What does the Bible say about euthanasia?

In: The Bible

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Answer

The Bible does not discuss euthanasia. This is a very edgy topic and some people do not agree with it while others do. Christians are led to believe that to take your own life is wrong and that's what euthanasia is. I have been fighting with this very topic on and off through my whole life because I've seen too many people suffer terribly and most of it is by keeping people alive on medications. Basically, our medical system does practice a form of euthanasia and that's near the end of a fatal disease when they use morphine to deaden pain. More and more morphine is needed and weakens the heart so the patient either collapses into pneumonia or the heart stops.

My own doctor told me in the next 10 to 15 years (or perhaps sooner) euthanasia will be up to an individual and these are only for the people that there is no return in their disease and that will suffer a terrible death. It will be controlled and will be set before a board of medical directors to see if the patient qualifies. None of us need the permission of such a board and many people don't realize that some people do take their own lives (will stop taking their medications, to taking too much of their medications.)

I still haven't made up my mind on this one yet. Let's put it this way, whether we believe in euthanasia or not if we were in terrible pain without relief and there was no hope of living on with a quality of life how could any of us say we wouldn't consider euthanasia.

Answer

I am a Catholic Christian and I have studied Christian views on Euthanasia. Although there is nothing about this topic in the Bible, one of the 10 commandments says "do not kill". Christians believe in "the sanctity of life", meaning that life is a precious and sacred gift from God which only God has the right to give or take away. We are stewards of the life God has given us, not masters. Pope John Paul said "We should not kill those whose suffering WE cannot bear." These are a few of the many reasons Christians believe Euthanasia is wrong.