Bible Discussion Thread

Hello.

I have a very important question. What does the Bible say about a dying person not wanting to continue with medical care. Is this considered suicide if you refuse to continue suffering with medical treatments?

Thank you so much!

Hi Ana. I agree with Adam's thoughts on this matter. We are indeed blessed to have medical help & advancing technology available to help us deal with problems in body & mind. I don't see this as a total non-reliance on God to grant healing - God does heal & if coupled with proper sincere medical help & trust in the Lord, I feel that's the proper way to go. After all, doesn't the Lord expect that we render whatever help to others & ourselves? And this help can come in various ways which must include, for the Christian, utter dependency on God to "establish the work of our hands upon us" ( Psalm 90:17).

And if a person chooses to refuse medical help or has elected to not be on any life support, then that is their choice and I don't believe that decision in any way violates God's Command concerning murder or any perceived determination by us that life must be preserved at all costs.

We have a few relatives connected with the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission & a couple of them have passed on, refusing any form of medical intervention in spite of great discomfort leading up to their death. This was their belief & of the Church, & of course, admirable. In spite of the tragedy of it all when their lives could have been saved, I couldn't help but admire the faith expressed to the Will of God for their lives & willing to face the consequences as the Lord chose for them.

But the matter of euthanasia, even if death is imminent, is a completely different matter to my belief.

Hello, i dont believe the Word addresses that other than do not kill and our bodies are mot our own. I think active euthanasia is wrong. Passive like turning off a ventlator i think is ok if its Gods will for that person to go. I also see that differently than someone who has gangrene but stubbornly refuses to see a hospital or just watching someone bleed to death and doing nothing.