Lecture Hall

Applying Worldviews to Bioethics, Part 3: Death Is Not the End

by David J. Hill

In the third article of his four-part series on bioethics, David J. Hill takes a look at euthanasia from a biblical perspective. He presents imbalances that occur along the vertical axis of his worldview gird, and how we, as Christians, should address them.

Balancing Act

In my last article, we discussed how four different worldviews (platonism, mysticism, pantheism, and naturalism) approach a very controversial subject — euthanasia. We also explored how these mindsets arise from imbalanced viewpoints on the mind/body problem and the issue of suffering.

In this article and the next, we'll tackle this subject from a biblical perspective.¹

There's no better way to test the ability of a biblical worldview to address the human condition than to tackle controversial topics. Euthanasia is a complicated issue, one that elicits a diversity of opinion. Yet, you’ll see that the biblical worldview can guide us to the truth by helping us to "abide in the dichotomies."

As a helpful guide for this discussion, here's the previously described worldview grid. In this article, I'll be dealing with the grid's vertical axis, or the mind/body problem.²

It is possible for a worldview to be polarized one way or the other, such that it makes too much of the body or too much of the mind.

In a world rife with such imbalances, what solution can the biblical worldview offer?

Have You Got Soul?

In our 21st century world of scientific and technological advancements, it's quite easy to get wrapped up in a naturalistic way of thinking, even as Christians. Here are some common and well-meant lines of reasoning regarding euthanasia that you've probably heard:

Considering overpopulation and the depletion of natural resources, doesn’t keeping a person — who is about to die naturally anyway — alive for years by utilizing machines, drugs, and medical staff an enormous waste of resources that could be used to benefit others? Isn't it morally commendable for that person to willingly "return to the dust" in order to help others live?

Some naturalists may even believe that death is a way to reconnect to the "energy" of the universe. Euthanasia, from their point of view, is a peaceful, acceptable path toward that end.

Arguments like these derive from a polarization toward the "Nature" half of the worldview grid.

The Health of the Soul

From a biblical perspective, we can identify that this is ultimately a mind/body problem. Though not explicit, the Bible is clear that, though the body and soul are connected, they are distinct components of who we are.

Let's think of it this way. Disease and injury not withstanding, we have almost complete authority over our bodies. In fact, our health is primarily a reflection of our choices about diet and exercise. There are clear cause-and-effect relationships with the body that we can study (i.e. eat lots of fatty foods and your health will deteriorate).

Only God, armed with the knowledge about the state of an individual's soul, is able to determine the best time for one's process of transformation on earth to cease.

On the other hand, the soul is elusive. It can't be easily studied, and the health of one's soul cannot be determined by putting it through a battery of tests.

We do know that sin affects the soul, but we can't really measure those effects. All we can really know is that sin separates our souls from God. So, we have to trust God to diagnose and remedy any problems with our souls.

What has God commanded us to do to keep our souls healthy? He tells us to repent. In this way, we actively participate with God in the transformation of our souls toward more Christ-like character. This is a central concept of the Biblical worldview.

Death, though, cuts this transformation process short — no one can ever arrive at holiness in their temporal frame. Only God, armed with the knowledge about the state of an individual's soul, is able to determine the best time for one's process of transformation on earth to cease.

Cutting the Transformation of the Soul Short

Euthanasia presents a problem then. No matter what condition an individual's body is in, whether a person is in severe pain or comatose, there is no effective way to know the condition of that person's soul. Sure, a doctor can declare a person to have reached a vegetative condition. But no diagnosis is available for the conditions and activity of the soul. We cannot possibly know the transformation that God is orchestrating within a person in such a state.

Essentially, euthanasia terminates both the natural processes that keep the body alive and the spiritual processes that are transforming the soul.

Get Me Off This Planet

On the other hand, it is possible to find oneself toward the upper end of the vertical axis on the worldview grid by becoming too spiritually minded. This leads to a kind of disengagement with the world. It's easy to see why Christians might take this point of view — we live in a fallen world where the most sinful things are often held up as virtues. Many people, Christians even, desire an escape from this world long before God provides one.

So, when it comes to euthanasia, what is the harm in freeing the soul from the shackles of the physical body? What's wrong with helping a person get to heaven sooner than they would if they were to wait and die naturally?³

This mindset places a higher value on the spiritual component of who we are than the physical. This attitude can manifest in Christian circles, whether it is the theologian who relates to God through logic alone or someone who knows God solely from the thrill of feeling His presence. In either case, by elevating the role of the mind, the corporeality of the body is demeaned.

