Whose Life Is It Anyway?

One of the issues facing all humans in civilized societies today is how do you deal with a human whose quality of life has gotten so bad and circumstances so awful that they are begging to die. It seems very likely that physician-assisted suicide (PAS) will be available to everyone in the near future. Holland has already adopted it and is practicing it, and Oregon is leading the charge in the United States to make it available here. There are compelling arguments in support of PAS, especially if you or someone you love is in constant pain and ready to go and be with the Lord. This 60-page booklet is an excellent discussion of those arguments.

Chamberlain begins with stories of two ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) patients, one of whom commits suicide with the aid of her physician and one who does not. These two cases frame the study of PAS in the book. He defines terms and then considers whether being a Christian makes a difference in this problem and discusses the issues with great clarity One device he uses is a "debate" between two people who disagree on the subject. By doing this, he gives a fair presentation to the pro-PAS side.

After a thorough discussion of the issues, Chamberlain offers alternatives to PAS. His suggestions are practical and useful. This book helps do that and has useful sources available to the reader as well. We recommend it highly.

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, JanFeb03.