Euthanasia is an Attack on Love

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide campaigners have managed to hi-jack the English language.  They have done so now to the point where many people believe that true compassion equals ending the life of someone who is suffering from a terminal illness or condition that severely debilitates them.  Euthanasia is marketed as the “loving” thing to do.”

The pro-euthanasia lobbyists speak of “death with dignity”, “compassion for the dying”, “mercy killing”.  They talk of ending the suffering of a loved one.

No one likes to see someone they love suffer.  In the case of a parent, we often would like to take our children’s hurts away or suffer the hurt ourselves.  But we are not able to do so.  We care for our children, hold them and let them know that we are there for them.  We try to alleviate their pain to the best of our ability, even though we cannot completely eradicate it.

And so it should be the same when a loved one becomes terminally ill.  The Bible has a great passage familiar to many which clearly speaks what love is.  This world has forgotten what true love is, replacing it with a pseudo-love that often-times puts self first.

“Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances.  Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances,  to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

This world has forgotten what true love is, replacing it with a pseudo-love that often-times puts self first.  Yet, true love and compassion runs deeper than the here and now.

Our dignity and true worth come from God Himself.  We are made in His image and likeness.  To kill another for any reason or to help another commit suicide is to deny His great and awesome love for us.  It is to deny God Himself.

If we truely want to alleviate the pain and suffering of our terminally ill loved ones, then we will walk with them, care for them, seek appropriate treatment and palliative care.  We will be patient and kind.  We will rejoice in the truth, not in wrongdoing and together we will endure whatever comes.