Childhood Euthanasia: IsThis Secularism's Final Nail into the Casket of God's Natural Law?

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

by Larry Peterson

I think that the plague of secularism that has engulfed the entire world  possibly reached its optimal success last February. The highly civilized country of Belgium passed a law allowing children to choose to euthanize themselves.  The final seal of approval was placed on this bill by none other than King Philippe himself.  Yes, the Roman Catholic King of Belgium, Philippe Louis Leopold Marie, signed the bill making it official.  Belgian children can kill themselves if they have "good reason".  (They also need a physician, a psychologist, and the parent(s) to approve their request).

I, like King Philippe,  am also a Roman Catholic.  I know many people who are Roman Catholics . You know what?   Ironically, much of the anti-Catholic sentiment comes from those who say they are Catholic.  Many approve of abortion, contraception and gay marriage.  Heck, Belgium is a 75% Catholic country and they voted by a 2 to 1 majority for the Child Euthanasia Law.  But you cannot pick & choose what parts of the faith you like and do not like, especially when it comes to the sanctity of life.

 It is NOT easy being Catholic and God knows that. So all He asks us to do is try, try every day.  We Catholics have confession for a good reason and that is because we are always messing up.  But then you have the secularized Catholics, an oxymoron if ever there was one.  You cannot truly "love your neighbor" if you, conditions permitting, would sanction death whether through abortion or euthanasia.  The sanctity of life is God-given.  God has the power to give life and to take life.  Whenever did so many of our species get so smart that laws were enacted  giving people  the individual "right" to end the God-given life of someone else?  

This, my friends, is an abomination of the Natural Law which was established by God and is "naturally" ingrained in each of us.  We instinctively know what is right and what is wrong.  C'mon, you know you do. But how many of us go against the Natural Law because we have been desensitized to the point that we delude ourselves into thinking  something 'unnatural' is okay because it has been legalized.  Adhering to Natural Law often times involves self-denial.   However, secularism is the twisted religion of self-gratification. To hell with self-denial.

There are many high profile secularized folks who also call themselves Catholics.  Let us start with King Phillipe of Belgium.  He calls himself a Catholic but signs a law allowing children to kill themselves. Sorry King, you cannot have it both ways and you are supposed to set example.  The church you belong to rejects euthanasia as intrinsically evil.  You, therefore, have rejected Catholicism. You are a secularist and so are all those who helped pass the bill that you signed.  End of story.

The State of Oregon passed the "Death with Dignity" Act in 1997.  Washington, Montana and Vermont have also passed Euthanasia laws.  Belgium passed their euthanasia law in 2002, the second highly civilized nation to do so (The Netherlands was first).  In 2011, 1133 cases of euthanasia were reported in Belgium. In  2012, 1432. That figure represents 2% of all deaths in that country.  Statistics show that the suicide rate of those who have undergone sex change surgery is as high as 31%. Why such despair?  Why such hopelessness?

I really believe it is because many have the misguided and illogical notion that our happiness depends on "things".  Good health, money, position and material goods have become the god that never satisfies. Worshipping those things are the violation of the God’s First Commandment. Secularism honors the god of hopelessness and despair. The God of mercy and love has been rejected for a false god.  And, after all those self-inflicted deaths, they pass a euthanasia law for children.  How sad this is.

King Philippe is one of many highly placed people who have embraced secularism and then pretend that they are being virtuous by giving approval to all things for all people.  Legalization of drugs, of abortion, of euthanasia, of same-sex marriage, are all the result of a civilized society that has deluded itself into a false happiness.  This false happiness is never attained and ultimately leads people off a cliff into a sea of misery. Those that might have the "temerity" to say "NO" are branded as intolerant.  At least those folks can still sport a truthful smile even though it might have cost them defilement and persecution to keep it.

One final thought. Imagine a child of seven or eight years old who has a terrible disease that can lead to long term disability, many surgeries and no human guarantee of survival. Yet, many children with the same disease have survived and led full lives. Now imagine the doctor advising the parents that their child will have to endure years of torment and that they have an option. How hard would it be for those parents to talk their child into accepting euthanasia because, “you will never hurt again and mommy and daddy will be with you through the whole thing.”

How far we have come in our civilized world.