Reimaging Xianity in the wake of Modernism's passing
Do we have a duty to die?
Even more so than sex, Death in the West is taboo.
We don’t talk about death.
We don’t discuss death.
We have convinced ourselves that we must stay alive at all costs.
(no matter the quality of life or thought to the effects upon others)
Death disjoints us. Scares us. Kills us.
Should it?
In a very humble and humanizing article, John Hardwig asks a very pointed, but necessary question: “Do we have a duty to die?” He says that our individualistic fantasy and our ridiculous wealth and medical technology have somehow tricked us into thinking we are exempt from a duty to die. (Or even an acceptance and embrace of death – though that is a post for another day)
But have wealth and technology really exempted us? Or are they, on the contrary, about to make a duty to die common again? We like to think of modern medicine as all triumph with no dark side.
Our medicine saves many lives and enables most of us to live longer. That is wonderful, indeed. We are all glad to have access to this medicine. But our medicine also delivers most of us over to chronic illnesses and it enables many of us to survive longer than we can take care of ourselves, longer than we know what to do with ourselves, longer than we even are ourselves.
Give the article a once-over. For you Christians, ask yourself what place life and death have in the Kingdom of God. Should we continue to climb technology’s Tower of Babel without regard to God or others?
John Hardwig – Do We have a Duty to Die?
If you want, click the “read more” link for a set of reading/discussion questions.
- Did Captain Oates do the morally correct thing?
- Why do you think lifeboat cases make for bad ethics?
- Is the use of medical technology always a good thing?
- Should we postpone death at all costs?
- What do you think about his notion of the "individualistic fantasy?"
- If our lives are as intertwined as Hardwig says, is a duty to protect them extended to our very lives? (p.35)
- Could someone argue that it is not just the medically imperiled that deserve to be cut off from the community?
- Could it be the case that there are more options than just allowing death and extending treatment?
- Is the duty to protect the members of our immediate community extended over their time and income? Or is it just their health?
- Is he wrong in terms of monetary evaluations?
- What are the objections he lists to the duty to die?
- Do you buy them? Do you buy his response to them?
- Is death the greatest evil?
- Do you agree with Hardwig that "we fear death too much?" p. 40
- What are the pros of such a position according to Hardwig? p. 40 and onward
- Do you buy into them?
- Is "life without connection meaningless?"
- Is Hardwig correct when he says "death is so difficult for us partly because our sense of community is so weak"?
About the author
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Bellah on Community and Individualism
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If we are not to have a self that hangs in the void, slowly twisting in the wind, these are issues we cannot ignore. – Robert Bellah
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about 4 months ago
One thing I always find fascinating about “death” is how atheists use it, as well as disease and physical pain, to justify their unbelief in God and their assault upon him. Not saying the guy in the article does this in anyway since I've yet to read it, but atheists feel like death is an enemy but they have no reason to view death in such a way. Well, that is except for some selfish reason to avoid pain. I think of Dr. Soran from Star Trek: Generations (except he speaks of time as the “predator,” not death). Yet he is willing to kill billions to escape death
But one thing I love about Christianity is that death is very much an enemy. And through the resurrection God has defeated that enemy. If death were a tiger, the large cat has been declawed and is missing its teeth. If death were a soldier, the soldier's weapons have been removed. In fact, death has been utterly rendered powerless and at the resurrection of God's people on the Last Day, it will itself die, death will turn in on itself. Atheism does not hold out that hope, that death will be defeated and the need of medicines will not be needed.
But as I write this, I cannot help but think that medicine and technology, viewed through my Christian lens, reminds me that God will defeat death and that God will prolong the life of his people forever.
The danger comes in when we pursue life in this present evil age at the cost of showing how much greater the life God has promised in the resurrection will be and when it comes at the cost of our fellow image-bearers. Our pursuit of life should be to show how great a gift it is from God. If we become selfish in pursuing life in this age, we are not showing the true value of life. Just my thoughts without having read the whole article.
about 4 months ago
Agreed, without God and his victory over and through death, death has teeth.
I disagree with you concerning medical technology. I liken it to Empire, which is Humanity living for itself instead of for God. Medical technology, when it runs amok, is humanity saying to God – I choose, not You.
And like Empire, we are really good at technology – especially technology turned inward – to the self.
Now, I'd also say that, just as though human organization can be a good thing, and so can medical technology. But there comes a point when it can run too counter to God.
about 4 months ago
Not disagreeing with what you said about medicine in terms of being used from a wholly selfish point of view. Like I said, if medicine is being used to selfishly prolong life because one does not have the hope of life that God has provided in the resurrection, then I stand up with you in arms against the Empire that is medicine.
Mainly I was trying to redeem medicine from the Empire and put it in the service of the true Kyrios. As Paul says, all things can be redeemed with prayer and thanksgiving; even technology and medicine.
about 4 months ago
And, I'd agree with you. It *can* be a powerful reminder of the redemptive ability. I like the active attempt to move it from Empire to Basileia.