EASY WAY OUT?

The acquittal of Dr. Jack Kevorkian has given virtual folk hero status to a man who has been obsessed with death over most of his life. Instead of dedicating himself to the prolongation of life and the easing of pain, he has chosen to flaunt the laws which have been established to protect the weak, sick and elderly from becoming victims of those who would prefer them dead.

His acquittal, as well as the fact that he has been allowed to practice his deadly arts for so long, are reflections of the deteriorating state of our society. Interviews with jurors on the case showed at least two of them were mentally incompetent, and a third stated that the fact that she had cared for her mother for an extended period of time influenced her decision. (Was she thinking about her mother or herself?)

The word suicide does not appear in the New Testament. This act is not specifically condemned for the same reason that rape is not specifically condemned -- because the principles of God's laws make these acts so obviously wrong that to specifically condemn them would be an insult to the Christian's intelligence and sensitivity (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

"Thou shalt not kill" is not restricted to those who do not want to be killed. The fact that someone begs me to kill him does not give me the right to override God's law. A consideration of every person in the bible who committed suicide clearly demonstrates that this is not a group that any sane person would want to join. Neither is it a matter of human rights: God and God alone has the right to determine when life in this world should end.

This does not mean that unnatural and "heroic" efforts should be applied to prolong a life of suffering when there is no chance for recovery to meaningful consciousness. But the removal of machinery to allow nature to take its course is completely different from the active intervention to terminate life, as espoused by Kevorkian.

Lest you think that Kevorkian is interested only in those in unbearable pain, listen to what he said after his acquittal: "it's not just pain, its what your life is like." He explained that a quadriplegic might choose not to live another 30 years in that condition, even if not in pain. [B. Walters: 5/4/94]

The extension to those who have mental diseases cannot be far behind. Neither can the point at which this decision is taken from individuals who do not have the capacity to make this decision for themselves.

It seems clear that Dr. Kevorkian enjoys his role of usurping the role of God in determining the best time to end human life. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6: 7). And that applies to his supporters as well, without which you would never have heard the name Kevorkian.