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WHAT WE BELIEVE
Bringing peace closer

Reuben Pauls

When we come to Article 14 on “The Sanctity of Human Life”, we realize how much our Confession of Faith has been revised from previous versions to address significant issues in the surrounding culture.

Our Confession of Faith articulates clearly that each human life is created “in God’s image”. In discussing this in my comments on Article 3 (see the Nov. 9, 2001 issue of the MB Herald), I stressed the “togetherness of God’s image” – male and female together comprising the image of God. Here we talk about each person individually being a reflection of God’s image. This makes clear that all human life has significance and value in God’s eyes. What we need to ask ourselves is simple: Do we see other humans as God sees them?

Further in Article 14, we make a reference to “devalued life”. Fifty years ago, we would have found it unthinkable that child sacrifice such as was practiced in Old Testament times (and was condemned forcefully by God’s prophets) might exist within a civilized modern society. Yet the ancient evil practice of child sacrifice is paralleled by today’s widespread evil practice of abortion.

Article 14 goes on to address the issue of God’s sovereignty in matters of life and death. We state clearly that such decisions are “God’s”. We then move on to attempt to explain how far-reaching God’s sovereignty is. It is a fine line. We say that procedures which assist death are contrary to our common practice, but we also find indefinite continuation of life to have limits. What are those limits? At issue here, at least in part, is whether or not someone chooses to “pull the plug” when a certain point is reached.

I recall a situation not long ago where a family struggled with putting a family member “on life-support”. The discussion included questions such as, “If we put him on, will we be faced with a much more difficult decision later, if he deteriorates?” “What quality of life will he have if he comes through this ordeal?” and “Will we only defer the inevitable?” All these are important considerations when we address the issue of life as “highly valued by God”. After much prayer and soul-searching, the decision was made to not put the family member on life-support. (This was also the counsel of the doctor.)

In some ways, these decisions were not as acute prior to medical advances. Many people simply died, and we had to come to grips with loss and death. One wonders in this context if the story of Hezekiah does not help us. Isaiah 38-39 records the story of a king who felt it better that his life be extended. God granted his request, only to allow Hezekiah the misery of realizing that the kingdom he valued so highly would be taken from his successors.

When we think of prolonging life, we must ask ourselves: For whose benefit? Also to be asked is the question: Are we taking God’s prerogative from Him?

Asking serious ethical issues is addressed in the last paragraph. Isolation is not the place to make life and death decisions. The community of faith is a much better context in which to ask these “thorny” questions. If a decision is made within the faith community to try to have life extended, where better than in the community to find the necessary support to back up such a decision? If the decision is made to allow death to come more quickly, where better than the faith community to find support in the midst of grief? What is evident in this Article is this: Ethical decisions are community issues for Mennonite Brethren. Hope, healing, support and care are to be found in the fellowship of believers.

Reuben Pauls is pastor of River of Life Church in Sorrento, B.C. and former executive minister for the Canadian MB Conference.

CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN CONFERENCES OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES Article 14

The Sanctity of Human Life We believe that all human life belongs to God. Each person is created in the image of God and ought to be celebrated and nurtured. Because God is creator, the author and giver of life, we oppose all actions and attitudes which devalue human life. The unborn, disabled, poor, aging and dying are particularly vulnerable to such injustices. Christ calls the people of all nations to care for the defenseless. God values human life highly. Ultimate decisions regarding life and death belong to God. Therefore, we hold that procedures designed to take life, including abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide, are an affront to God’s sovereignty. We esteem the life-sustaining findings of medical science, but recognize that there are limits to the value of seeking to sustain life indefinitely. In all complex ethical decisions regarding life and death, we seek to offer hope and healing, support and counsel in the context of the Christian community. Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Exodus 20:13; Job 31:15; Psalm 139:13-16; Amos 1-2; Matthew 6:25-27; Matthew 25:31-46; John 10:11. View complete Confession of Faith

 
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Last modified June 13, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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