THEOSISJewgenij A. Popow
Saul instructed his armor-bearer, “Strike me down, for great darkness has enveloped me... And I will kill him, for I know he will not live” (2 Sam. 1:9-10). Neither Saul’s plea for an early death nor his lamentations over the pain caused by battle wounds or his awareness of his impending demise absolved the warrior who ultimately took his life: “Thy blood be upon thy head,” was directed towards this perpetrator of death. Indeed, it is only the Lord God who can sever the final thread of a person’s existence. Moreover, there are instances where those who are terminally ill exhibit gradual recovery. Yet, some choose to hasten the demise of such individuals under the assumption that death is unavoidable.
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The primary actors in these situations are often physicians, but sometimes family members also implore doctors to hasten the end of life through lethal means. Their intentions may stem from a misguided compassion, as they wish to spare the patient from prolonged anguish, opting to facilitate death a few hours or days prior to the natural conclusion of their illness. This is a misapplication of humanity. Furthermore, these individuals fail in their duty of care towards the ailing. The more a sick person suffers at the threshold of eternal life, the more grace the compassionate God would attribute to that suffering. By accelerating the patient's departure, they rob him of this merit, a potential purification for his sins in this earthly life. Even if the patient were to request that a doctor hasten his death through any medical means available, such a plea does not diminish the gravity of the doctor’s actions. A person can only relinquish what belongs to them in terms of property, and that only when it does not cause harm to another. Yet, life and health are divine gifts and thus do not belong solely to the individual. Therefore, a sick person cannot rightfully agree with a physician or anyone else that their life should be ended in order to mitigate their suffering or spare others from distress. You, dear friend, who believe in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead, be wary of expressing such compassion for the gravely ill. Refrain from uttering sentiments such as, “I would prefer to die than endure this suffering,” as Job himself was told (Job 2:9). Instead, strive to ease their pain through your compassion and by instilling within them the hope of a life to come.