Ethics Essay: Euthanasia continued....
Speaking Spiritually
The area where the confusion of technology might not apply
is in that of cases like Diane Pretty, where the progression of an increasingly
debilitating condition makes the burden of life harder to bear. It is in this
area that suffering as a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issue comes
into clear focus. One can understand the pain of someone like Ms Pretty, and
her desire to shorten her life. But one can also look at cases like that of
Christopher Reeve, the actor, Joni Earickson the Christian evangelist and
singer and Stephen Hawking the physicist to see that such disabling conditions
need not mean the end of useful and fulfilling life.
The expression 'Hope springs eternal in the human breast'
can be introduced here. Hope need not mean that one should look for restoration
to full physical health, but healing can mean something deeper and more eternal
- the healing of the spirit and soul. Suffering is part of the human condition
and our task is to seek out what that might mean for each of us individually or
for those whom we love.
We need only look to the sufferings of Job and the final
outcome showing the restoration of his life and fortune. But supremely we have
the witness of the need for the Cross before the joy of the Resurrection. Each
of us has our own cross to endure before we can experience the joy of our
resurrection, and who are we to say whether or not that is to be the pain and
suffering of a terminal disease. The 'common sense' approach of secular
humanism will take us the same route with euthanasia as it did with abortion
and the untold misery that has created both in the deaths of many millions of
unborn babies but also in the mental health of their mothers.
Actions have consequences. Do we wish to open our doors to
the consequences of agreeing to have our loved ones 'put to death' because we
cannot bear a little, or even a lot, of suffering. As I sat at the bedside of
my dying father and prayed for God to take him soon I was only too painfully
aware that it was my own pain as much as his that I could not bear. Should we
put ourselves in this invidious position with the Law 'on our side', as it were
allowing us to take action? I think not.
Return to Ethanasia
Return to Home page |
