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defeated at the cross, as Paul writes, "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor
15:54).
A theological understanding of the meaning and significance of death can lead us
to the concept of a "good death." In their book entitled, Dying Well, the authors describe
this in ideal terms, "...ending one's days in old age, relieved of disabling pain,
surrounded by friends and family, attended by sensitive caregivers, reconciled with all
persons... at peace with God" (Vaux and Vaux 1996, 11). Obviously this statement
describes an ideal situation and treats the subject as it pertains to geriatrics, but the
principle is valid and applicable for any situation. It is a worthy goal that patients who
are facing death at any age might be relieved of pain, surrounded by competent and
considerate caregivers, and above all, reconciled with God and others.
We should not confuse this concept, however, with modern notions of a "right to
die" or physician-assisted suicide (PAS). An editorial in Christianity Today (February 5,
2001, 26-27) underscores subtle advances with respect to euthanasia that have come
about recently. In Holland, a new euthanasia law extends the right to die to 16-year-olds
without parental consent. The writer adds,
In Germany, the moral memory of Aktion T4, Hitler's euthanasia law, is
still alive. But the Dutch seem to have forgotten that Hitler's regime first
sharpened its execution skills and tested its gas chambers on sick children
and disabled adults from 1939 to 1941 before it applied its new technical
expertise to Jews at Auschwitz and Treblinka.
Before any might object on the grounds that the above comparison of PAS with Hitler is
too harsh, the editor provides evidence that just 2 or 3 percent of terminally ill patients in
Holland have voluntarily opted for euthanasia. Further, turning his attention to the work
of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, autopsy results indicate that perhaps a mere 25 percent of