What should we make of the Assisted Dying Bill?
Here’s how it is described by Dignity in Dying: ‘The Assisted Dying Bill is a proposed law that will give terminally ill, mentally competent adults the option to control the manner and timing of their death.’
It sounds quite reasonable, doesn’t it?
But it’s worth looking a bit deeper. Under the surface, we find two of our culture’s values, rooted in Christianity, but given a secular twist.
First, in our culture, we believe in individual freedom. This is rooted in Christianity. If there is no Creator God, or if the universe as a whole is God, then I am just a drop in the ocean, with no individual significance. But if God created me, then I have value, and my choices matter. However, in our modern world, we have taken the Christian belief in individual freedom, and we have uprooted it from belief in God. Without its Christian moorings, individual freedom means that I am God, my life belongs to me, and I determine whether I live or die.
Second, in our culture, we believe in happiness. This is also rooted in Christianity. If there is no Creator God, or if the universe as a whole is God, then ‘it is what it is’, and we have no reason to expect life to be easy. But if the world is created by a loving God, then there is something deeply problematic about suffering. However, in our modern world, we have taken the Christian belief in happiness, and we have uprooted it from belief in God and belief in eternity. Without an eternal perspective, happiness becomes something that must be enjoyed in this life.
How does Christianity help us to think about assisted dying?
First, in releation to individual freedom, Christianity reminds us that we are not isolated individuals. We are dependent on God, and we are dependent on each other. The greatest gift we can give to others is to be a ‘burden’ to them. This gives them the privilege of sharing in God’s loving care for us. We should never feel bad about relying on the help of others.
Second, in relation to happiness, the best life we can live is in union with Jesus Christ. Jesus endured the pain of the cross on his way to eternal glory. This doesn’t make suffering a good thing – we should always seek to alleviate it – but it does mean that life is always worth living, even when things are tough. There is an eternal perspective.
The Assisted Dying Bill would inevitably encourage people to weigh up whether their life is worth living, and that’s something we should strongly resist. We should never encourage people to consider ending their lives. Life is always worth living, and it’s in relationship that life finds its greatest value: in relationship with others, and in relationship with God.