THOU SHALT NOT KILL!
Those were the words of the GREAT I AM, Jehovah, the words given by the Creator of the universe, of all things, to Moses. Not killing was a commandment, not a suggestion, one of the ten, but perhaps the most important one. Those Holy, Divine words, once again, were:
YOU AND I SHALL NOT KILL!
But now, in this woke, radically liberal, transgender society of ours, comes the so-called mercy killing, the ending of life in the form of:
ASSISTED SUICIDE.
Call it what you will, but in reality, it is indeed KILLING.
Twelve states and the District of Columbia allow this so-called mercy killing, this euthanasia, this ASSISTED SUICIDE. More states are considering similar laws, as well. Such laws permit physician/assisted suicide, which euphemistically is referred to as:
MAID: MEDICAL AID IN DYING.
When certain conditions are met, and a person presumably rational and able to make decisions wants to die, and at least two physicians so agree, a prescription can be issued for a lethal, death-inducing poisonous substance which would then be injected into the body of the person wishing to die, and shortly thereafter, death occurs. That death, presumably, is sanctioned by the family, loved ones, spouse, or other of such a person, and the state sanctions, allows it, and in some cases even encourages it.
Most of the states have what is called “the value of the six month left to live rule.” Physicians must certify that there is no cure for the illness and that within six months or less, the individual will die.
For that individual, they say, there will be little but pain, suffering, loss of life, and complete bodily deterioration. There is supposedly a five day waiting period between the lethal prescription and the death of the individual by injection. In that period, that person can supposedly change his/her mind and the killing procedure will be aborted. The person would then agree that the inevitably progressive condition which can not be reversed by any known treatment will be the way in which death occurs, and not by the lethal prescription.
Those individuals and organizations which endorse assisted suicide think of the cost of the care of the individual during that supposed death-happening six months, and, they say, society is better off financially and otherwise if the suicide occurs. That, to me, is totally unacceptable, even barbaric, and I for one could never authorize or participate in the assisted suicide, the death of a family member or loved one. Could you?
Governor Kathy Hochul of the once-great-state of New York says of the assisted suicide bill she signed:
“THIS BILL IS ABOUT FREEDOM, AUTONOMY, AND COMPASSION.”
Freedom to die? The autonomy to make the decision to die? And all of that is compassion? Not for me. What about you?
The reality is that assisted suicide treats human life as negotiable when pain or physical decline begin and take over a human life.
The cry for help, which we hear so often in the elderly and disabled, is then redefined as a right to die. But medical science has never been better, developing cures, new medicines, new abilities to treat once untreatable illnesses, sometimes even overnight. There is now, in this day in age, always the possibility of treatment, the alleviation of pain, and even CURE. All such possibilities mitigate against MERCY KILLING.
Many believe the elderly, disabled, those suffering from some form of dementia, those in pain, and those easily led and misled by family and physicians can not make any rational decisions, much less the decision to die. Such individuals should not be allowed, legally allowed, by the states and by our courts to make decisions to die! THOU SHALT NOT KILL!
My own mother suffered a horrible death from a cancer which could not be treated 40 years ago. Her pain was agonizing. In spite of that, she fought to live every minute of every day, believing it was worthwhile for her to do so. The thought of mercy killing or assisted suicide for our mother was never even discussed as a possibility by our family.
Have you had such an experience in your family? Would you have accepted the mercy killing of your loved one, would you?
You matter. I matter. Every one of us matters to someone, a few or many. Even more importantly, YOU, all of us, matter to our GOD who created us. He told us this very day was the day He created for us, and we should be glad and rejoice therein, and not think about assisted suicide or killing ourself. That somehow, we in pain and perhaps terminally ill, had purpose for living that day. We were surrounded by friends and loved ones, by caregivers who in fact cared, and the Christ of Glory was our portion that day. That was more than enough to be glad and rejoice, even if such rejoicing could not be verbalized. THOU SHALT NOT KILL!
There are now wonderful painkillers available. Cures for almost every kind of disease are at work or on the horizon. There is hope to cure or extend life. There are less reasons than ever to choose death over life. I, for one, believe that assisted suicide, euthanasia, so-called mercy killing, is anything but merciful, and in fact, morally and Biblically DEAD WRONG!
And, what about you, my fellow American, and Christian, brother and sister, do you believe in mercy killing? Would you authorize and participate in the death of a terminally ill loved one, would you?