Everyday Bioethics

In general, people do not simply wish to die, they wish to die peacefully, without pain and suffering. While this goal should be lauded, there is much confusion over the best means to achieving a peaceful death. The option of assisted suicide or euthanasia is increasingly becoming a possibility for many individuals both in the U.S. and abroad. From a Christian standpoint, these options are unethical in that they intentionally hasten, participate in, or assist in one's death. There are however, many ethical options to help individuals “die well” including palliative medicine and hospice care. The patient and their families may be faced with many challenging circumstances and decisions concerning end of life care during this time. The purpose of this section is to provide resources that will help individuals understand options available to them at the end-of-life as well as to provide clarity to aid in decision making from a Christian standpoint during this challenging time.