Does the church welcome Euthanasia?
I can remember as a young kid first hearing about this psychotic doctor named Jack Kevorkian. We only lived a few hours from Michigan but I still recall the word euthanasia in my tiny 8 year old brain. Of course at that time in my life I thought this was either a new country in Asia or some sort of Chinese dish at Mo’s Noodle Shop.
HBO pulled together an incredible collection of footage concerning Dr. Jack Kevorkian and produced You Don’t Know Jack, starring Al Pacino and Susan Sarandon. If you have HBO and are curious as I am concerning this eccentric doctor, scope this film out. If you are unfamiliar with Dr. Jack Kevorkian for the sake of time, click here and brief yourself.
After I finished watching dozens of people in excruciating pain tell Dr. Jack Kevorkian they no longer wanted to live I was bombarded with my own brain grenades. Is Dr. Jack Kevorkian playing God? Could God heal them? Are we allowing people to live longer than they should because of drugs aka pain medications?
Who decides when a sick/painful individual has had enough? If we dope them up long enough does that constitute as life?
What about euthanasia and the church perspective? What happens if a doctor is out of control with his patients and kills people for the sake of power? Can euthanasia be America’s form of genocide? How can you believe in a God who heals and endorse euthanasia? What does the Bible say concerning suicide?
Look, lets be honest. These are sobering thoughts that will spin your head like a tornado. If you are young, you think this will never happen. If you are old, you don’t want someone else to decide the end point to your life. Nevertheless, these are questions and thoughts from hurting people.
In addition, I fully recommend this podcast by Craig Groeschel from a few weeks back. This series titled FAQ deals with suicide and what the Bible says concerning suicide. Craig does not discuss euthanasia directly but instead sheds light on suicide from a Biblical perspective.
First of all, you should know suicide does exist in the Bible. Second of all, you should know it is unclear what happens after you take your own life. Take a look at the following individuals who took their own life.
- Abimelech, Judges 9:52-54 (Refused to be killed by the stone of a woman)
- Samson, Judges 16:25-30 (Died for a cause he believed in and later mentioned in the Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11:32.
- Saul, 1 Samuel 31:4 (Worn out by life and wounded in battle)
- Sauls bodyguard, I Samuel 31:5 (Impulsive and fearful)
- Ahithophel, 2 Samuel 17:23 (Felt rejected and no self esteem)
- Zimri, 1 Kings 16:15-20 (Overwhelmed by Sin and felt unworthy before God)
- Judas, Matthew 27:3-5 (Depressed and trapped by guilt)
What does the Bible say about your life?
- God created you in HIS image, Genesis 1:26-27
- He has a plan for you even if you think the plan sucks right now, Jeremiah 29:11
- God’s strategy for you is a full life, Romans 6:23
- Satan’s strategy for you is pain, death and no value, John 8:44
- Your body is sacred and special, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
If you are unfamiliar with Craig Groeschel, his beliefs and pedigree, click here. Below is the trailer from the critically acclaimed HBO film You Don’t Know Jack.
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6 Comments
Sean Everett
05.25.2010
I’m still intellectually baffled by the “suicide doesn’t exist in the bible”. I need more info on this! And I’m not even religious! Maybe this is the problem…
htimmins
11.16.2010
Uh… the bible stuff is really hard to understand. Did you know unicorns are in the bible, too? what are you trying to prove?
holaratcha
11.16.2010
was not aware of unicorns, can you provide the reference? thanks in advance, interesting thought.
htimmins
11.23.2010
1. Numbers 23:22 (Whole Chapter)
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
2. Numbers 24:8 (Whole Chapter)
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
3. Deuteronomy 33:17 (Whole Chapter)
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
4. Job 39:9 (Whole Chapter)
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
5. Job 39:10 (Whole Chapter)
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
6. Psalm 22:21 (Whole Chapter)
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
7. Psalm 29:6 (Whole Chapter)
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
8. Psalm 92:10 (Whole Chapter)
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
9. Isaiah 34:7 (Whole Chapter)
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
booyah
chris
11.26.2010
not that I’m advocating for the the Christian bible’s rationality, but a quick wikipedia search can help put things in context.
“The translators of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible (1611) followed the Greek Septuagint (monokeros) and the Latin Vulgate (unicornis)[14] and employed unicorn to translate re’em, providing a recognizable animal that was proverbial for its un-tamable nature. The American Standard Version translates this term “wild ox” in each case.”
htimms
11.30.2010
actually, that’s pretty interesting. i honestly wouldve never put that much time in researching something like that , tho. But when it comes to contraversial topics, the bible probably isn’t a good reference. one way to look at it, for example, is the fact that under the broad title “Christianity”, there are many denominations. Many of these were started because somebody disagreed with somebody, or somebody interpereted the bible’s teaching differently. if you tried, you probably could interperet the bible to “allow” just about anything
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