Answers in Genesis peels away some of the myths and what-ifs. Care is individual, but underlying principles endure.
January 22, 2016; last featured June 28, 2023Valuing Life Until Death
Death is inescapable. It is our common destiny. The Bible tells us, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Christians are confident that what happens to them after death is protected through the grace of Jesus Christ. Evolutionary atheists believe that human death is simply the end of another animal’s life, a freeing up of resources for the use of others. But regardless of what people believe about what happens after death, when and how they die and what they might face as that time draws close is of great concern to many.
Rights and Reality
Roe v. Wade, in 1973, legalized the right of a woman in the United States to have a health-care professional kill her baby. (Although, in June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion, which basically relegated each state to decide on the issue). Do we then have a right to ask a doctor to kill us, perhaps when we face a terminal illness or when we are handicapped by a condition without hope of improvement? Should we be permitted to demand a “merciful” death for a child or adult whose life, some think, is “not worth living”? And while many people fear the pain and indignity of a terminal illness or debilitating disability, some seek death on demand as an escape from psychological distress.
Laws concerning euthanasia have started to catch up with widespread liberal death-dealing abortion laws. However, some countries have stepped onto a slippery slope and legalized euthanasia—the administration of a lethal drug by a physician in order to put an end to life and suffering. Some countries have even legalized euthanasia for children!1 Meanwhile, the “lesser brother” of euthanasia—legalized physician-assisted suicide, in which the physician prescribes a lethal dose of a medication that patients then administer to themselves—is gaining ground in America under the banner of “death with dignity.”
Compassionate Care Versus Coercion
No one wants to suffer or see a loved one suffer. With advances in medical care, doctors can usually provide palliative care that substantially mitigates the suffering associated with terminal conditions. Today’s health professionals are also quite attuned to the wishes of their patients. Yet we hear so much from fearmongers about the horrors awaiting us in our final days that we may not realize we can receive compassionate care and maintain reasonable control over our circumstances without legalizing medical murder.
And then there is the issue of resources. Some people fear becoming a burden on others. Furthermore—whether families, insurance companies, or governments—those who must shoulder the financial responsibility for end-of-life care, which consumes a substantial portion of health care expenditures in today’s world, have a financial incentive to expedite the exit of the dying. It is easy to see that this controversial issue over the “right to die” is very complex. It is so complex that, just as many compassionate people wrongly think abortion is justified when a mother is in a bad situation or a child is handicapped, many also think they can safely open Pandora’s box of euthanasia. And they often do not realize that this misguided attempt to promote human dignity and retain personal autonomy may backfire, for the increased acceptance of euthanasia must surely trample the needs of the elderly, the gravely ill, and the resource-consuming handicapped underfoot. Their autonomy and dignity may evaporate under the guise of protecting them.
A Biblical View of Human Life
How should we, as Christians, view this issue? Whatever direction the legal systems of this and other nations take—and whatever unhappy surprises our own lives may hold for us as individuals and for those we love—how can we be certain that our thinking on this issue is correct? It is quite easy to be caught up in the emotional rhetoric surrounding this subject and to be overwhelmed by emotional distress when we hear bad news from our doctors. Without a firm foundation in the Word of God, the decisions we make and the beliefs we hold about these complex issues may be swayed by emotions and governed by the fallible pronouncements of secular ethics committees or even resource utilization guidelines. Therefore, to prepare ourselves for the unexpected, it is important to base our thinking on the Word of God from the very beginning. Let’s get this straight in our minds now.
To prepare ourselves for the unexpected, it is important to base our thinking on the Word of God from the very beginning.
From the beginning—back in the garden of Eden—human beings have wanted to take control of their lives. We see this in the historical account of Eve’s yielding to the serpent’s temptation to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5) and in Adam’s decision to follow her in rebellion against God. It was that terrible day’s rebellion that brought the reality of unavoidable death and its attendant suffering into human life, for God had warned that the price of rebellion would be death (Genesis 2:17).
