The Sucide Diaries: Part Quatre

Written May 7, 2005 at the R2D Symposium

I’m at a symposium organized by our church on the right to die. The panel consists of Pastor William Girao, Dr. Ken and Atty. Tess (can’t remember their surnames. I’m so used to calling them Kuya Ken and Ate Tess). We’re going to discuss the Right to Die and I’m guessing that this idea is just one of those reactions to the Terry Schiavo case. Most of the crowd is people from the morning service. Salve and me are the only students around.

I turned down a date with my best pal to attend this thing. I’ve always been against euthanasia and along with abortion, it is one of things I don’t pass up the opportunity to learn more and voice my opinions. Another reason that I’m here is because I sense suicide will be discussed too. This ought to help me in my research.
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Pastor Girao, whom many call Manong Willie (for those of you who’re wondering, “Manong” is used to show respect to people older than you just like “Kuya” and “Ate”) but I’m not comfortable calling him that, opened the symposium by reviewing the Schiavo case and making the point that the Church should be relevant to society. He said, “An issue of society is an issue of the Church. We cannot be singing choruses when the world is grappling with life and death issues. The Church must be relevant to society.” I loved it when he said that. After giving us a few more reasons why it was good to be there, he asked Atty. Tess to talk about euthanasia from the legal viewpoint.

She walked through some legal stuff (duh Kristina!) on murder and homicide, both which are characterized by premeditation and malice (goodness, it’s hard to write about these things when a lawyer is reading your blog… hi there :)…sorry I didn’t take very good notes here). Commiting/attempting suicide is not punishable by law but assisting someone in their suicide is. She walked through a couple of euthanasia cases from the United States. Found out that there has been no court case in the Philippines about euthanasia. She can’t say that euthanasia in the Philippines is legal but at the same time she can’t say it’s illegal. There are no specific laws dealing with the issue yet.

Kuya Ken talked about the six types of euthanasia and the medical ethics concerning the issue. It’s ethical to withdraw life-sustaining machines if the patient is brain dead or if it is the consensus of the family and medical staff that there is no hope. This is passive euthanasia. A patient may refuse further medical treatment and there’s nothing the doctor can do. Active euthanasia (basically means that it’s the physician’s prerogative) is not legal anywhere. Physician- assisted suicide is when a patient asks and the physician prescribes a medicine (usually a sedative) that will cause death if the patient chooses to take the prescription. The doctor isn’t liable for the prescription. If I have my notes right (everything’s so messy!!!), this type is legal in the Netherlands and some places in Europe.

Finally Pastor Girao discussed euthanasia and suicide from the Bible viewpoint. He said that the Bible has no particular comment on euthanasia and suicide but we can study the passages dealing on life etc. In principle, the Bible is all for the preservation of life. Jesus raised the dead and commanded us to not withhold food from the hungry and water from the thirsty. In the sixth commandment we are commanded not to murder or shed human blood for we are created in the very image of God. This dictates our worth as a human being, not any abnormality, infirmity or vegetative state. Euthanasia and suicide underscore God’s sovereignity. God, the Source and Giver of life, has the sole right to terminate a life. Euthanasia argues an autonomy that humans being don’t have in the first place. Adam and Eve asserted their autonomy and were cast from the Garden. The tower of Babel was asserting humanity’s autonomy from God but look what happened. We are dependent on the air we breathe and on food and water. “The right to die is therefore a product of secularism and whose other side is the right to live. Both are two sides of the same coin” He talked about abortion for some time here. We all have a responsibility to others and to God. Suicide is premeditated and planned and therefore is murder and is under the sixth commandment. So although the Bible seems silent on suicide, the sixth law covers it. There is also a thin line between euthanasia and murder. In conclusion, Pastor Girao read some quotes and Scripture, which stressed the sanctity of life and God’s sovereignty.

Shortly into the interactive discussion between the audience and the panel, Pastor Girao asserted that suicide does not automatically mean damnation.
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It feels like I hit two birds with one stone here. I got to learn about euthanasia, suicide, abortion and my churchmates. :)

Okay, so one does not automatically send oneself to hell by killing oneself. It is certainly a sin. But not an unforgivable sin. Is there such thing as an unforgivable sin? Yes there isGod has the sovereign right to schedule our checkout times. Chew, chew, chew… Tomorrow, I’ll write the last installment.

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This whole thing reflects how messy my notes are. I should’ve brought a tape recorder instead. I can’t even understand some of my notes!