Q: Is a Christian allowed to
refuse life-prolonging medical treatment?
Does the Bible require us to use all available means, no matter how
unlikely the chance of success, to extend the life of a person who is
critically or terminally ill? How do we
know when it is appropriate to proceed with, discontinue, or refuse treatment?
Knowing how to handle a
life-threatening medical condition can be a very difficult thing, especially
when we are making decisions for a parent or other relative who is not able to express
their preferences at the time of treatment, as is often the case in situations
where we are faced with questions such as this.
For the Christian, life is always a
gift from God to be honored and protected.
When we make decisions regarding our own treatment or that of a loved
one under our care, this is our starting point.
We desire to respect life as God has given it and care for it in a way
which honors Him. We frequently hear
this principle applied to life’s beginning at conception, but it equally
applies to life’s end.
Because modern medical technology did
not exist during the times when the Bible was written, we do not find extensive
guidance on choosing a course of medical treatment. However, since the Fifth Commandment says,
“You shall not murder,” it and its accompanying explanations in the Bible serve
as our boundaries in this sort of decision.
To begin with, actively and
intentionally ending our own life or that of a loved one is never an option for
the Christian. The only circumstances in
which the Bible does not consider causing a person’s death to be murder are
genuine accidents, self-defense, and government’s authority to execute
criminals and defend its citizens through war.
Euthanasia, assisted suicide, and any other active and intentional
killing of the patient are therefore not an option.
We also do not withhold essential
provisions such as food, water, and oxygen from a person for the purpose of
hastening their death, nor should a person refuse such things as long as they
are able to receive them through normal means.
At the same time, one is not required to go to employ extraordinary or
invasive means to receive or provide them.
When Martin Luther explains the Fifth
Commandment, he summarizes the Bible’s guidance in this way: “We should…not
hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every
physical need.” Our goal when making the
sort of decisions described here is to help and not harm the person receiving
care. We want to honor God’s gift of
life by making our best efforts to heal and save, but also we do not want to
needlessly cause or prolong suffering beyond the likelihood of recovery.
This can be difficult, because we
have no way to know with absolute certainty what the outcome will be, so as we
make these decisions we are always ultimately leaving the person in God’s
hands. We do our best to serve them with
our decisions, and trust Him to guide the outcome for their benefit.
As we do so, it is important to honor
their wishes whenever possible. If they
have expressed to us a desire regarding treatment, we should honor those
desires. When they have not expressed a
desire or the decision goes beyond what they have communicated, we seek to
always do whatever is best for them—whatever will bring the most help or the
least harm in a given situation, and provide them the highest degree of comfort
possible in the process.
When the person receiving care is a
Christian, we have an added consolation, because whatever the outcome, it will
be for their benefit. The Apostle Paul
said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain,” and the book of Acts tells us
that “through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God.” This means that if the treatment is
successful, they will spend more time receiving God’s blessing on earth, but if
the treatment fails, their soul will rest with Jesus to await the Resurrection
on the last day when they will be fully and permanently healed.
As is often the case, the variety of
circumstances is seemingly endless, so every situation will have its own unique
characteristics. Although we have
general boundaries within which to proceed, the guidance of doctors and pastors
is of immeasurable value when making any particular decision.
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