NOW I have a question.

[Brighthouse]

This question has been on my mind for a very long time,before i ask this question to all of you,I would like for you all to consider this.

You have a dear friend, a mother or father,a sister or brother,someone you truly love in this world. The doctors all have said, that this person has but only a little while to live,what matters during this time for you is this,you pray believing of course for a miracle,yet daily this person you love, wants to die,you see them deteriorating daily,they are in a great deal of pain,so much so,they are screaming. Would you want to be helped in putting this loved one to out of there misery?

Do you think that by assisting them in a suicide this would be a sin? I know we talked about suicide as being a sin,but this is not of a person in good health,we are not talking about a person who is depressed because of life,we are talking about a person, whom you know is dieing.

I have never asked this question among my brothers and sisters here,it was always to painful for me to ask. But something has happened to a dear friend of mine,and I would really like to hear your thoughts on this.With,or without scritpures. Thank you so much!

 

[Christ4Ever]

Dear Brother,
Words fail me in communicating to you words that might uplift you, or somehow are able to take the pain away from you and the one you love. I did find this site that I hope might give some help where I cannot.

In short you need to turn to the one who has been there and suffered more than anyone ever has. He's our Lord Jesus. It may seem forever, but it's only for a little while then we'll be gone and by God's Grace be with who we truly long to be with. Praying for you brother and for that person, whose pain and suffering is so great that you are feeling it as well. That He might hear our prayers on your behalf and on behalf of that suffering loved one. In Jesus name. Amen, Amen, Amen!

 

[chicken little]

This question has been on my mind for a very long time,before i ask this question to all of you,I would like for you all to consider this.

You have a dear friend, a mother or father,a sister or brother,someone you truly love in this world. The doctors all have said, that this person has but only a little while to live,what matters during this time for you is this,you pray believing of course for a miracle,yet daily this person you love, wants to die,you see them deteriorating daily,they are in a great deal of pain,so much so,they are screaming. Would you want to be helped in putting this loved one to out of there misery?

Do you think that by assisting them in a suicide this would be a sin? I know we talked about suicide as being a sin,but this is not of a person in good health,we are not talking about a person who is depressed because of life,we are talking about a person, whom you know is dieing.

I have never asked this question among my brothers and sisters here,it was always to painful for me to ask. But something has happened to a dear friend of mine,and I would really like to hear your thoughts on this.With,or without scritpures. Thank you so much!

darling just keep praying fast and pray and keep praying . don't do what is only the lords right to do ..

one of my husbands best friends in highschool came down with luekemia and went to hell and back with rounds and round of chemo .. and with in hours of her death, she was maybe a handful of lbs at most and was given hours to live, in the hospital ready to die.... but only then was she instantly healed. God told her he was going to heal her .. she knew God was going to heal her and he did.
but it was a long hard road and millions prayers went up for her.. it was a very hard and trying walk of faith for both her and everyone who loved her . but after her complete and instant healing including all tumors disappeared . then her doctor became a christian.. so really we just have to" trust and obey for there is no other way " you don't know what the plan might be , till it happens.
your only job is to do what God tells you to do and do that with all your being! and to pray for, and fast and love the one suffering.
I will pray for your loved one also. ok!

 

[MelodyC]

I have heard a lady recently speak up against Euthenasia. Sorry I can't recall her disease but she was in a lot of pain even on medication for quite a few years, she was beridden and barely able to move on her own (they showed us TV footage of her asking for the government to allow her request to die). Anyway her disease did go into remission even though it had been progressing & the doctors treating her thought she would die soon. When she was greatly suffering she asked her doctor and family to help her die before she could no longer move at all (she was told she would be unable to move for ages before she died). They believed she would never get better and so it seemed to her the only way to be free of her pain and suffering. In Australia she was denied her request, even to fly out to another country to get assistance in committing suicide. She was so grateful for this because she did get better and was able to to regain much of her health. She has spoken out against assisted suicide because she would not be enoying her life and her family today if she was given permission to go elsewhere to die.

This woman was not a Christian. I am glad she went on TV to tell her story. It reminds us we don't know the future and we cannot predict someone will die even if they are seriously ill with a disease that normally takes a persons life. Illness doesn't always follow the pattern doctors think it will.

Even if people don't get better, regardless we are not to know what God in store for another person. God is worthy of our trust. Put your Loved One into His hands and He will work in their Lives.

 

[sharen]

I think the heart of this issue revolves around doing unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Most people who wish to die do so for a reason. And it's the medical profession, not God, who keeps them alive.

However realising there could potentially be jailterm risks involved, you would need to really feel Gods peace about the whole thing.

As already mentioned, I would pray and go with Gods leading. It's a serious issue. But 'playing God' is done more by the medical profession in these situations and people in authority who don't have to suffer any of the pain involved, then by concerned love ones and friends overall.

Be wary.

 

[Brighthouse]

You all have given such thought and concern to this,and most of all love!! I am so thankful to you all here,as hope is so inportant to those who feel so little of it. Again thank you so much for your thoughts on this very difficult subject!

 

[Alaska Mom]

In medicine we have something we call "comfort care." We continually administer just enough pain medicine via an IV drip to keep the patient comfortable. We slowly raise the amount of medicine that we give the patient based on how much pain they are in. I have seen many patients die very painful deaths. My heart had gone out to every one of these patients. In the end, a choice like this can only be made by the patient. The pain medicine that we administer will eventually become too strong and kill the patient. The patient needs to accept dying by signing a "DNR" before we can legally put them on comfort care. I truly think that this is a wonderful option that we have for patients that are dying a very painful death. While it's hard to watch these patients die, it's much easier than watching the ones that are in pain but refuse to accept death. Perhaps you should mention this option to your close friend. Although, most doctors present this option to patients when they no longer have any other treatment options. It's very possible that your friend has already been given this option and is unwilling to take it.