How is it that God had the right to demand Adam’s obedience and to punish rebellion with death? God is the Creator of all life. He made Adam and Eve and hence all of us, their descendants, in his own image. He loved them, and he loves us, but he is a just and holy God and, therefore, judges sin. Thankfully, he also is a gracious and merciful God and sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to die in our place, securing for all who receive him the free gift of eternal life and fellowship with him. Yet still, we must face death.
Historically God is our Creator because he created our first parents and because he is still the one who gives each person the gift of life. Therefore, our lives belong to him. Whether we have received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ or not, our lives belong to him. How do we know? Well, not only did God create the fully human ancestor of all of us in the beginning, but when the Apostle Paul spoke to a pagan crowd in Athens, he declared, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). It is therefore up to God, the giver of life, to decide when a person’s life should end. Because man is created in his image, God has established very narrowly defined conditions under which man is authorized to take the life of another. (We see this in Genesis 9:6 when God established a capital penalty for murder.)
The Bible does not condone the taking of one’s own life or euthanasia. It simply does not. God exhorts us to defend the “speechless . . . who are appointed to die” (Proverbs 31:8–9, NKJV), not to kill them. God forbids murder (Exodus 20:13). Euthanasia—the destruction of another person’s life, even to end their suffering—is a form of murder. It is wrong to do it and wrong to ask someone to do it for you. Having the choice to “shuffle off this mortal coil”2 through our own hand or the hand of another is not God’s plan for us. We human beings do not have the authority to make that decision for ourselves or our loved ones.
Why Not?
Why, we might then ask, wouldn’t God give us that right? First of all, as he is the giver of life, to permit us to simply throw that life away with his blessing would not make sense. Secondly, at a practical level, we human beings are not all-knowing: we do not know the future. We cannot know, for instance, what might happen during our trip through the valley of the shadow of death that could drastically modify our own experience or dramatically affect the life of another person. Psychological distress may abate. Bad circumstances may change, and we cannot know that they won’t. And we certainly have no right to judge for another—a severely handicapped child, for instance, or an unresponsive adult—whether life is worth living.
Life is precious because God gave it, even though, since the entry of sin into this world, suffering is, to one degree or another, part of everyone’s life. Finally, God is wise enough to know that human beings are not only swayed by swells of emotion and seemingly overwhelming circumstances but also by knowledge of how events may affect them in material ways. To be blunt, when someone who is consuming resources dies, he or she stops consuming resources, and whatever is left behind becomes the property of others. There is an enormous risk that the financial incentive to hasten death can lead to the abuse of the terminally ill and disabled.
how horrid a prospect it is that those so vulnerable may find they are pressured to choose death. Their so-called autonomy, their “right to die,” may become their duty to die!
While no one wants to be a burden to others, part of living and loving, and being responsible involves caring for the needs of others, especially those in our own family (1 Timothy 5:8). Just as children need parental care from the beginning, so the disabled, the ill, and the elderly may require a great deal of care along the way and at the end of life. The elderly, the poor, the disabled, and the handicapped children and adults among us are those least able to defend themselves. Liberalization of laws allowing increased access to “opt-out” options—whether physician-assisted suicide or actual euthanasia—may well lead to a tragic loss of self-determination for them. In a world in which death is increasingly allowed to be voluntarily embraced, how horrid a prospect it is that those so vulnerable may find they are pressured to choose death. Their so-called autonomy, their “right to die,” may become their duty to die!
But If We Are Just Animals . . . ?
Evolutionists, of course, see human beings as nothing more than highly evolved animals. If man were nothing more than an animal, then a human being’s death would be no more important than an animal’s. In fact, by making the analogy to the putting down of a suffering pet, logic based on an evolutionary worldview leads only to death—death by suicide, death by euthanasia, death to clear the playing field for the young and the energetic—and paints this bleak end in a merciful light. Yet despite all the appealing talk of “dying with dignity”—and who in their right mind would desire to die without dignity—suicide, even when assisted by a physician’s lethal prescription, and euthanasia—which is just a nice word for murder with a presumably merciful motive—are not acceptable options unless we are nothing more than animals.
