Featured To suffer or die? That is the question!

I definitely wouldn't take my own life. No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him so I couldn't muster it up to do it anyway because the Holy Spirit within me. God takes us when it's our time. He is the only one who has the authority to take life.

 

I was recently introduced to a community of people with chronic illnesses, sometimes incurable illnesses or at least ones that have the potential to be permanent and lifelong, and I have to say I have a newfound respect for those who suffer in that way. Here I am with my own chronic (but remittent) pain issue, and one especially bad day will make me think "if every day were like this I would not want to live". (Fortunately it doesn't get that bad very often.) These people continue living despite every or most days being hell, they say "I'm not going to let my illness control my life", and I have so much respect for that.

 

Speaking on my views here, well, I definitely do believe in holding onto life as long as possible. And yet there are times I will support the decision to let death come.
My dad had it said that if he ever had to live on a breathing machine he'd rather they drop life support. It was about three years ago we finally had to do that. He was in bad shape after having been bedridden for an entire decade--our bodies aren't meant to be almost totally immobile. I forget all that was going on, some heart stuff, he had a bed sore so bad his intestines were peeking through, he was on a breathing machine, some other stuff, and recovery would be long, hard, and uncertain. The doctors recommended pulling life support. Which isn't suicide, I suppose, it's just letting the body die on it's own.
I had always believed he would be completely healed one day, but I guess that's not always in God's plan.

 

This is a question that I struggle with quite a bit, based on observations of the final days of both of my parents. I do believe that both of them were believers, but when faced with the tough end of life decisions, elected home hospice for their final days. But both refused food and drink and were given palliative dosages of morphine. To me this in essence was a conscious decision to end their lives. And since the palliative morphine was available, in my own opinion was in essence an assisted suicide.

I'm still dealing with that.

 

I understand your heart in this.

The Scriptures do give permission for "medicinal help" as I would term it for those who "have no hope." Now some would suggest that is for those who are unbelievers with no hope in Christ, but I don't see any such qualifiers in the passage.

My Bride and my parents are long past, and we still miss them. The sting is not as it once was, but the lost fellowship brings a longing for home going.

It is not HOW one dies, it is what happens after that really matters.

 

@MNjaob I'm not sure if it was recent, but I am sorry for your loss. If your parents were believers they are in heaven.

Why would scripture say to allow an unbeliever to die and go from suffering in this life immediately to the receiving of eternal punishment? Or am I misunderstanding this?

 

I assume you think "euthanasia" is "killing people."

For discussion sake, let me take the other side of the argument.

Perhaps, IF it was not according to government authority.

The same principle that applies to the death penalty for crimes against humanity should apply. The one who pushes the button that runs the mechanism to inject the dosage for the criminal to die, is not a murder because they are acting according to the societies desires and law. Should one by the same society and law have the right to be "euthanized" then it is by that society and laws not murder.

What IS murder is that taking of life which is outside the authority of the societal structures.

Hence, the taking of life in abortion is also not murder.

 

Most excellent question!

The short answer is found in John 3. The unbeliever is "condemned already." Them taking their own life (if that can be done - which it cannot) is merely the manifestation of the last condemned sinfulness. That the person doesn't believe doesn't make the after this life any less a reality. They are already condemned.

However, the principle that I find in Scriptures is that no one has the ability to die unless it is the appointed time. The manner of death is not the issue, but the appointment cannot be avoided.

 

Though, if something is not murder because society has not declared it so, that would also suggest that the holocaust was not really murder because Hitler created a society that deemed it okay. Or that the only reason it was murder was because the rest of the world believed it was and declared it so at the Nuremberg trials.
I understand you're taking a theoretical position, but would have to say that morality exists outside of human subjectivity. Though, that is an assertion I would need to provide evidence for, since it could be argued that morality exists because of human subjectivity.

 

There is no diminishing the Holocaust and my Jewish friends are often reminded how there are growing numbers of deniers of the truth.

The question of moral culpability must contend over when one society judges the laws of another society and finds that crimes against humanity offended at some level of sensibility. What level or when the sensibility is violated is more often held in "what is best for me and mine, and what I will tolerate for my own agenda." As well documented, the perpetrators of the "holocaust" were often secreted away and used by various governments after WWII. Further, one could condemn the "holocaust" of the OT or the "holocausts" judgments of God upon this world during the wrath of the Tribulation (if one takes the more literal reading of Scriptures). Both of these examples were/are authorized.

Scriptures present that murder is the taking of life that is not authorized by the law of God and the society.

 

I know what suffering is. It's a miserable existence. A couple of summers ago I was put in the hospital because I had an ulcer. This was a side effect from my RA medications. They took me off all my medications. three days later every joint in my body was inflamed. I couldn't get out of bed or even move because it was so painful. I prayed about it to no avail. I wanted to die. I was like that for 6 weeks while my ulcer was healing. RA won't kill you. Because this disease is a result of an over active immune system. It keeps most other diseases at bay. I haven't had the flu or even a cold in more than 30 years
After the doctors were sure my ulcer was healed they had me take Prilosec an hour before I could take my medication again and still do to keep me from getting another ulcer.
I wanted to die and I seriously considered suicide, but I'm glad I didn't. There are so many who depend on me. We all have a purpose and I haven't finished my purpose yet. As long as there is life there is hope. When death comes hope disappears. Trust me my friend God will take you when He is ready. Besides suicide is murder. I would try and think about it like this. When God has no more use for you here. He will take you home.
May God bless you My friend.
MB

 

This would fall under dying for a friend.

Thy shall not kill.

Yes to the last three.
I believe there are consequences for suicide. What they are for a Christian I do not know.
MB

 

How about this?

The doctor says you have terminal cancer.

Would a total fast - just stop eating, go into a coma and die, would that be suicide?

HankD

 

I've never been in quite that much physical pain, but emotionally I have. Depression isn't nice to you. I wanted to die so badly. I'm glad I didn't give into that desire.

 

I'm glad you didn't too
MB

 

One can only end their life if they don't believe that God can heal them. God can perform miracles if we believe in Him. It is like getting involved in an accident, all people die except one or two people. It means that God knows when you are supposed to die, you should not kill yourself.

 

Thanks Ann,

I struggle with how much of the initial refusal of food and water was a cognitive decision. Once the morphine started there really wasn't much cognitive after that. I know that my mother was ready to go home. With my dad I believe it was more of wanting to see my mom.