As beings created in God’s image, we each possess irrevocable value (Gen. 1:26), and stewardship of God’s creation requires special concern for human life from conception to end of our physical life on this earth (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 4:18). The Lord entrusts us with life and commands us to cherish it through the commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13).
Death is not the end of life but the separation of the soul from the body. Scripture clearly speaks of both eternal life with God in heaven and eternal separation from God in hell. He has promised to be with us and keep us until day He calls us home to Him. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, John 11:25-26, 1 Timothy 6:12, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Romans 6:5, Isaiah 41:10, Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, Psalm 73:26, Philippians 3:14, Psalm 139:16, Psalm 23:1-6, Job 2:10, Deuteronomy 31:6, 8)
Artificial Life Support
It’s crucial here to clarify that life-sustaining measures are supportive, not curative. Ventilators, dialysis, blood pressure support, and similar interventions don’t cure disease, but instead buy time, buoying organ function while physicians work to treat the underlying illness (with antibiotics for pneumonia, chemotherapy for cancer, coronary stents for a heart attack, etc). If the inciting disease is treatable, then life support is indeed “life-saving,” because it maintains our body systems long enough for us to recover.
Euthanasia
This moral distinction is crucial: there is a world of difference between allowing to die and direct killing. At some point omission of care is not a fault, but a courtesy to the patient. Euthanasia, by contrast, asks the physician to prescribe chemicals for the purpose of directly killing the patient.
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