But we are not just animals! We—every one of us—are all made in his image, and therefore all human beings have lives of special value to God, so much so that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, gave his own life for us (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 2:9–10). God’s account of creation recorded in the Bible is consistent with what we see in the physical world and validates his ownership of humanity and his right to set our standards. And apart from a source of truth from someone greater than man, no person’s moral judgments are more valid than another’s. Human beings have many ideas about right and wrong, but as described in the biblical book of Judges, when God’s Word is ignored, everyone does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25), and that is a recipe for disaster as much now as it was during the days described in Judges. Only God, who created mankind, is justly in a position of moral authority over all mankind.
The cancerous permeation of evolutionary thinking throughout society, governments, and the world has led many to embrace the idea of euthanizing human beings for all sorts of reasons. But that thinking is based on evolution’s God-rejecting lie about our origins. We must not, therefore, yield the ground to those exhorting us to embrace death prematurely—much less to put subtle pressure on others to do so—but rather focus on how we live in the light of God’s truth until life’s end.
This is a complex issue, and this article is not intended to address every aspect, much less to review the legal ramifications of laws and court decisions that can change in a day. This is, instead, a reminder that we need to base our thinking on the Word of God, which never changes and can be trusted to guide us through life and death....
If you are overwhelmed with despair or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please talk to a friend, family member, pastor, physician or other health-care professional, or a teacher. You are not alone, and there are people who care about you and can help you to remember that God loves you and cares about what happens to you.
This information is intended for general education purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. The information should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice from your doctor or other healthcare professional. If you have specific questions about any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult your doctor or other healthcare provider.
Talented AiG researcher and writer Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell received a bachelor of science in chemistry from Furman University in 1980, graduating summa cum laude. She graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville in 1984 and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Vanderbilt University Affiliated Hospitals in 1988. She earned board certification and fellowship in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Mitchell enjoyed practicing medicine in Gallatin, Tennessee (near Nashville), but in 1995 she retired from private practice to devote herself more fully to the needs of her three children. As a homeschooling parent for fifteen years, she particularly enjoyed making history come alive. Whether in her medical office, church, or home, Dr. Mitchell’s goal has always been to build knowledge and understanding by making information clear and interesting. She pursues that goal today as a writer for Answers in Genesis. Dr. Mitchell’s articles have covered topics ranging from Egyptian and biblical history to embryonic development and childbirth, from unicorns and aliens to science education and the Resurrection of Christ.
Dr. Mitchell is best known for authoring AiG’s weekly web feature “News to Note” from 2011 to 2017. She was married for 37 years to the late Dr. Tommy Mitchell (1956–2019), also a beloved and prolific author and speaker for AiG. She operates under the conviction that accurate history never violates biblical history, that correct scientific understanding of our past will never contradict God’s eyewitness account in the Bible, and that genuine understanding of God’s Word builds faith in Jesus Christ.
When It Comes to Death and Suffering, Your Foundation Matters
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, violence, and death—we see these catastrophes and tragedies each day on this earth. Surely no one would call a world like this “good.” But in reality—and I’ll explain why in a moment—it’s only Christians who compromise Genesis with millions of years who have to justify describing all this as “very good.”
We’re thrilled to announce the release of an important new book, Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins: Cosmology, Geology, and Biology in Christian Perspective. This book—a textbook—was written by five Wheaton College professors. [It is] the fruit of a 3-year grant they received from BioLogos in 2013.
Now, the professors who wrote this book promote evolution and millions of years, such as by saying,
Although some Christians have argued that the fall utterly disrupted some kind of original perfection of creation, there is no evidence from either the Bible or the creation, making that a foregone conclusion.
At Answers in Genesis and in the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum exhibits, we teach the opposite of this statement. AiG teaches that the fall utterly disrupted the original perfection, and we show directly from Scripture that we now live in a groaning world because of sin.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:20–23)
So, why do these Wheaton College professors claim the fall did not disrupt “some kind of original perfection of creation”? Well, to put it simply, because they believe in millions of years of history!
