They call them “Death with Dignity States”. Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont all
have laws permitting physician-assisted suicide. Brittany Maynard has become the unofficial
poster child for the movement of death by choice.
Brittany, a 29 year old woman, was diagnosed with a horrendous
form of aggressive and inoperable brain cancer.
She faced a future without hope of cure – only increasing pain, loss of
mobility and independence. She moved to
Oregon with her husband several months ago to take advantage of the “right to
choose” her time of death. She wanted to
be in control of when it happened, and how much pain she had to endure.
She died last week by that choice
Euthanasia will be a battleground for the next few decades. The pioneer in this area is the
In 1999 “Dr. Death” (as he was named in the news media) was
arrested for assisting in a suicide, tried and convicted of second-degree
murder. He served eight years (of a 10-25
year sentence), was released in 2007, and died in 2011.
The Movement
Much like the abortion-rights and so-called “gay-rights” movements,
assisted suicide proponents have championed a shameful and unthinkable (in
American society) practice, and moved it to honorable quest
status in the public mindset.
We are on a slippery and descending moral spiral in this country.
Just so there is no question – I am a Methodist, and Methodists
abhor killing of any kind. This
includes state-ordered euthanizing prisoners of the worst kind; even with
so-called “humane” methods – injection, etc.
We Methodists are not fond of killing in war; it’s more of a necessary
evil – at best!
Ours is a particularly pacifist kind of belief, shared by our
Quaker fellow Christians, and many more, that whenever you end a human life you
are removing the last chance that soul may have at redemption.
The “why” of our belief is as identifiable as the character of
Almighty God. He is the one who gives
and takes; life was his gift, and remains his prerogative to take away.
For
we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the
Lord. Christ died and rose again for this
very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. Romans 14: 7-9 (NLT)
If you have a LORD, you remember you don’t make policy; you follow policy!
God’s policy is LIFE; abundant life. Death is an enemy. There is no dignity about death!
If I were facing what Brittany Maynard suffered, I cannot say I
wouldn’t think about asking God to release me from the pain; I do that now with
the minor pains I do have.
I cannot criticize or judge Mrs. Maynard, but I am responsible for
what I do with my life, and I want to honor God by leaving that decision of
when Russell is done to Him.
I do not bow to my pain; Jesus is my Lord!
For You, Today…
When you get out and hit that Rocky Road today, do it with all
conviction that Jesus is Lord over life – yours, and the other 7.2 billion
people on this planet.
Including the ones under the “Death with Dignity” delusion.
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