That was the title and the message of a recent article in the AARP magazine. This very emotional and sad story told of the struggle that Colleen had with cancer, and her ultimate decision to take her own life with "dignity." Her decision had been legalized by the state of Oregon and twice approved by the voters of Oregon. Even though the Federal government, under the direction of Attorney General Aschroft, has directed the Drug Enforcement Agency to forbid doctors to write prescriptions that would carry out Colleen's wishes, the "Death with Dignity Act" gave her explicit permission to commit suicide.
Did Colleen have the "right" to choose?
The loud, bold, all-consuming mantra of our Western society seems to be: "the right to choose." A woman has the "right" to an abortion. Homosexuals have the "right" to their lifestyle. Everyone has the "right" to "do" anything that "feels right."
Did Colleen make the "right" choice?
Were it not for the authority of God over our lives as Creator and Owner of all things (Isaiah 45:5-12), man would have "total" choice freedom. Where do our "standards" come from? If from the statistical norms or the popular vote of society, then Colleen has indeed made a "right" choice. If, however, authority over man rests in the Creator of man in the "image of God," then Colleen made a "wrong" choice. Ultimately, all the issues of life begin with our conscious "choice" about who "God" really is (Romans 1:18-25).
ICR wants to help the "Colleens" of our world understand the true "liberty" that is found in the Creator (Romans 8:20-21; Galatians 5:1). That freedom starts with a belief in the God of Creation (Hebrews 11:3,6) and grows with the knowledge of His Word (Colossians 2:2-10).
The enemies of God and His Word are many and powerful. We are not intimidated (I John 4:4), but the opposition is very real (I Corinthians 16:9). Will you help us in this intense battle? We need your financial support as well as your prayer support. Please contact me if I can be of help.
