Question

Three months ago, a 14-year-old girl was hit by a truck while riding her bike and suffered severe head trauma. She remains comatose and on a mechanical ventilator and is receiving tube feedings and hydration. She is unresponsive to sharp and intense pain, and the neurologist does not expect her to recover from her coma. She has developed pneumonia, and given her poor prognosis, the neurologist does not recommend treating the pneumonia but instead recommends discontinuing treatment. Her mother has accepted the child’s pending death and would like to withdraw treatment. Her father believes the child’s life is in God’s hands and wants to continue treatment.

Question 1: Describe the theological argument against suicide and apply it to support continued treatment in this case.

Answer 1

Comatose stage: A condition characterised by the sate coma.Coma is a state of sleep from which one may not wake up, usually induced by some form of trauma.

Euthanasia

The practice of intentionally and painlessly killing a human or animal for humane reasons, especially in order to end great suffering or poor quality of life.

Passive Euthanasia is done by withholding treatment necessary for the continuation of life (with ir without the consent of patient).

1. Theological argument against suicide

Suicide is an intentional killing of oneself. According to theological perspective, whether it is a suicide or Euthanasia( physician assisted suicide or physician assisted death) intentional end is to stop the life of a person and to invite death and in Euthanasia patient and physician both are involved in the process. The act is considered as an offense against God, to own self and the society.

In Bible, 3 situations are recorded on suicide. The details of the persons who committed suicide( 3 persons) shows that they have gone against the purpose of God and in their own understanding they ended their life without consulting others. In Christian theology Suicide or killing oneself or others is a sin, an against God. Humans don't have authority to take away the God given life.

Many countries Euthanasia or physician assisted death is not legal, the people need to take special court orders for that. In most of the United States also Euthanasia is not legal. It is legal in 9 states in US.

To support continued treatment: The patient's father is willing to continue the treatment and he is not believing in Physician assisted death. There are cases , in which the coma patients came out from the unconscious state to life and recovery. Christian theology is totally opposed to any form of suicide. Only the provider of life(God) can taken away it. So the withdrawal of doctor's decision can be a salute for the loving and optimistic father. Otherwise rest of the life the parents of the client may worried about their act of giving permission to kill their daughter.