Medical Assistance in Dying: The Next Frontier in Defending the Sanctity of Life

By Sharayah Colter

February 24, 2026

The phrases “pro-life” and “sanctity of life” often bring to mind the effort to protect unborn children and oppose abortion. Yet while many Christians have focused on defending life at its earliest stages, another deeply concerning practice has gained traction: physician-assisted suicide. Also known commonly as Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) or euthanasia (with some distinctions in terminology), this practice challenges the sanctity and value of human life and rejects God’s authority over both its beginning and its end.

The rise of MAiD is not theoretical—it is measurable and accelerating. In 2016, Canada reported 1,018 deaths from assisted suicide. By 2024, that number had risen dramatically to 16,499. What was once dismissed as unthinkable or alarmist has now become normalized. As of 2026, medical aid in dying is authorized in 13 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

Language has played a significant role in this cultural shift. Just as the pro-abortion movement adopted terms like “pro-choice” and “reproductive rights,” advocates of assisted suicide often use phrases such as “death with dignity” or “the right to die.” While these terms may soften the perception, they do not change the moral reality. Renaming practices that end human life does not lessen their gravity. Whether through abortion or euthanasia, the intentional taking of life remains a profound moral issue.

This is no longer a fringe debate. MAiD is now responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide—not only among those who claim to choose it, but also, in some cases, among vulnerable individuals influenced, pressured, or forced by others.

Who Has Authority Over Life and Death?

For Christians, Scripture is the ultimate authority on ethical questions. The Bible teaches that God is the author of life—from creation, when He formed man from the dust and breathed life into him, to every conception in the womb. Humanity is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; 9:6), giving every person inherent dignity and worth.

Scripture also affirms that God alone has authority over life and death (1 Samuel 2:6; Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 12:10; Psalm 104:29–30). All things exist and are sustained by Him (Colossians 1:16–17). The commandment “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) reflects God’s prohibition against taking innocent life, and Scripture offers no exception for self-inflicted death.

To claim personal authority over life’s end is to reject God’s design and assume a role reserved for Him alone.

Is Physician-Assisted Suicide Really Increasing?

While Canada provides the clearest example of MAiD’s rapid expansion, the United States is not far behind. The American Medical Association maintains that physician-assisted suicide is incompatible with the role of a physician. As a result, U.S. laws typically require patients to self-administer lethal medication, distinguishing assisted suicide from euthanasia, in which another person directly causes death.

Yet, in Canada, resistance to physician involvement in a patient’s death has waned significantly. A 26-year-old man was euthanized December 30, 2025 in British Columbia, and the doctor who helped him describes assisted suicide as “the best work I’ve ever done,” as reported by the Daily Mail. Consider this excerpt from the Daily Mail’s article covering this assisted suicide:

“It was Dr. Ellen Wiebe who ultimately performed the procedure.

“She dedicates half of her medical practice to MAiD and the other half to abortion, contraception care and delivering newborns.

“'I've brought more than 1,000 babies into the world and ... I have helped more than 500 patients die,' she told the Free Press with a laugh.”

Organizations such as Compassion & Choices advocate for the distinctions in terms, emphasizing patient control in the process. They define medical aid in dying as a practice in which a terminally ill, mentally capable individual with a limited prognosis requests and self-administers medication to end their life. They oppose euthanasia because it involves another person actively causing death.

Despite these distinctions, both practices ultimately result in the intentional ending of human life.

Internationally, euthanasia is legal in several countries, including Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, Colombia, and Luxembourg, as well as parts of Australia. In contrast, several U.S. states permit assisted suicide under specific legal frameworks.

Trends suggest a gradual expansion of these practices. What begins as tightly regulated typically broadens over time, raising concerns about where these policies ultimately lead. Whether through direct physician involvement or patient self-administration, the trajectory is clear: assisted death is increasing, and the cultural resistance to it is diminishing.

How Should Christians Respond?

Christians are called to be “light in the world” (Matthew 5:14–16) and to hold fast to truth in a confused culture (Philippians 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Romans 12:1-2). In response to the growing acceptance of assisted suicide, several actions are essential.

First, believers must understand what Scripture teaches about the value of life and God’s authority over it. A firm biblical foundation equips Christians to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with others on this issue.

Second, churches should not remain silent. Pastors play a crucial role in teaching a biblical worldview of life and death. Many believers are seeking clarity on complex moral issues, and the pulpit should provide faithful guidance grounded in Scripture.

Third, Christians must pray. Cultural transformation is not achieved by argument alone. Prayer acknowledges dependence on God and seeks His intervention in a world increasingly marked by despair. In a culture where many feel that life has lost its value, the Christian message offers hope: life is a gift from God, imbued with purpose, and fulfilled ultimately in Him.

In John 14:6, Jesus declares that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” This truth stands in stark contrast to a culture that increasingly views death as a solution. Christians have both the responsibility and the opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God, the value of every human life, and the hope of eternal life through Christ.

As debates over life continue to evolve, defending its sanctity must extend beyond the beginning of life to its natural end.

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Download our short guide on this topic for an at-a-glance reference:

A Biblical Guide to the Sanctity of Life and Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)

Download here

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Helpful definitions

Euthanasia

The intentional act of ending a person’s life to relieve suffering, typically performed by another person (such as a physician). This can involve directly administering a lethal substance. It may be voluntary (with consent), non-voluntary (without explicit consent), or involuntary (against the person’s will).

Assisted Suicide

When a person intentionally ends their own life with help from another person who provides the means or information (for example, supplying a lethal drug), but does not directly carry out the act.

Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)

A legal and clinical term used in some jurisdictions to describe a physician providing a mentally competent, terminally ill patient with a prescription for a life-ending medication that the patient self-administers. This term is often used to emphasize regulation and end-of-life care but is also used as a broad, umbrella term for ending life outside of natural death.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

A specific type of assisted suicide in which a physician provides the means (usually a prescription for lethal medication) for a patient to end their own life, but the patient must take the final action themselves.