Who decides when to die? A open forum on Euthanasia

Now-a-days the term mercy killing is widely known. Leading News-papers have focused much on this idea of killing. By contemplating over it, I find two aspects to be enlightened-social and spiritual.

It is quite obvious that everyone on the earth wishes to live a happy, healthy and long life. On the contrary. people suffering from incurable diseases wish to get well from all their pains but when they fail to achieve what they are optimistic for, dark clouds of gloom strike them with despair and dejection, compelling them to lose interest in their lives. Many a times, at the culmination of disaster and loss of optimism, people long to end their lives thinking that with the end of their lives, they would not have to undergo physical pains because of their diseases, followed by mental distress.

They plead to the doctors to help them die. Death is inevitable, which is being governed by the God. If someone is all willing to die, why not seek God’s mercy, who is in absolute control either to breathe life or seize it back, rather than seeking mercy of human beings, who themselves are insecure? If this idea of killing is supported, what about the social and spiritual aspects, which have great impact upon human life?

As far as social aspect is concerned, such kind of mercy dependent death is harmful to the moral standards of the society. People do not find any distinction between suicide and mercy killing. Though prevailing sympathy towards moribund might attract people to consider this killing as ‘fair’, their own belief, which is contrary to this sort of premature death, causes agony within them. In other words, they crumble their inner self and compromise with what they believe is ‘unfair’. Another thing to make a note is that those who favour this idea move backward when such incident occurs to their own kith and kin. Suppose, a father has the only beloved son, who is in the last stage of cancer, will he dare allow anyone to take away his son’s life? No! at no cost. Sympathy and emotions can never cause separation between the one who is breathing his last and his intimate dear one. It causes social injustice by way of changing attitude of the people according to circumstances.

Now, let us consider the spiritual realm of the subject. What does the Bible say about this? Does the word of God give us right to drawback one’s life. Such a killing would definitely lead a person’s soul to the eternal doom. I would like to cite a few examples from the scriptures. During the Old Testament times. Prophet Elijah had wished to die. He pleaded with God for his death but God never let him die. Instead God strengthened him and sent him for Damascus [1 Kings 19:4:15]

Job a godly man, however stood against all disasters though he suffered great loses: loss of children, wealth and everything. He was badly stricken with repulsive disease. And sorrow reached its culmination when his wife told him to curse God and die but he never pleaded with anyone, even God for his death though in human flesh. He cursed the day of his birth [Job:3]. During the suffering. he praised God. Eventually. he received bountiful blessings of God. Are we not aware of a man. who had been sick for thirty eight years? He was not able to step down into the pool of water whenever an angel of the Lord used to stir the water from time to time to heal the people with various diseases. Of course, he was discouraged but then he never pleaded for any one’s mercy to kill him.

Hence, in all circumstances. we need not be impatient. At no cost. we may allow mercy-killing. Instead. strive for patience. submit the sufferer in God’s mighty hands and let Him decide to fulfil His will.

-Bakul Macwan. Nadiad