Posted: March 18th, 2022

DB 3 The case study “A Difficult Death” is about a family who struggles to deal with a father’s decision

Reply 2:
DB 3

The case study “A Difficult Death” is about a family who struggles to deal with a father’s decision to endure a slow and painful death with pancreatic cancer. Dave, the husband to Mary, was a typically healthy man. They deceived their only daughter, Bethany, by telling her that this cancer was not life threatening. This benevolent deception was used to spare the emotions of their daughter. After undergoing chemotherapy, He chose to stop the chemotherapy and die a natural death. Dave always taught Bethany to never give up on anything. Bethany was furious with her father for making the decision to give up on life. Mary asked Dave’s physician if there was any way in which his death could be sped up. It was clear that Bethany’s relationship with her father was deteriorating just as the cancer was doing to Dave’s body.

Carson discusses (1) Is it right to forgo reasonable medical treatment and thus die more quickly than would otherwise be the case (Dave)? (2) Is it ever right to take active steps to hasten death (Mary)? (Kilner, 2011) These questions were very logical. Suicide assisted suicide and euthanasia (Kilner, 2011) are essentially the main sins being assessed. The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is—self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die. (gotquestions.org) Dave did not want to suffer through chemo, but Mary did not want Dave or Bethany to suffer. God never intended for his people to suffer, let alone die. On the broad canvas of Scripture, death is not normal. It is the result of sins or judgements of God. (Kilner, 2011) It is not known whether Dave committed a sin to deserve cancer, but we do know that they were children of God. Carson says, “Their approach to death and suffering ought to be transparently different from that of unbelievers. (Kilner, 2011) They should know that in Revelations 21:4 that Dave will not have to suffer for much longer before he receives his reward in heaven.

Robert D. Orr and Susan Salladay cover the patient-professional relationship. They both agree that Dave should have had a personal physician even when he was in good health. This would have given them more religious comfort and confidence in decision making. Seven C. Roy covers Pastoral Care and slow death vs sudden death. Slow death may not be very desirable, but they give the pastors time to be with their members before dying. Dave is justified for not wanting to suffer more than what he must. Mary should just allow him to die slowly because it also allows the family time to heal and accept everything. Example: when we are rocked by the storms of life we need an anchor to hold onto and that anchor is our faith. We get to make our own decisions and our own choices through God words. God’s word has given us some direction for dealing with difficult situations and circumstances and that includes times when we are faced with a tragic or difficult death.

References

1. Kilmer, J. F. (Ed.). (2011). Why the church needs bioethics: A guide to wise engagement with

life’s challenges. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

2. The Holy Bible (NIV). www.biblegateway.com. Accessed: February 23, 2020

3. What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide? https://monkessays.com/write-my-essay/gotquestions.org/suicide-Bible-Christian.htmt. Accessed: February 23, 2020

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