Euthanasia Extremism

In my most recent post, I wrote about my daughter, who has autism. Shortly before that, a headline about how the Netherlands is euthanizing autistic and intellectually handicapped people naturally caught my attention.

I would guess that many, if not most, people understandably have an immediate visceral reaction to the term “euthanasia;” I am one of them. That’s why it’s good to clearly define some terms at the outset. There are differences, for example, between euthanasia, assisted suicide, and assisted dying; the third term is an umbrella term for the first two. Additionally, there is a difference between passive and active euthanasia. In a post a couple of years ago, I wrote that a Biblical case can be made for passive euthanasia, which refers to the intentional withdrawing or withholding of treatment in the case of someone who is dying, meaning someone who has a short estimated time remaining as determined by medical professionals. You can read more about that here: https://keithpetersenblog.com/2020/10/22/when-is-it-right-to-die/

In the article that I mentioned in the first paragraph, it is very clear that what is being referred to in the Netherlands is assisted suicide; in other words, the autistic (including five under the age of 30!) and intellectually handicapped people being referred to have wanted to die and have been assisted in doing so. Reasons for this expressed desire included:

• social isolation and loneliness (77%)
• lack of resilience or coping strategies (56%)
• lack of flexibility (rigid thinking or difficulty adapting to change) (44%)
• oversensitivity to stimuli (26%)

These and other related reasons were the sole cause of suffering described in 21% of cases and a major contributing factor in an additional 42% of cases. (I should add that I have seen all four of these to varying degrees and at varying times in relation to my daughter.) In one-third of cases, physicians had noted there was “no prospect of improvement” as autism and intellectual disability are not treatable. (This is patently untrue; even though autism, for example, cannot be cured, there is most definitely “prospect for improvement!”) Here is a link to the article: https://www.foxnews.com/world/netherlands-euthanizing-autistic-intellectually-handicapped-people-researcher-finds

Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, a palliative-care specialist and one of the lead authors of the Kingston University report cited in the article, found that Dutch doctors were legally killing patients who wanted to die because their disability prevented them from leading a “normal life,” including difficulty in making social connections. She said, “There’s no doubt in my mind these people were suffering. But is society really OK with sending this message, that there’s no other way to help them, and it’s just better to be dead?”

Tuffrey-Wijne’s quote gets at the heart of the matter; yes, people with autism and other intellectual disabilities suffer in ways that the rest of us don’t. However, do we want to tell them that assisted suicide is a viable option–especially if the government makes such an option legal? Shouldn’t we instead be seeking to provide them with the help they need, including explicit training?

Taking it a step further: don’t all of us suffer in various ways? When people are diagnosed with clinical depression, for example, do we want to tell them that assisted suicide is an option? Don’t we instead want to give them plenty of opportunity to express themselves, as difficult as it may be for us to enter their darkness?

When I first read about euthanasia in the 1970s, it was proposed as a “solution” for those who were undergoing severe physical suffering, almost always near the end of life. Although I didn’t agree with it, I could at least understand it. Now we have a country (the Netherlands) that allows it to be used in cases of people with autism and intellectual handicaps. Lest you think that it can never happen in the U.S., ten states plus the District of Columbia have so-called Death with Dignity laws. Thankfully, provisions in those laws do not apply to those with various mental disabilities. However, our neighbor immediately to the north is on the verge of adopting a law very similar to what the Netherlands has, so don’t think it can’t happen here.

Ultimately, autists and intellectually handicapped people, along with the rest of us, need the hope that only Jesus Christ can offer. In addition, we need to have a Biblical understanding of suffering. The vast majority of us believers are probably not going to be martyred for our faith, but here are two verses that directly link suffering and hope: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3,4) Here’s another verse about suffering, which is part of a passage about the hope for all of creation: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

On a personal note, my wife, daughter, and I are part of the same very loving church, and that love is most definitely extended by our brothers and sisters to our autistic daughter. May all of us who profess the name of Christ live out our love for Him, including to those with various intellectual disabilities.