Despite a recent television presentation regarding physician-assisted
suicide, the practice still must be opposed, a pair of Southern Baptist
experts said.
The television series, “On our Own Terms: (Bill) Moyers
on Dying,” aired on four nights last month on most PBS stations. Two years
in production, the six-hour series covers a wide range of topics, including
hospices, palliative care and advances in medical technology. In the third episode,
Moyers interviews two terminally-ill patients and their families. During the
episode, both patients said they prefer an early death via physician-assisted
suicide.
Despite a recent television presentation regarding physician-assisted
suicide, the practice still must be opposed, a pair of Southern Baptist
experts said.
The television series, “On our Own Terms: (Bill) Moyers
on Dying,” aired on four nights last month on most PBS stations. Two years
in production, the six-hour series covers a wide range of topics, including
hospices, palliative care and advances in medical technology. In the third episode,
Moyers interviews two terminally-ill patients and their families. During the
episode, both patients said they prefer an early death via physician-assisted
suicide.
Nevertheless, the Southern Baptist spokespersons insisted physician-assisted
suicide must be opposed.
“To present assisted death as a means of dealing with
the end of life is irresponsible and harmful,” said Ben Mitchell, a consultant
with the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. “When
dying patients feel that their only option is assisted suicide, we have failed
them. Our medical system has failed them. Many dying patients fear pain, isolation,
abandonment, loss of control and being a burden on others. Our attention must
be focused on addressing and reliving those fears, not giving in to them.”
William Cutrer agreed. “Its a violation of the sanctity
of life and the value of personhood, …” said Cutrer, a licensed obstetrician
and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor. “From the biblical
perspective, (physician-assisted suicide) is the willing taking of a human life.
Thats not part of our duty in life. Were entitled to relieve pain
and do our very best with that.”
The third episode of Moyers series begins with Moyers
interviewing a Louisiana man with ALS (or Lou Gehrigs disease). It eventually
leads to paralysis. The man has lost all movement except for his upper body,
and he wants to die after he loses control of his arms. Because physician-assisted
suicide is illegal in Louisiana, the man will need help in killing himself.
His wife says she will not do it.
“Im going to have to do it before I would really
rather do it, and thats not fair,” the man tells his doctor.
Moyers then interviews a 56-year-old Oregon woman who has uterine
cancer. Given several months to live, she wants to take advantage of Oregons
Death with Dignity law. She lives alone and has set in motion the necessary
procedures that lawfully will allow a doctor to assist her in suicide. In her
final hours, she wants the doctor to mix a lethal dose of a drug into water
that she will then drink.
After the Louisiana man loses control of his limbs and begins
to struggle with breathing, he refuses medication and food and soon dies. After
the Oregon womans condition worsens, her daughters call the doctor, who
makes the lethal mix. The woman struggles to swallow it and soon dies.
Neither death is shown.
Still, Mitchell voiced concern. “If Americans continue
to embrace the culture of death, the hospice and palliative care movements will
die too,” he said. “We have to put our money and energies in hospice
and palliation, not in physician-assisted death. You cannot at the same time
treat a patient with dignity and help them kill themselves.”
The Netherlands is an example of what happens when a society
embraces physician-assisted suicide, Cutrer said.
“You went from doctors administering it to other people
administering it for them, …” he pointed out. “All the rules started
being skipped and worked around. Our fear of what would happen should this become
legalized is certainly demonstrated in that experience.”
Cutrer said there are other concerns to legalizing physician-assisted
suicide as well. One is that patients who are simply depressed about becoming
burdens to their families will be assisted in killing themselves.
Instead, the depression should be treated, he said.
“Studies have shown that when the depression is lifted
and people have a good family support system, they desire to live. Theyre
not in a big hurry to die. We have made a nobility out of (not) being a burden
to your family.”
Another concern of legalizing physician-assisted suicide is
that a cost-conscious managed care health system would begin dictating who lives
and who dies, Cutrer said.
A Christians faith can play a large role in making a
decision regarding physician-assisted suicide, Cutrer said. “Even though
we have the confidence as to how and where we will spend eternity, we realize
that there is value to living now,” he explained. “All suffering is
not bad. Suffering and tribulation develops character and hope, and the comfort
we receive is extended to others.
“As we comfort and compassionately care, we demonstrate
and grow in Christlikeness. The experience of life – the highs and the
lows – has great value.”
Mitchell said Christians can win the debate on physician-assisted
suicide in various ways, such as spending time with dying family and friends,
providing support for caregivers, volunteering for hospices and starting Christian
hospices. “Tell the stories of patients who died well. We must meet the
morbid and macabre with the light of truth. Families who give of themselves
to care for their terminal loved ones need to be recognized for their love and
compassion.”
Christians should also get involved in the public arena when
laws pertaining to physician-assisted suicide arise, Mitchell said. He urged
Christians to support the Pain Relief Promotion Act (HR 2260, S 1272), which
he said “promotes pain management and palliative care for the terminally
ill and would continue to forbid the use of federally controlled substances
for assisted suicide and euthanasia.”
Mitchell noted Maine residents will vote on a physician-assisted
suicide bill in November. The outcome could bode ill, he explained. “If
the purveyors of death establish (two) states (Oregon and Maine) as bookends,
they will move rapidly toward the center. Your state could be next.” (BP)