(Dr. Leonard Bernstein, MD, MPH is a retired orthodontist and former Professor of Orthodontics at Boston University. After retiring, he returned to school and obtained an MPH from Boston University. He is a prolific author and lecturer on both professional and non-professional subjects. He and his wife live in Brookline, Massachusetts, and in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
This is the second of a two-part post on how world religions view aid in dying.)
===================================
- Judaism
Under Jewish law, the directive to preserve human life generally outweighs other considerations, including the desire to alleviate pain and suffering. Judaism teaches that life is a precious gift from God. A person’s life belongs to Him, and deciding when it ends should be left to God.
All three major Jewish movements in the United States – Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform – prohibit suicide and MAiD, even in cases of painful, terminal illnesses, while there are some minority views that suicide might be permissible in rare circumstances. However, the majority view among all is that it’s not permissible to take one’s own life under any circumstances.
However, Jewish teachings allow a person to forgo medical treatment if their life is about to end or they are suffering. Jews believe that a person who is near the end of life can stop treatment if it is just going to add another month or two and bring more suffering.
Physicians and caregivers should not do anything to hasten death and generally must work to keep people alive as long as possible; however, in dire cases “there is a distinction made between active and passive euthanasia, between killing and allowing to die.” Most Jewish religious and ethical thinkers would agree that Judaism would allow for the cessation of life-prolonging treatment in the case of a dying person in a coma or vegetative state.
- National Baptist Convention
The largest historically black Protestant denomination in the United States does not have a specific teaching on physician-assisted death or euthanasia. However, broader church teachings oppose these practices because they prematurely end life, and there is the notion that the length of one’s life is the providence of God.
That said, there is no requirement that dying patients continue treatment just to extend life a little longer.
- Presbyterian Church USA
Presbyterians have not taken specific positions or provided guidance on euthanasia or MAiD, but broader church teachings – including a belief in the intrinsic value of human life, God’s sovereignty, and the need for healthcare workers to do no harm – would imply opposition. However, the burden of proof rests with the person taking the position in favor of these things.
Alternatively, refusal or withdrawal of treatment in cases involving a terminally ill patient would be viewed as more acceptable, and avoiding treatment in such cases is different from assisted death or euthanasia, because it is the illness, rather than the withdrawal of treatment, that is ending life.
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventists oppose euthanasia and MAiD, rooted partly in the belief that the physical body and soul are permanently linked, and both will be resurrected after death. They put great value on life because it is considered a gift of God.
Yet the church does not believe everything possible must be done to keep someone alive, particularly when the dying patient doesn’t want to be alive or is in severe pain. The church’s position statement on care for the dying states that patients are not obligated to accept medical interventions whose burdens outweigh the probable benefits.
- Southern Baptist Convention
These Baptists believe that because life is created by God, it is sacred from conception until natural death; suicide is self-murder, and physician-assisted dying usurps God’s prerogative because He is our creator and sustainer. Alternatively, a dying person’s doctors, family, and community have a duty to alleviate factors such as physical pain and psychological despair that often drive people to consider taking their lives.
The church does recognize, though, that there is an appropriate time to stop medical treatments. Although the SBC generally opposes any action that may hasten death – including stopping regular medical treatment and the cessation of food and water – medical treatments that prolong the dying process are not obligatory.
- United Church of Christ
The church supports the right of terminally ill patients to make their own decisions about when to die, including whether to hasten death. This position keeps with broader church teachings that stress the importance of respecting individual conscience and choice, believing that each of us approaches God on our own terms, and this includes at the end of our lives.
The church also supports the right of families to discontinue treatment for incapacitated loved ones who are near death or in a vegetative state. This is considered a decision of conscience, and families should base their decisions on what their minds and hearts tell them is best for their loved ones.
- Unitarian Universalist Association
The UUA passed a resolution in 1988 advocating the right to self-determination in dying. As a result, the church supports laws such as those in Oregon and Vermont that enable terminally ill patients, under carefully defined circumstances, to seek physician assistance in hastening their death. Unitarian Universalists also support the right of a legally designated proxy to make life-and-death decisions for a patient, including withdrawal of life support, in cases where the patient is unable to make such choices.
The UUA position is grounded in the church’s teachings on the individual, a faith that honors the sanctity and integrity of the individual conscience. Unitarians believe these ultimate questions of life and death belong with the person most intimately affected, not with the church, a legislative committee, or a bureaucratic panel.
- United Methodist Church
These Methodists oppose MAiD. The denomination teaches that “dying well” is an integral part of Christian life. The UMC believes that in dying, we must do the best we can to proclaim Christ’s glory and that,” It is important for Methodists to show their family, friends, and others that they remain believing and committed Christians even if they are suffering.” Trying to control death in a late, modern, hyper-individualistic way – or being afraid of pain – is contrary to what the church considers its great tradition.
The church also opposes euthanasia, although there is no requirement that the terminally ill avail themselves of every possible treatment so long as their actions are not intended to hasten death, believing that there is a difference between not needlessly extending the dying process and accelerating it.
- Atheists and those with no religious affiliation (Nones)
The Pew Charitable Trust (PCT) has performed a commendable service by providing a compilation of the views of major religious bodies regarding EOL choice. Also, the PCT has done extensive research on those with no religious affiliation, generally known as “Nones.” They have investigated Atheists, those not believing in a god or higher authority.
As of 2023, it was difficult to get a reliable figure for Americans who identify as Atheist. The numbers vary among different populations, in different states, and they appear to be rapidly rising. As of last year, 26 percent of the US population currently describe themselves as “Nones,” while those who describe themselves as “Atheist” are estimated to be 16 percent of the total.
Despite religious teachings, people facing the end of their lives must make their own personal decisions.
(Please scroll down to comment.)
Final Exit Network (FEN) is a network of dedicated professionals and caring, trained volunteers who support mentally competent adults as they navigate their end-of-life journey. Established in 2004, FEN seeks to educate qualified individuals in practical, peaceful ways to end their lives, offer a compassionate bedside presence and defend a person’s right to choose. For more information, go to www.finalexitnetwork.org.
Payments and donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Final Exit Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Enter your email address to receive these posts in your inbox each week:
This is very informative. Thanks for providing all of this information. I think important to note that the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the leadership of Reform Rabbis, produced a long document Medical Assistance in Dying, a couple of years ago, that does support medical aid in dying.
LifeWay, an evangelical Christian research organization, found that 42% of evangelicals surveyed agreed with the statement: “Physicians should be allowed to assist terminally ill patients in ending their life.”