Ethics and Religion Talk: Does Medical Intervention Subvert God's Will?

Dr Sahibzada, the Director of Islamic Center and Imam of the Mosque of Grand Rapids, responds:

“God has Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Authority of power over everything. He has created life and death to determine who does righteous deeds. No one knows life’s age, where, when someone is going to die and how. All is in God’s hands. When death comes it will never be delayed for a fraction of moment.

“Humans think that they are prolonging life, but it is fixed term and God has its knowledge. No one can save oneself from death and there is no cure for death. Every soul will taste death. Final moment of humans’ life is determined.

“Humans perceive they can prolong life, but it is not in their hands. Life must traverse certain passage to its end in each individual case. God has determined end time and He is the only authority to prolong or shorten it.

“God has bestowed limited options to humankind to put all efforts to cure life’s intricacies in accordance to capacity level. Results will be at par with efforts one has put in, but the end time approaches and all efforts also come to an end.”

The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds:

“Medicine seems to be always advancing the cutting edge, and it is often outpacing religious, ethical and moral beliefs. Unitarian Universalists believe all medical decisions are best made between the patient and their doctor. We do not believe in prolonging life at all cost and I think most of us would reject extraordinary measures merely to keep someone alive. We value the quality of life and we value our right to make our own end of life decisions.”

Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds:

Hinduism rejects the idea of a human-like judge who makes seemingly arbitrary decisions as to things such as our death. Our life span is decided by any number of factors, most of them karmic. By that, I mean, for the most part, our past actions in this lifetime. This includes our diet, exercise habits, connection to support systems, education, wealth, etc. Obviously, there are factors that are beyond our control such as genetics, environmental pollution, civil strife, war, and so forth. When we change our present actions we can change our future. Therefore, it is not a stretch to say that a person who seems to be close to death from a heart attack might alter that outcome by having surgery. This not much different from a person whose life might be in danger due to obesity starting to moderate his or her diet and adding physical activity to the daily routine. By doing so life may be extended.

To be clear, I am not advocating life extension for its own sake. These are evaluations that must be judiciously made by individuals and their families. In these times, when medical machinery can keep a person alive long after they have lost any semblance of their former life, I consider it a moral imperative for each adult to make their wishes known well in advance of the need for any decision.

Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds:

God has indeed decreed for every one of us when and how we shall die: ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’ (Hebrews 9:27). But such things are not known to us. That means that we need to consult God’s Word and pray for guidance when we address ‘end of life’ questions, such as the use of ‘heroic’ or ‘extraordinary’ measures to prolong the life of our bodies.

Those who are prepared to die and appear before the judgment seat of Christ have no reason to cling to this earthly life at all costs. The Apostle Paul declared, ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21). He felt himself ‘in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you”’(v. 23, 24), that is, the Christians whom he had led to faith by his preaching. He was convinced that God still had work for him to do on earth.

So what do you have to gain by these ‘extraordinary measures?’ What purpose will it serve to prolong your days on earth? Nothing in God’s Word requires or forbids you to use such means. What matters most is to live and die as a Christian, as one reconciled to God by the death of His Son, and an heir to everlasting life.

This column answers questions of Ethics and Religion by submitting them to a multi-faith panel of spiritual leaders in the Grand Rapids area. We’d love to hear about the ordinary ethical questions that come up in the course of your day as well as any questions of religion that you’ve wondered about. Tell us how you resolved an ethical dilemma and see how members of the Ethics and Religion Talk panel would have handled the same situation. Please send your questions to [email protected].