Physician-assisted suicide has become a debated topic in the Western world since the turn of the century. Since the year 2000, the practice, sometimes known as "Medical Aid In Dying," has become legal in multiple US states and Washington DC. Legality aside, what should Christians think about the subject?
Back in the 1990s, a physician named Jack Kevorkian earned notoriety for his work in assisting terminally ill patients end their lives. Dr. Kevorkian faced initial legal challenges for his work but escaped without consequence until lethally injecting a patient in a video that aired on 60 Minutes. He was arrested and charged with murder, but the once seldom-talked-about subject of physician-assisted suicide had become a popular point of discussion in the United States.
Kevorkian wasn't the first voice to advocate for physician-assisted suicide, however. Records in the United States show court appeals as early as 1906.
Around the turn of the century, states began passing legislation. Typically called "Medical Aid In Dying" by proponents, the practice has become legal in 11 states and the District of Columbia (Washington DC).
Despite additional challenges at the federal level, multiple 1997 Supreme Court decisions represented a ruling that would allow states to continue barring the practice, as the United States Constitution does not grant the right to suicide.
Still, as society continues to shift, more and more are advocating for physician-assisted suicide. With Delaware becoming the most recent state to legalize physician-assisted suicide (making it the first one to do so since 2021), this conversation has become an even bigger part of public discourse in recent weeks.
What should Christians think about the practice?
This story will include some facts and observations about the practice, thoughts from the political Right and political Left in America, and, most importantly, teachings from Scripture that are relevant to the discussion.
*Throughout the text, "physician-assisted suicide," "physician aid in dying," "medically-assisted suicide," "assisted dying," "end of life option," "Medical Aid In Dying," and "MAID" will be used somewhat interchangeably.*
Some facts about physician-assisted suicide
- The practice became legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, Washington DC, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, and New Mexico from 1997-2021. Then, earlier this year, Delaware became the most recent US jurisdiction to allow doctors to help terminally ill individuals commit suicide. Montana allows for MAID, as well, but its legality came only as a result of a state Supreme Court decision, not legislation. Some of these states allow out-of-state visitors to receive lethal medications within their borders.
- Other nations, such as Belgium, allow for medically-assisted suicide for minors and those who have certain non-terminally-ill diagnoses. Canada also doesn't require a person to be terminally ill.
- A 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine collected Medical Aid In Dying data from 1998-2020. The numbers are not perfect–Montana does not keep official records due to the practice not having any legislative support, some other records are incomplete, and there is still a black market of sorts for undocumented MAID in the United States–but show some noteworthy findings.
- During that span, 5329 documented people died from physician-assisted suicide in the United States. However, 8451 received a prescription. This indicates that a not-so-small number of individuals changed their minds. Considering the short waiting period required in some states (as low as 48 hours in California), this is significant.
- More men than women have elected for MAID, with 53.1% of patients being male.
- White/non-Hispanic caucasian people make up 95.6% of medically-assisted suicide deaths.
- Only 43.3% of prescription recipients were at least 65 years of age. 8% were considered young adults, ages 18-34.
- Nearly 70% of prescriptions were written for cancer patients.
- Almost 10% of physician-assisted suicides from 1998-2020 were done without any family notification.
- According to deathwithdignity.org, nine out of ten who die by medically-assisted suicide were in hospice care at the time of their prescription, death, or both.