Why Euthanasia Is A Sin

These days, many people commit suicide because human beings have the right to avoid suffering that is given to them and to choose death, and they think it is more comfortable to commit suicide than to live in pain. Euthanasia advocates argue that if strict conditions are met, it can be legally and morally permissible for humans to choose to die. However, in the Christian values view, euthanasia is sin because first basic premise that life belongs to God and its beginning and ending is the realm of God and humans cannot do as they please. Therefore, suicide is a sin and we the Christians definitely disagree with the advocates’ idea with three subsequent reasons. First, euthanasia is an active suicide, so it cannot be justified. Second, Christian ethics are different from contextual ethics or utilitarianism, which is the idea of utility as the basis of value judgment. Third, people need to grasp a perspective of Christian understanding of the suffering.

First of all, no matter how much a patient's request, active euthanasia is a suicide conducted with the help of others and it cannot be justified. What this means that active suicide seekers who try to euthanize with other people's help try to speed up death without suffering. The person who helps kill himself or herself provide with various necessary preparations and equipments to make it easier for the person to commit suicide. Then, suicide assistants leave from death of active suicide seekers in order to avoid murder. Advocates of assisted suicide try to have a positive view by using terms such as "death with dignity. " However, suicide is not a "death of dignity", and assisted suicide is also a sin, so it is absolutely wrong. Some years ago, Netherlands parliament legalized euthanasia for the first time in the world, including a resolution on legislation about euthanasia. Moreover, Netherlands parliament urges to have suicide pills or to demand euthanasia, so it was a big issue over the world for a long time. Bible says committing suicide is one of the greatest crimes and God said to mankind that there is in no case should we give up the life. Moreover, God said that those who helped to commit suicide others could not be innocent, either. According to the Bible, “Surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made the man”. This clearly shows that God punishes both those who commit suicide and who help suicide.

Christian ethics are different from contextual ethics or utilitarianism and do not agree that evil means can be used to achieve good imitations. In other words, the end does not claim that the means can be justified. Thus, in case of active euthanasia, a doctor's action itself is a clear murder. In Korea's medical community, it became a problem as the Korea government prepared internal guidelines to allow euthanasia in a passive sense. Passive euthanasia means that giving up medical efforts and leading to death by neglecting patients, even though medicines may temporarily inhibit or delay the progression of the disease. This includes the death of a patient who cannot expect medical treatment effects by allowing a doctor to leave the hospital at the request of a patient when life support devices are prolonging his or her life without hope. Whether it's an active euthanasia or passive euthanasia, human beings think that it's based on the human right to choose between life and death. First, we must be very clearly aware that the sovereignty of life is not in humans. Therefore, we the Christian want to reveal that any form of artificial killing, such as euthanasia, or committing suicide is a challenge to the life sovereignty of God. Only God allows human life, and only God takes it. To the end of God's harvest of life, any form of life or form exists only for the glory of God. According to the Bible, only God determines when and how a person will die. Euthanasia is human attempts to deprive God of His authority. All life is a holy gift from God. When given the choice of life and death, God said, “Choose life”. Euthanasia is like throwing away the gift and hugging the curse.

Lastly, if euthanasia is inevitably done to alleviate the suffering of an incurable patient, it is necessary to have a Christian understanding of the suffering first. When you have a good understanding of pain, you must be able to see the hidden things behind it, although it is not wrong to try to avoid and eliminate it instinctively. At the same time, people try to figure out the ultimate purpose of God in each situation. Instead of thinking that almost blindly liberating from physical suffering is lost by all means, it is necessary to have a transcendent lifestyle that fills the rest of Christ's sufferings with the eyes of faith. According to the Bible, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. ” These verses clearly show that God presides over everything. Instead of being swept away by the current of the world, we should take a serious approach to the Christian world. We will overcome the temptation and dilemma of euthanasia not only by looking at pain and death negatively, but by having a desire for rebirth and eternal life. The reason is God cares for those who long for death and want to end their suffering.

The trend of people's neglect, which is prevalent in our society, should be improved as soon as possible. Death happens naturally. Sometimes God causes a man to die after suffering for a long time. Other times, the pain before death is short. No one enjoys suffering, but it is wrong for a person to decide to die. Often the purpose of God is known through hardship. "On a holy day, be glad and look back on the hard day, and God brings both together. " In the Bible, Romans chapter 5 verses 3 taught that suffering brings patience. God cares for those who long for death and want to end their suffering. God gives life purpose even to the end. Only God knows what is best, and even when it comes to human death, his timing is perfect.