Topic 4 DQ 2

Please respond with a paragraph to the following post, add citations and references:

Suicide is often thought of as a dirty word when it comes to the death of someone. Some people think it is a selfish act by the person who takes their own life. First, we must understand what suicide is. Suicide is when people direct violence at themselves with the intent to end their lives, and they die because of their actions (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], n.d.).

“Christians have held that suicide is morally wrong because they have seen in it a contradiction of our nature as creatures” (Meilaender, 2013, p. 59). According to Bioethics: A Primer for Christians, our life is not ours to possess, that by committing suicide we are expressing a desire to play Creator. Though, Meilaender goes on to state that suicide does not condemn the individual committing it – which goes against the long held Christian belief that suicide is a sin. Meilaender argues, “God judges’ persons, not only individual deeds, and the moment in one’s life when a sinful deed occurs does not determine one’s fate” (Meilaender, 2013, p. 59-60).

Being raised in a Southern Baptist church I was taught that taking your own life went against God’s plan. My beliefs fall into the category of what Meilaender argues against, that the act of suicide is a sin when performed by a rational human being of sound mind (2013). I believe people take their own lives because they have reached a point where they cannot see any good parts of life anymore. The darkness and awful words fill their heads and they feel the only way for it to stop is to end their life. It is hard sometimes to believe the Christian idea of suicide being wrong or bad when I have the medical background and have seen what mental health issues can do to a person. I can understand euthanasia from the perspective of a healthcare provider and am for in favor of it. While I view suicide as being thoughtless, I like to believe that euthanasia is a responsible and careful alternative and should only be used when a person has exhausted all other attempts to ease their suffering. While I am for euthanasia it should only be used by qualified professionals and for people who meet specific criteria. If euthanasia was accepted outside of regulated boundaries it could leave the motive open to interpretation and one in a manner that was unjustified. I agree with Meilaender’s statement that “our task is not to abandon those who suffer but to maximize care for them as they live out their own life’s story” (2013, p. 65). I feel every effort should be made in order to avoid an intentional death. But when every attempt has failed, and the person is still suffering and is of sound mind then we have to honor their right to autonomy and respect the decision for euthanasia. This is the same concept as if a person has a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order in place. Does this mean that we are allowing them to commit suicide? A person’s perception of having a DNR as allowing them to commit suicide is based according to their belief but I do not associate the two and do not consider this a sin.

If we are to live by the commandment “thou shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13) then how is this rule interpreted. Do we simply say that God was referring to only humans? It is absolutely clear that God includes compassion and mercy for all God’s creatures (The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel, n.d.). Everything is open to personal interpretation. We ultimately have to decide for ourselves what justifies our personal values and beliefs. I do not personally hunt or kill any of God’s creatures willingly. Meilaender states “I have no authority to act as if I exercised lordship over another’s life, and another has no authority to make me lord over his life and death. Hence, Christians should not request or cooperate in either assisted suicide or euthanasia (Meilaender, 2013 p 62). I disagree with this theory because I believe if every effort to provide comfort has been exhausted and the person’s diagnosis is one that will inevitably lead to death then why prolong their suffering?

References

Meilaender, G. (2013). Bioethics a primer for Christians (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Suicide in America: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suici…

The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel. (n.d.). Doesn’t “Thou Shalt Not Kill” apply to humans, not animals? Retrieved from http://www.thenazareneway.com/thou_shalt_not_kill….