In the day of prosperity be
joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other...
(Ecclesiastes 7:14)
The Bible supports the use of
painkilling substances to alleviate pain. With all the very effective pain
killing medications available today, the notion of using euthanasia to
alleviate the pain that dying people may be in, holds no water.
“Give strong drink unto him that is
ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” Today we
have many drugs and painkillers that help relieve some pain as strong
drink did in Solomon’s day. (Proverbs 31:6)
A poignant story with profound
insights.
"In
November, 1997, Gary Eisler, who lives in Oregon, wrote an op-ed piece in
the Wall Street Journal. In poignant words, Eisler describes the slow,
painful death from cancer of his beloved wife, Bonnie. When the cancer
spread from Mrs. Eisler’s breast to her brain, her doctor recommended that
all treatment be stopped. Bonnie Eisler spent the last two months of her
life in agonizing pain. And yet, Eisler says, many “wonderful things”
happened during that time: the birth of their first grandchild, a last
Christmas together. Despite his wife’s suffering, Eisler writes that their
last hours together were “some of the most intimate and precious of our
marriage.... Reason and compassion would have dictated that Bonnie’s life
be ended weeks earlier,” Eisler says, “but how much poorer
everyone—including her—would have been.” Eisler ends his piece with a
warning. Unless assisted suicide is repealed, he predicts, “it will not be
long before the vultures begin circling.” Cancer treatment, after all, is
expensive. If Bonnie Eisler had known the cost of her treatments, her
husband says, “she might well have felt she was a burden” and opted to
kill herself. Eisler asks one final question: “Will what has been
‘optional’ someday become ‘suggested’— and perhaps eventually required?”
(http://fbbc.com/messages/kohl_political_science_euthanasia.htm) (22
January, 2009).
The atheistic
perspective summarized eloquently:
"...
the atheistic or humanistic world view sees people as autonomous
(self-ruling) biological entities whose life's purpose is pleasure, and
whose end is complete extinction. This view logically results in a
self-centred hedonism that sees life as utilitarian, (i.e., valuable only
for what it offers), and sees little value in suffering. The logical
conclusion of this perspective, generally denied by most people who hold
this view, is nihilism - "is that all there is?" According to this
perspective, life should not be continued unless it is a wanted life.
Suffering is an unmitigated negative; thus there are some lives not worth
living." (http://www.tkc.com/resources/resources-pages/euthanasia.html)
(22 January, 2009).
A
sobering warning to all of those who dare to rationalize murder and sin:
