If your loved one is suffering, or perhaps you are, is it really wise and morally justifiable to simply end life via euthanasia or assisted suicide?
Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #283 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.
“The Canadian approach to euthanasia and assisted suicide, euphemistically known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), has expanded in recent years and has sparked significant debate about its ethical and societal implications. Euthanasia was first intended only for those nearing the end of their lives. Now, Canada has one of the most permissive euthanasia policies in the world, revealing a rapidly increasing culture of not just accepting death, but actively promoting it.
Canadian veterans have called the Ministry of Veterans Affairs looking for help and been offered euthanasia instead. Those with suicidal ideation have gone to the hospital for help, only to be encouraged to consider euthanasia. A woman was even asked if she was aware of the option of euthanasia before going into cancer-removing surgery.”
“MAID was first legalized in 2016 for Canadians whose death was ‘reasonably foreseeable.’ At the time, a person had to have a grievous and irremediable medical condition which caused enduring physical or psychological suffering to qualify for euthanasia. In 2021, just five years after legalization, MAID was expanded to include those whose ‘death is not reasonably foreseeable.’ With this expansion, people with disabilities or non-terminal illnesses could choose to have a doctor end their lives.”
“MAID now accounts for 5.1 percent of all deaths in Canada – one in every 20 deaths was due to MAID. MAID has gone from exceptional to routine.”
“Canada’s government-sanctioned assisted suicide program, known as ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ (MAID), turns 10 years-old this month. Since its inception, reports say more than 100,000 people have been killed by euthanasia. This comes despite strong pushback from Catholic leaders and amid signs some regions are considering limits to the controversial program. Amanda Achtman, founder of the anti-euthanasia ‘Dying to Meet You’ campaign, says MAID essentially changed Canada’s criminal code to protect doctors and nurse practitioners more than patients.”
Canada’s MAID “rate (is) second only to the Netherlands. Euthanasia is now the fifth most common cause of death in Canada. Compare these numbers with Oregon, the first American state to legalize assisted suicide in 1997. In 2023, 367 people died by assisted suicide in Oregon, or just 0.8% of all deaths in the state.
Of course, Oregon and other American states only permit assisted suicide, where a doctor gives the patient the means to end their own life. In Canada, assisted suicide is permitted but nearly non-existent. Instead, MAID deaths are almost exclusively due to euthanasia, where a doctor actively ends a patient’s life. In fact, in 2023, over 5,300 euthanasia deaths were done by just 89 medical practitioners, an average of 60 deaths each in just one year. Some Canadian doctors have become experts in killing, with one doctor “administering fatal substances” to over 400 patients.”
“Canada now effectively allows suicide on demand. While patients may be euthanized due to a specific reason for eligibility, such as illness or disability, it has become clear that some are also requesting and receiving death due to social, economic, or mental suffering.”
As Christians, we understand that suffering is real on this side of glory. Pain, disease, disability, and mental illness all point to the effects of sin on our world and the need for the world to be renewed. Death itself is referred to by the apostle Paul as the “last enemy that will be destroyed” (1 Cor. 15). But we also know that suffering builds us up in ways we cannot now see. As we read in James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” We may not know the purpose of suffering. But we can respond to suffering by remaining faithful and giving glory to God. Further, suffering is an opportunity for care.
And yet, in Canada today, death is increasingly seen as a solution to suffering. Rather than being the enemy, death is seen as an ally…as Christians, we know that dignity is not found in one’s ability, health, or disposition. We know that every person has dignity, simply by the fact that human beings are made in the image of God.
The Apostle Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us...For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together…but we ourselves…groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for…the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:18, 22-23).
From a biblical Christian perspective, human life is a sacred gift from God, possessing inherent dignity and value from conception until natural death.
Because human beings are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), life is not merely a personal possession over which individuals exercise absolute authority. Rather, it is a trust from the Creator, who alone possesses ultimate sovereignty over life and death (Deut. 32:39).
Consequently, most Christian traditions oppose euthanasia—the intentional ending of a person's life to relieve suffering—and physician-assisted suicide, in which a medical professional provides the means for a person to end his or her own life. Christians generally understand the commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13), as affirming the sanctity of human life and prohibiting its deliberate, unjustified destruction. They also emphasize that human worth does not depend on physical health, independence, productivity, or freedom from suffering.
Christian opposition to euthanasia does not mean that suffering should be ignored or that every possible medical intervention must be continued indefinitely. Scripture calls believers to compassion, mercy, and care for the vulnerable. Palliative care, pain management, emotional support, and spiritual care can help dying patients experience comfort and dignity. Christians may also accept the withholding or withdrawal of disproportionate or futile medical treatments when the intention is to allow the underlying illness to take its natural course, rather than to cause death. Some Christians acknowledge difficult ethical questions when patients face unbearable suffering, terminal illness, or the loss of meaningful communication and independence. Nevertheless, Christians typically argue that compassion should mean accompanying and caring for suffering people, not intentionally ending their lives. The distinction between relieving suffering and deliberately causing death is central to traditional Christian medical ethics.
Ultimately, the Christian response to euthanasia rests on the conviction that every human life matters to God, including lives marked by disability, dependency, old age, or terminal illness. Christians are therefore called to defend vulnerable people against pressure to end their lives while providing practical assistance, loving companionship, and compassionate care. The goal is neither to prolong suffering unnecessarily nor to treat death as a solution to human need, but to honor life, alleviate suffering, and entrust the timing of death to God.
The Roman Catholic Church strictly and formally condemns euthanasia and assisted suicide in all circumstances as grave violations of divine law. Meanwhile, Conservative / Evangelical Protestants also strongly oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, frequently organizing public resistance against legalizing "death with dignity" measures. Liberal, sometimes called Mainline Protestants denominations and churches, tend toward views that vary more widely; some denominations or congregations express openness to personal autonomy, conscience-based choice, or assisted dying if rare, and carefully restricted.
Christians believe life is a gift from God. Indeed, all life is God-given. Consequently, birth and death are part of the life processes which God has created, so we should respect them. Therefore, no human being has the authority to take the life of any innocent person, even if that person wants to die. This has been the historical understanding of the Christian Church and therefore largely of the law in Western civilization, including rejecting the idea of suicide.
Canada evidences a culture in decline, one that has gradually set aside its Christian heritage. Christian affiliation fell by roughly 36 percentage points between 1971 and 2021. A country that once regarded Christianity as a central part of its cultural identity has become increasingly secular, religiously diverse, and skeptical of traditional religious authority. The overall picture is one of substantial Christian decline in cultural influence and religious affiliation, accompanied by significant differences among denominations, regions, and generations. Is it any wonder, then, that Canadian culture is now embracing, even encouraging, death rather than life as a solution to human suffering?
Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. For more Christian commentary, see my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers.
And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.
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