[Please note - by signing a DNR a patient has waived the right to be provided with CPR, intubation, ACLS drugs, and defibrillation]

 

[farout]

Please do not help

This can become a legal issue, as well a situation ethics, say nothing about the spiritual accountability to God. I am not being harsh, and I do fully understand your feelings.

If your friend has hospice they will help control pain, and make this person much more comfortable. The Doctor should be made aware of how much this person is enduring. There is no reason a person a person should have to suffer to this extent.

Pain management is one area that this person has the right to yell for to get the attention of who ever can help him/her. I have served as a Chaplin in two hospitals for a summer while in seminary. I saw many people in different journeys of suffering. As a pastor several members at different time suffered form many different types of cancer. Its hard to sit next to some one you care about suffer, we want to help them in every way we can. Sometimes our prayers seem to bounce off the walls, and we feel like we should do more. That's when we ask the Lord to give the person relief, and seek all the medical help we can. Then we wait to let God be God. We have to let go, hold a hand, wipe the tears of the suffering person, pray out Loud with the person, read Scripture. The Scripture I have turned to so many times over and over is Psalms 139.

God has allowed you to share in this suffering persons end of life. Do everything you can to help this person until the Lord Calls this person home. May I also suggest Romans 8:18-39. These are verses about suffering, the Holy Spirit and his help for us, and assurance that the Love of God will never leave us.

I sincerely pray God will give you both the Love of Christ to endure this until he calls this person Home. Do not be tempted by Satan to let your emotions make a choice you will regret, and be held accountable for.


farout

 

[David777]

Complex issue.

I have seen people dying of cancer.

It is not a pleasant illness to be stricken with.

People end up bed ridden, sometimes with no bodily function control.

My father died of Leukemia, cancer of the blood.

He would not have suffered if he had not been treated by the doctors. They gave him an extra eight weeks of life.

The problem was it was eight weeks of terrible suffering.

He shunned food and water in order to escape the suffering.

He regretted the medical treatment he was given deeply.

It is a medical secret, but doctors do assist dying people to escape the suffering. It is more widespread than you may think.

I was not surprised to find out about medical assisted suicide.

Just pray that you do not suffer some of the more sinister illnesses,
you may yourself demand an assisted suicide.

 

[happyharold4]

I've had an unusual experience---Had an elderly lady who lived in the apt next to mine, (many years ago)----She asked me if I would be with her and help her pass on in the Lord---Have no idea what ailed her other than old age---I would go out and prepare warm soup for her daily and try to make her comfortable as she laid in bed---Long story short on my last day with her while standing right next to her----She first folded her hands on her chest, (I thought she was gone), then she verbally rebuked the devil and lifted her arms straight up and past away---It was so peaceful in that room, I just sat there for a couple of hours before calling anyone---Quite an experience.

I've also just now finished watching a friend who was totally healthy get dizzy and pass out and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given max of 6 mos to live if he didn't submit to radiation etc----He and his wife prayed and prayed and he decided not to submit to the treatments and to just trust the Lord as his portion---He hung in there for a year and a half and finally succumbed and went home to be with his Jesus.

I myself would probably not fight to stay alive if I felt my journey here was no longer fruitful and would probably just stop eating etc and take a deep breath and let the Lord either heal me or take me home.

I have a very close friend who is 92 and has been a missionary for most of her life in India and Nepal and when we speak she's like a little kid just wanting the Lord to release her and take her home---She has for sure finished her course here and I am praying fervently with/for her that the Lord will take her soon----Not heal her and put her on her feet again that would be silly.

Happy

 

[her2011]

Its an awful thing to watch someone die, but I would always say to leave it to God's will.

I watched my mother die slowly and painfully from Cancer, I prayed and prayed for her to get better, but she didn't. My mother however died with certain faith in Jesus Christ, and at the end was not afraid, and told me that I should not be afraid either.

On two separate occasions, I have prayed with all I have for someone to be cured of terminal cancer (one lung cancer, one spine cancer). both individuals made inexplicable, miraculous recoveries, and confirmed my faith in God, and of the healing power of prayer.

But God works in mysterious ways, which us mere humans do not understand.

My sister was unwell, in a pretty bad way, but not life threatening, I prayed to God that she would get better, that I couldn't bear her suffering, and that she needed his help. and to my utter shock she died a couple days after. Yes she is no longer suffering and not facing the possibility of a life of disability, but I didn't mean that.

It is not our decision to say when someone dies, I do not know why some people have to endure such suffering, and others dies peacefully in their sleep at 90 years old.

 

[Mouse]

No one's death was more painful than Christ's death. St. Peter chose to be crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy enough to die in the same
manner as Christ. So I think we should accept our suffering. As hard as that may be to hear. This is the only response I can think of for this difficult topic.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Do you think that by assisting them in a suicide this would be a sin? I know we talked about suicide as being a sin,but this is not of a person in good health,we are not talking about a person who is depressed because of life,we are talking about a person, whom you know is dieing.

The Fifth Commandment - "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (Ex 20:13) - is pretty specific in my mind and, in my opinion, assisted suicide is a violation of that commandment because it is presuming to take authority over how long a person shall live. It is also presuming that one has the authority to decide whether or not sickness or disability has rendered a person's life to be of no value and that it can therefore be discarded.

SLE

 

[hopefulson]

I Thank God from the bottom of my heart that this has not been an issue he has dealt me. For anyone who is in the middle of this my prayers are ready for your need.