether these are true or not, the capability of it happening scares me, but that is not why I am against mercy killings. Nor is it because depression is treatable or because suicide attempts should be guarded against. It is because euthanasia cheapens life. 

I am not built for armed service, though I admire those who are, but I always figured that if I ever did go into the armed service, I would want to be on the front lines, in the trenches. Why? Because I think I would have what I call the Rambo mentality. If I believe God has a plan for my life and if I believe that God is in control then a logical conclusion I can come to is that I will not die until God says it is time. The inverse of this is that if I am still alive, I must still have a purpose I have yet to fulfill, i.e. I am not dead yet. As a Christian (Christ - follower), to live is Christ to die is gain. To live is Christ means all I do is for the glory of God (Soli Deo Gloria), to die is gain because eternity in the presence of God is promised to all those who believe in the Son of God (Jesus Christ). 

To die is gain. That is quite a pill to chew on. But I truly believe it when I think about the implications of eternity. Our bodies are mortal, but we are not. We will live on after our life here on earth is through for all time. ‘For all time’ is actually inaccurate though, for eternity is not a time but supersedes time - for all intensive purposes we would be outside of time, all of us either within God’s presence or without for eternity. 

This is the hope I have, even if I have to someday suffer agony and slow torment of a plethra of ailments that may take years before my breathing stops, I would not and will not condone euthanasia, for as long as I have breath in my body, there is a purpose for me to fulfill - and I will not sell myself short - all the pain will pail and disappear at the window of eternity. I will not sell myself short.

Jared Williams