In the 1700s and 1800s, atheists and deists wanted to explain the fossil record by natural processes to get rid of any explanation from the Bible, such as the global flood of Noah’s day. So, they claimed the fossil layers over the earth were laid down millions of years before the existence of man. Now since that time, many people in the church have accepted these supposed millions of years to explain the fossil-bearing layers and tried to fit them into Scripture before humans (before the creation of Adam and the entrance of sin).
It’s important to understand that the fossil record with its billions of dead things is not just a record of death but a record of disease and violence.
It’s important to understand that the fossil record with its billions of dead things is not just a record of death but a record of disease and violence. The fossil record holds numerous documented examples of diseases like cancer in bones, evidence of animals eating other animals, and fossil thorns—all supposedly millions of years old. However, the Bible teaches that before man sinned, the animals were vegetarian (Genesis 1:30), thorns came after the curse (Genesis 3:18), and everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
After creating everything, including the first two people (Adam and Eve), “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
Originally, before sin, there was no death, disease, bloodshed, carnivory, or thorns. God described everything as “very good.” But those who accept millions of years (like these Wheaton College professors) believe the death, disease, and bloodshed we observe today are all part of how God created everything. Thus, those things must be “very good,” according to their worldview.
One of the most-asked questions by the younger generations today is, “How can Christians believe in a loving God with all the death, disease, and suffering in the world?” Sadly, most of our church leaders have told these young people that’s how God created everything. Only those Christians who take Genesis as literal history, as it is meant to be taken, can explain that the world we live in today has been affected by sin. It’s a fallen, groaning world full of death. In fact, God describes death as an “enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). This fallen world is not God’s fault: it’s our fault because we sinned in Adam.
In Acts 3:21, we read that one day in the future, all things will be restored. In other words, when God makes the new heavens and earth, it will be restored to be like it was before the fall. And how is this restoration described?
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
Of course, to be consistent, those who accept millions of years and believe that the original “very good” creation was full of death, disease, pain, and suffering must also believe that the restoration will be one of death, disease, pain, and suffering. That would not be “good” and certainly not “very good”! ...
Ken Ham is the founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis and its two popular attractions: the acclaimed Creation Museum and the internationally known Ark Encounter, which features a life-size 510-foot-long Noah’s Ark—sometimes described as the “8th Wonder of the Modern World.” Each year, the two attractions host over 1.5 million guests.
A much-in-demand Christian speaker and interview guest, Ham became well known throughout America for his 2014 evolution/creation debate with Bill Nye, TV’s “The Science Guy.”
Ham hosts the daily radio program Answers, now on 1,000 stations. He’s also the founder of the award-winning Answers magazine. In 2020, Ham launched Answers TV, an ambitious streaming service. His website of AnswersInGenesis.org has twice won the top award from the National Religious Broadcasters for best website.
A prolific blogger and author of more than 30 books, Ham’s newest releases are Divided Nation (about today’s culture wars) and the devotional commentary Creation to Babel.
Ken and his wife Mally have 5 children and 18 grandchildren and reside in Northern Kentucky.
A selfish view of others (what can they do for me?) makes euthanasia seem logical for the old.
Valuing life is a good starting point to overcome the argument. Learning to value the elderly and this stage of life for their own sake is even better.
https://answersingenesis.org/family/honoring-elderly/
Honoring the Elderly
How a Biblical Worldview Impacts How We View Old Age
by Liz Abrams on June 24, 2023Most cultures treat older people with respect and deference. People who have already provided years of care to their families and their wider community are seen to deserve the benefits of a comfortable retirement.
Old Age and the Fall
God originally designed people to live forever. If Adam had never sinned, neither he nor his descendants would have ever experienced the decline in health and physical ability or the increase in sickness often associated with old age. The initial generations after the fall lived for hundreds of years, implying that they aged much slower than we do today.
