How Should Christians Respond to the Growing Trend of Assisted Suicide?
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- Updated Mar 22, 2023
Death. The greatest fear known to man, and exactly what Jesus conquered. In His victory, we as believers know that there is life Awaiting us on the other side of this one, but we also know that getting there is a challenge. With life comes trials, tribulations, and pitfalls that make us question our place in God’s kingdom, our place in the world. Still, recognition of Heaven gives us hope, even as we toil. Jesus took away the sting of death and, at the same time, gave us the reassurance of faith.
But where do we find ourselves without that reassurance? If our struggles remain, then so does our doubt, and with enough doubt comes despair. Suffering on this side of life never ends, not until the day we die. For a few of us, the challenge proves to be too great. We decide to make the day of our death sooner rather than later.
Suicide. Though many people fear death, there are those who embrace it, not in the biblical sense of accepting fate, but as a means of escaping life. There is no hope, and therefore no options. No choice but to flee the source of suffering.
Historically, suicide was performed privately, often alone. Today, people can find such an opportunity from their doctor. With the alarming rise of this new kind of suicide, how should Christians respond to the growing trend of MAID?
What Is MAID?
Medical aid in dying is a legal practice present in places like Canada, and picking up traction in parts of the United States. Also known as euthanasia, this process describes medical professionals who provide lethal medication to someone who wants to die, most often because they already have a terminal illness. However, more recently, MAID is including people who are younger and do not have terminal illnesses. Rather, they suffer from mental disorders, disabilities, or homelessness and want an out.
In simplistic terms, MAID describes a legal way to conduct assisted suicide.
What Does the World Say about Suicide?
Ironically, helping someone commit suicide has been illegal in most states for a very long time. However, MAID gives people a different perspective – a legal alternative. While two ordinary citizens are not allowed to partake in this procedure, a doctor is afforded the authority.
Historically we have believed that the job of doctors is to do no harm, to treat and mend sickness. Through MAID, consent can be given to have harm done.
Suicide has been frowned upon and discouraged worldwide since time immemorial. While there have been cultures that value suicide like seppuku in Japan or kamikaze attacks, there are no civilizations that have valued suicide for simply escaping suffering.
Instead, stories of people taking their own lives are met with sadness and compassion. Most people understand suicide as selfish, being self-preferential to the detriment of others, but a tragedy at the same time because those who commit suicide do so when they feel like they have run out of options.
What Does Scripture Say about Suicide?
The Bible does not have much to say about suicide, not explicitly, but there are a number of verses that speak to the sanctity of life, and thus to the immorality of suicide and those assisting in it.
“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)
If God formed us, then He chose to give us life. He specifically and uniquely designed us. Suicide is an inadvertent rejection of that gift of life.
“Do not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
Scripture condemns murder, defined as taking an innocent life. Even if we feel unworthy to live, God has not given us the authority to take our own lives or anyone else’s apart from self-defense or war. Remember, our sins would have damned us, but Jesus’ sacrifice gave us new life.
“Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 7:17)
God allows free will. This means that though God does not desire for us to die, He won’t prevent all of us from dying before our appointed time. This includes when we die at the hands of other people and ourselves.
How Should Christians Treat MAID?
There are two simple ways to respond to MAID - discourage and encourage. We should discourage people who are considering suicide through encouraging reminders of their worth, both in our eyes and God’s.
If MAID ever begins to take root in our cities or states, we should go as far as writing to our government officials asking them to criminalize the process, grounding our reasoning in ideas that resonate with them, such as doctors are called to do no harm. Much like we believe in the sanctity of life in the womb for the innocent unborn, we don’t want innocent adults taking their own lives either.
Some Christians falsely believe that people who commit suicide are bound for Hell because they do not have an opportunity to repent. There are a few issues with this belief, however. No one can predict when they will die. The person who gets hit by a car or the person who dies in their sleep who at the same time was struggling with sin, doesn’t ask for forgiveness either. Are they too bound for Hell?
We aren't called to judge whether or not someone goes to Hell. We aren’t the arbiters of salvation. What we can do is use our knowledge to seek the path that leads to salvation, and encourage others to do the same. Ultimately, God determines who and who does not receive.
Suicide is a sin, graver than some others, but a sin nonetheless. Sins can be forgiven.
How Should Christians Treat Suicidal Ideations?
Suicidal ideations are not to be underestimated. If we experience these for ourselves, then we should seek to reaffirm our worth in God. He loves us, and the Bible makes that abundantly clear. Even when we feel like there are no other options, we must remember our ways are not God’s. Our limited knowledge does not match God’s. We can depend on Him even when all hope seems lost.
In addition to finding support in the Lord, we should seek the support of other people. That could be as simple as spending time with a friend, attending a support group, or receiving counseling. We also benefit ourselves by being honest about our self-harm plans and handing over not just our ideas, but any objects we would use toward our own demise.
When approaching the subject of suicidal ideations experienced by others, we best support them by being compassionate, suffering alongside those who are suffering. The ideations are the result of despair. Helping people find hope once again is a sure way to change their mindset. Also, don’t be afraid to be direct. Ironically, the best policy when confronting suicide is to be direct with the person you’re in conversation with. This helps build trust and honesty, and moves you both toward a holy solution.
Conclusion
However uncomfortable we’re left to feel, MAID and the death tourism it produces is a present trend and one that warrants discussion. We should have these conversations in church, at home, and anywhere we can exercise influence, encouraging those around us to value life, not just their own, but all life.
If you’re someone who has questioned whether or not you want to see tomorrow, know that you are not alone. According to the AFSP, suicide is the twelfth leading cause of death in America. That means even more people have struggled with ideations. More people can relate to your experience than you may have guessed.
Seek help. Whether through a friend, a therapist, but most of all, through God. He values you more than you’ll ever know.
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day? How long will my enemy dominate me?
Consider me and answer, Lord my God. Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise, I will sleep in death.” (Psalm 13:1-3)
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Daan Stevens Yguumiqjiru
