Maria Steen
Last weekend, a conference was held in the Clayton Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin, hosted by the Life Institute, Family and Solidarity, and Doctors for Life on the issue of assisted suicide. All around the world, there are moves to introduce assisted suicide, and Ireland is no different. Last year, a majority of TDs voted in favour of a report advocating for assisted suicide and euthanasia, and a “Voluntary Assisted Dying” private member’s bill was introduced. Is this simply “a sign of the times” that we and society should shrug off as “compassion” and “progress”? The words of the Gospel according to St Luke, Chapter 12 come to mind: “How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?”
For Catholics and Christians, and all who believe in God, the times are rather a prompt for us to answer the question: “why is suicide wrong?” and to communicate that to the society in which we live.
In opposing assisted suicide, the challenge in western society today centres on the divide between believers and non-believers. It is not a question, as so many atheists rather ham-fistedly attempt to frame it, of religious people “imposing their views” on others – that is what those who support assisted suicide are attempting to do after all. The “don’t impose your views on me” objection is therefore one of the most stupid comments that can be made: anyone who lobbies for a particular law is seeking to impose that law on everyone in society. The real question rather centres on the difficulty of articulating why suicide – in all its guises, assisted or otherwise – is wrong if you don’t believe in God.
Convincing
There is a real difficulty for atheists to make a convincing argument against suicide that doesn’t descend into circular reasoning or contradictory or frankly hypocritical arguments. Ultimately, in a world without God, everything is simply a matter of preference. Some atheists will say “suicide is morally wrong in the same way that selling oneself into slavery is wrong” – but why is that wrong? If a person consents to it, why shouldn’t he or she decide to do so? Another might say “suicide hurts others, particularly friends and family”. But in a world without God and with no afterlife (and therefore no consequences or accountability), why do we have a duty to others? What do their feelings matter to us after we are gone, or even before we are gone? Secular humanists might argue that life has intrinsic value in itself – but again, if there is no God and we are just a random collection of atoms that has magically morphed into a living being, why does that life have more value or dignity than other life forms, or why does it have any value at all?
Suicide is wrong, because our lives are not our own, our bodies are not our own, our freedom and life were bought at a great price by One who loved us more that we can ever comprehend”
For the believer, all rights, all duties, all authority to write laws and to govern ultimately come from God. This is not as some atheists say, irrational, rather it is the opposite, completely rational, logical and authentic. Why? Well, for the believer, there is a God, and that being the case, we owe a duty and loyalty to Him. It is because of our recognition that human life comes from God, the Creator, and is impressed with His image and likeness, that each life has an inherent worth. The fact that each of us is a creature of God is testament to our shared heritage and underscores the fact that though there seem to be great inequalities between us, we are required to treat each other with equal dignity, respect – and for the Christian – love.
Suicide is wrong, because our lives are not our own, our bodies are not our own, our freedom and life were bought at a great price by One who loved us more that we can ever comprehend. This world in which we live is not our true home, but rather a staging post while we wait for our real life to start. And to gain admittance to our new home, we will be called to give an account of ourselves and our actions and omissions throughout our lives.
As the Book of Genesis teaches us, without God, all things lead to death. With God, however, there is life – everlasting life – and that has consequences for our thinking and our decision-making.
Dignity
This is why, ultimately, all Human Rights stem from the Church’s teaching on the inherent dignity of man. Although the Human Rights industry has been taken over by secular humanists and atheists, its foundation is Christian. If that foundation is undermined, it is simply a matter of time before the whole edifice comes crumbling down. Amidst the “good” atheists standing around wringing their hands and asking “how could this happen?” the only answer will be “because you allowed it to happen”.
GK Chesteron, before his conversion to Catholicism, wrote a book entitled “Orthodoxy”. In it, he writes about suicide and describes it as the sin to end all sins. He says: “The man who kills a man, kills a man. The man who kills himself, kills all men; as far as he is concerned he wipes out the world.” Chesterton saw it as an act of treason against the world and the ultimate insult to God – which it is.
A person who commits suicide is a man who cares so little for anything outside him, that he wants to see the last of everything”
That is not to say that there may be very difficult circumstances at play in which a person feels “driven” to suicide, but very many wrongdoings have some difficult circumstances behind them. The suicide, says Chesterton, is the opposite of the martyr. A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside him, that he forgets his own personal life. A person who commits suicide is a man who cares so little for anything outside him, that he wants to see the last of everything.
Those words may seem harsh to modern ears – there is much greater understanding these days of mental illness and suffering, I hear you say. But is there really? Why does there seem to be so much more mental illness around? Which is kinder to say: “Suicide is a sin. You need to know that before you decide on it, because as great as your suffering is now, eternal suffering is much worse. I will hold your hand, I will help you cope, I will ease your pain as best I can.” Or to say: “Suicide is a completely reasonable response, you’ve suffered for far too long, you don’t need to anymore. I’ll help you end it all – then you’ll have no more suffering and pain.” Which response makes for a better social order, for a more compassionate and loving society?
Whatever law is put in place, at its root will be one vision of society and the nature of humanity, or another. That vision, for good or ill, will be imposed on all of us. The choice is ours: Do we get rid of the weak and vulnerable or do we look after them? Do we encourage each other through thick and thin, or are we indifferent to others, not caring if they give up and lose hope? Do we give what is due to our Creator or do we insult Him?