Even though aging is a function of the fall, a believer dying “old and full of years” is seen as a blessing. Scripture says, “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). In our fallen world, death is an unavoidable reality. But, for believers, death allows us to enter the presence of the Lord to await the resurrection of the dead, and we have been promised resurrection lives in perfect bodies that will never age and die.
Caring for Those Who Cared for Us
Each of us went through a stage of infancy and childhood where we depended completely on our parents. We were not contributing anything; in fact, we added a lot of burden, stress, and sleepless nights! Just as parents care for helpless infants, we should, in turn, care for the elderly when they are no longer as independently capable as they once were.
Both infancy and old age remind us of our dependence on others. Just as an elderly relative depends on us, we will one day likely depend on younger people to help when we are no longer able. In this way, caring for the elderly is obeying the golden rule.
Learning Wisdom from the Elderly
It is an invaluable experience to spend time with believers who have walked with Christ for many decades, being shaped and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite parts of visiting nursing homes for ministry is sitting with elderly people and listening to their stories and life advice. Whether they went through military service, raised large families, or had interesting careers, they often have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share.
It is an invaluable experience to spend time with believers who have walked with Christ for many decades, being shaped and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Service for the Kingdom in Old Age
While 65 is considered the standard retirement age, older Christians have an invaluable role in the body of Christ. Many pastors continue serving well into their golden years, and older Christians serve as examples and role models for younger Christians.
The Example of a Good Death
In our culture, we tend to avoid thinking or talking about death as long as possible, and we keep it out of our minds until it is unavoidable. However, as Christians, we should not fear death because we go directly into the presence of Christ to wait for the resurrection of the dead. While it is not the final resurrected state, that state is free from sin and suffering, so the Apostle Paul could speak of it as being “better by far.”
Everyone should care about how society views elderly people because if we live long enough, we will eventually become them!
Older Christians have invariably experienced the death of friends and loved ones and are more likely to contemplate their own death. In today’s society, assisted suicide, sometimes referred to with the euphemism “death with dignity,” is increasingly promoted. While proponents argue that people with inevitably deadly and painful diseases should be able to end their lives before suffering the debilitating effects of their illnesses, assisted suicide, once legalized, often becomes used for non-deadly and even mental illnesses. In some places, it is seen as a good solution for a depressed person to take their own life via assisted suicide.
People facing terminal illnesses already have a humane, life-honoring option—hospice. In hospice, people can be offered pain relief and other measures to help them be as comfortable as possible and live their last days to the fullest.
Everyone should care about how society views elderly people because if we live long enough, we will eventually become them! Christians should model care for our elders and elderly Christians should be involved in the lives of their younger family members and church congregations.
CBS "On the Road" gives Michigan's best response yet.
Heart-warming.
Video at the link.
Michigan woman set to celebrate her first Mother's Day at home since emerging from 5-year coma
Dowagiac, Michigan — For Peggy Means, every Mother's Day had been just another day without her daughter, Jennifer Flewellen, who was critically injured in a 2017 car crash at the age 35.
Flewellen, Means' only daughter, was in a coma with virtually no chance of ever coming out of it, doctors told her. And yet, Means refused to let them pull the plug, a decision she said she "never" questioned.
"I just couldn't let her go," Means told CBS News.
One by one, Means' friends stopped visiting. Even her husband moved on with his life. Yet, almost every day, Means was there to comfort and care for Flewellen. Means always talked to her, as if Flewellen could understand, which of course, she couldn't.
Until one day, in August 2022, she could.
It started with a laugh. Jennifer had been off life-support, but still in a coma, when her mother said something funny, and that was it. About a year later, Flewellen came home.
Although she still cannot walk and struggles to speak, her mind is sharp, and her heart is filled with joy.
Jennifer especially loves visiting with her sons.
As for Peggy, the mother who made these moments possible, this Mother's Day may be her best one ever, because even though she won't be getting flowers or candy, Jennifer can now muster those words that matter most, and deliver them as sincerely as they have ever been spoken.
"I love my mom," Jennifer said.
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