In a recent Equip class, we tackled a heavy but deeply urgent ethical topic: euthanasia. Meaning “easy death,” euthanasia is what we commonly know as assisted suicide. Years ago, I became acutely aware of this issue while working in aged care, and I vividly remember how my own grandparents used to speak about it. In our culture, euthanasia is often presented as a positive thing—a way to “put someone out of their misery”—with people saying that if a person’s quality of life isn’t great, it is probably better that they just go.
It is sobering that even as Christian men and women, we can easily fall into making these kinds of judgments about the value of a person’s life.
Creator and Creature
To understand how we must view this issue, we must start at the very beginning. Genesis teaches us that God created the heavens and the earth. He is the Creator; we are the creatures. Furthermore, God uniquely made human beings in His own image and likeness. Because of this inherent divine value, God gave us a direct command:
You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).”
Murder involves premeditation—the willing, planned taking of a human life. Biblically speaking, that is exactly what euthanasia is.
The Push for Death
People generally lean towards euthanasia due to a perceived low quality of life, severe pain, mental health struggles or deep loneliness. Often, it is framed as a “mercy killing” to spare someone from a painful, terminal condition.
Yet, Scripture shows us that God views mercy killings very differently. The account of Saul’s death offers a sobering illustration. In 1 Samuel 31:3–5, King Saul was mortally wounded in battle and he asked his armourbearer to kill him to avoid enemy capture. The servant refused and Saul deliberately fell upon his own sword.
Later, in 2 Samuel 1, an Amalekite claimed to David that he had delivered the final, fatal blow to the dying king. Rather than rewarding him for an act of mercy, David ordered the death penalty for that man. David saw the intentional ending of the king’s life as entirely reprehensible.
Where the Slope Leads
Today we are witnessing the dangerous expansion of this issue. In some jurisdictions, individuals as young as seventeen can now choose assisted dying. Health Canada reports that in 2024, assisted death accounted for 5.1 per cent of all deaths in the country—roughly one in twenty. Discussions have even emerged about allowing the homeless to pursue euthanasia. The more a society argues for death as a solution, the more its boundaries inevitably shift.
We are already seeing those boundaries pushed. A recent and deeply troubling example was the euthanasia of a two‑year‑old child in the Netherlands due to a terminal illness.’
If this trajectory continues, what prevents us from eventually creating laws where families make this decision on behalf of an elderly relative with dementia? We have already crossed the threshold of allowing such decisions for children in certain regions.
Ultimately, choosing to end a life is a self‑centred act that rebels against God’s created order. When we take life into our own hands, we attempt to assume the role of God Himself. And whenever humanity tries to play God, the consequences are devastating.
Our Response as a Church
Trusting God’s sovereignty over life and death should move us towards those who suffer. If people around us want to choose death because they feel they have a low quality of life, our job as Christian brothers and sisters is to step in and help improve their quality of life and remind them of the value they have as image bearers of God:
- Visit the Lonely: In aged care, many residents have no family visit them. You can be the one who visits.
- Support the Suffering: Lend practical support to those facing terminal illnesses.
- Advocate for Palliative Care: Champion high-quality medical care designed to support and comfort people on their deathbeds naturally.
- Pray Continually: Remember that James 5:14-15 directs us to bring the sick before the elders and pray faithfully for healing.
Let us honour and protect every person as an image-bearer of God, compassionately draw near to those who suffer and bear witness to the hope we have in Christ.
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