SAVES is not affiliated with Exit International / Dr Philip Nitschke and opposes the public availability of a 'peaceful pill'.

Pastor Marcus Hamilton-Smythe of the Socinian Ministries writes to SAVES with a personal reflection on biblical beliefs relating to voluntary euthanasia.

The voluntary Euthanasia Society is one society I have supported over the years by my membership. I became aware of the society through the Mike Walsh Show in the 1980s. My reason for joining at the time was that I believed God to be a loving and compassionate God, who would not want His children to suffer unnecessarily.

There are several biblical passages that may be interpreted to speak against suicide and euthanasia:

'I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live'. ⁽¹⁾
'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.' ⁽²⁾
These are lovely edifying scripture verses if one is young or in one's prime, but they are hardly applicable to a person on their death bed. The Sixth Commandment 'You shall do no murder' ⁽³⁾ and the Tenth Commandment 'You shall not covert your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, slave, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour ⁽⁴⁾ are also often cited. This is because the original intention of the Sixth Commandment was to stop blood feuds. The life force or vitality of people and animals was held to have its seat in the blood, which must not be appropriated by people. Therefore when one took the life of another they were understood to have control of their blood ⁽⁵⁾ which, if not released through execution of the murderer, would cry out for delivery from its illegal master. ⁽⁶⁾

The Tenth Commandment's original intention was to stop the practice of depriving an elder of his property and status in society, and family retribution leading to a cycle of violence. One might ask the relevance of this to voluntary euthanasia, but it has been expressed to me on a number of occasions that some people fear they will be put to death for access to financial inheritance. Opponents of legislative reform for voluntary euthanasia may cynically exploit these fears.

Some churches appear to hold contradictory view on the issue of voluntary euthanasia. For instance the Roman Catholic and most other religious bodies generally support the view that extraordinary means need not be imposed to preserve life if a patient has no hope of recovery. Pope John Paul the Second has stated that this does not respect the patient. However the Church will only support passive and not active euthanasia.

We have all been given freedom and with this comes responsibility. Ultimately we are responsible for our own bodies. If it is our express wish, why can't we be mercifully assisted to die when ill health becomes too much. 'The days of our life are 70 or perhaps 80 years if we are strong. We know we are born to die, so why all the fuss?

Some people fear that they may go to hell if they suicide, but the theory of Universalism holds that all people will be saved. While orthodox Christian doctrine teaches the finality of heaven and hell, some Christians consider this contradicts an understanding of God as Love, a God who would never create people knowing they were destined to eternal punishment or ever abandon them. Further, if the message of the cross is really a 'full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world' then universal salvation must be a real possibility. Equally the joy of heaven will not be complete while anyone is excluded. ⁽⁷⁾

I neither believe nor disbelieve this theory. We have no right to make a judgement on who will or will not go to heaven. 'Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get'. ⁽⁸⁾

It is my belief that God is contradictory in nature. This is expressed succinctly by the Muslim Sufis in their saying 'For every rule there is an exception'. ⁽⁹⁾ So, to my way of thinking, one of the exceptions to the rule that you shall do no murder might actually be voluntary euthanasia, both active and passive. This is my belief.

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