How do we correct our thinking about the physical component of humanity to ensure that we have the proper Biblical worldview on an issue like euthanasia?

In the World, Not of It

In the Bible, we read about individuals who longed to be with God more than they cared to continue living. But they remained on earth not because they wanted to stay, but because they knew that by doing so they would be serving God.

Paul, for instance, came to the conclusion that though he desired to be with God, it was good for him to remain on earth so he could participate with God in the transformation of souls.⁴

Christ stayed fully engaged in the physical realm so God could use Him, even to the His last breath.

Christ, when facing His crucifixion, modeled the proper perspective. Consider the words He prayed to the Father before He was arrested: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it" (John 17:15-16, NIV).

Clearly, Jesus wasn't promoting entering into eternity in order to escape the horrible things of this world.

And Jesus didn't endure His arrest, torture and crucifixion merely for his own benefit — He did it, in part, to demonstrate to us that we are to do our all to stay engaged in the world. Christ stayed fully engaged in the physical realm so God could use Him, even to the His last breath.

Until the Very End

Euthanasia presents a problem for those who want to follow biblical role models. We aren't to withdraw from this life, even as we approach death — God can use us at any time to participate with Him in the transformation of other people.

Ultimately, God directs this process in others by using our circumstances — including our suffering. We can only be used by being fully engaged in the physical realm and not allowing our attitude about a sinful world to cause us to remove ourselves from it, even when faced with a terminal disease.

The Mind/Body Dichotomy

C O F F E E S H O P

When it comes to your perspective euthanasia, are you "abiding in the dichotomies"?

Join the discussion!

Along the vertical axis of the worldview grid, we can find ourselves unbalanced in our thinking about the mind/body problem. The point of integration (that is, the place on the grid where a biblical worldview resides) is that point when we accept that our souls are in the process of being renewed by God and that our bodies are to be used as instruments in the renewing of the souls of others. If we truly believe this, then euthanasia is inconsistent with our worldview.

But this is only half of the problem. Imbalance can also occur in the way we think about suffering, which can also affect our views on euthanasia. In my final article in this series, we will discover a balanced biblical worldview for the horizontal axis of the worldview grid.

Notes

In addressing the issue of euthanasia from a biblical worldview, this series of articles will not arrive at a rule or a political statement. Instead, I want to demonstrate how to think about the problem of euthanasia from a Biblical worldview that emphasizes balance (as opposed to the other worldviews, which promote imbalance).

It's important that I be explicit here: A worldview is very different from a political agenda. A worldview is a system of thought based on principles that help us interpret the world around us and guide us in making right decisions. An ideal worldview integrates all aspects of life into a single system.

On the other hand, a political agenda is a list of rules that a group wants to see enacted. Often, these rules are absolute and the intention is to make something legal or illegal via the law.

A proper worldview provides a right perspective on all cases, whereas a set of laws has the potential to be unjust in certain situations. Back^
If you recall from the last article, the mind/body problem focuses on the issue of whether the mind and the brain are one and the same thing or whether they are separate things. The “mind” here is you conscious self and is related to the soul. The body is that physical component of who we are. Back^
Some may feel that euthanasia is a way of participating with God in freeing a person's soul. This argument breaks down when we consider that the early termination of an individual's life by another individual is prohibited in the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13, KJV). There are only two examples where God commands terminating individuals. In the book of Joshua, God commanded the death of men, women and children at the hands of the Israelites when He was establishing the nation of Israel. Secondly, in Old Testament law, God commands death — through stoning, for instance — as a punishment for sin. Back^
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me" (Philippians 1:21-26, NIV). Back^

About the author
David J. Hill is a freelance writer in science education and a copyeditor in medical education. His interests include cultural and Christian perspectives on science and technology. In his spare time, he can be found obsessing about why the Book of Job is not talked about more on Sunday mornings and whether or not he should start a book on the lives of 18th-century scientists entitled, Alchemy Rules!: When Turning Stuff into Gold Was the Topic at the Water Cooler. He attended graduate school in chemistry at the University of Illinois and did his undergraduate work at Point Loma Nazarene University. He and his wife, Angel, have three children.