Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is considering signing SB 1950, a bill passed Oct. 31 as House Floor Amendment No. 2 to the Sanitary Food Preparation Act by the state senate, that would allow physicians to help terminally ill patients end their lives. If he does, Illinois will join 11 states and the District of Columbia which have similar laws. One week before the Illinois bill was stealthily passed, the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission published this column by Texas pastor Jeremy Bell.
The Church has been discussing topics like abortion, embryo adoption, in vitro fertilization and vaccines for many years. However, one area gaining more attention both within culture and the body of Christ is the morality, practice and legalization of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The practice for this type of medicalized killing is growing in acceptance by the American people. A Lifeway Research study found that half of Americans believe that it is morally acceptable for a person who is facing a terminal illness to ask a physician for assistance in ending his or her life. The theological, moral and policy implications of PAS require the Church to enter the conversation.
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As Christians, we uphold the value and sanctity of all human life while also desiring to show compassion for those who are suffering and experiencing the dying process.
Many believers feel a tension between relieving suffering and honoring life. On its face, PAS alleviates pain and suffering, but this practice also stands in direct opposition to the Church’s core beliefs. How does the Church navigate this topic? What biblical parameters inform a Christian’s response? Why does this form of medicalized killing seem to be gaining traction nationally and globally? This article will summarize what PAS is, the underlying reason for its growing popularity and legalization, and the core doctrines that should shape our response.
What is physician-assisted suicide?
Physician-assisted suicide is a precise form of medical killing which consists of three moral agents. The first moral agent is the patient. The patient requests and procures the medical means to kill themselves. Currently, in all the states where PAS legislation has been legalized, these state laws require patients to ingest lethal amounts of medicine to hasten their death.
The second moral agent is the patient’s physician. They ensure that a terminally ill prognosis of six months or less to live has been met, the patient makes a voluntary request, and they write the prescription. State legislations allow for conscientious objectors to opt out of such practices.
The third moral agent is a pharmacist. These doctors fulfill the prescription — again, only those who are not conscientiously against it.
The term “physician-assisted suicide” can be misleading because the patient uses medical personnel to hasten their own deaths. The physician does not assist by making them ingest a lethal amount of medicine, nor are they required to be present when the act is committed.
Physician-assisted suicide remains the primary legal means for hastening death in some U.S. states. The current states that have some form of PAS legislation are Oregon, California, Delaware, Washington, Hawaii, Vermont, Colorado, New Jersey, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia. Since this form of medicalized killing has been legalized in certain parts of the country, it is important for the Church to have a clear understanding of what PAS entails in practice and the law.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jeremy Bell and originally published by the Illinois Baptist.
