Dying to Control
Accepting Death Should Not Mean Assisting It
Throughout the modern Western world, the practice of assisted dying is being increasingly accepted as a normal and “dignified” way to depart from this life. There are many reasons for this seemingly unprecedented shift. They include, among other things, the rise of what Philip Rieff termed the “therapeutic society,” in which the main ethical criterion is whether an action conduces to a feeling of well-being, and the related loss of a culture that regards suffering as a uniquely “generative” experience—that is, an experience that leads to personal growth for all involved.
It is not the purpose of this article, however, to explore each of these developments in depth. Rather, my intention is to provide some much-needed clarity to an otherwise confused and hostile discussion. To this end, I will attempt to articulate how the practice of assisted dying should be rightly understood (if it is to be engaged with critically) and how its widespread acceptance and use threatens to have a negative impact on society—specifically, on our society’s capacity to love the “unlovable,” and therefore to love at all.
Selfless & Unitive Love
THIS ARTICLE ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
FOR QUICK ACCESS:
Adrian Keri is a teacher and academic based in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
A Journal of Mere Christianity—Delivered to Your Door
- Essays on theology, culture, and the Church
- Contributors from across the Christian traditions
Six print issues (one year) of Touchstone, plus full online access and PDF downloads for only $39.95.
Get a one-year full-access subscription to the Touchstone online archives for only $19.95.
bulk subscriptions
Order Touchstone subscriptions in bulk and save $10 per sub! Each subscription includes 6 issues of Touchstone plus full online access to touchstonemag.com—including archives, videos, and pdf downloads of recent issues for only $29.95 each! Great for churches or study groups.
Transactions will be processed on a secure server.
more from the online archives
18.8—October 2005
European Islam & the Doubtful Future of Christian Europe by William Murchison
22.5—June 2009
C. S. Lewis on Civilization & the Natural Order by Timothy L. Hall
26.1—Jan/Feb 2013
on Abortion as a Matter of National Welfare by W. Ross Blackburn
calling all readers
Please Donate
"There are magazines worth reading but few worth saving . . . Touchstone is just such a magazine."
—Alice von Hildebrand
"Here we do not concede one square millimeter of territory to falsehood, folly, contemporary sentimentality, or fashion. We speak the truth, and let God be our judge. . . . Touchstone is the one committedly Christian conservative journal."
—Anthony Esolen, Touchstone senior editor
