UK Mother Legally Ends Her 12-Year-Old Daughter’s Life

A story making headlines in the UK makes it clear that some people, rather than viewing life as a gift from God, have decided to play god in certain cases to determine themselves when and how a person should die. Recently, the mother of a severely disabled 12-year-old girl petitioned the United Kingdom High Court to allow her to euthanize—or kill—her daughter. The little girl, Nancy, was born unable to eat, drink, see, or talk. Her mother petitioned the judge to be allowed to end Nancy’s life because Nancy was in pain and, according to her mother, “'She has endured enough... For me to say that breaks my heart.'” The judge ruled that Nancy had “no quality of life given the circumstances” and allowed Nancy’s mother to take her daughter’s life. They stopped feeding Nancy through tubes and 14 days later she succumbed to dehydration and starvation and died. While those who promote euthanasia claim that it is a way to die with dignity and avoid unnecessary suffering, to starve and dehydrate someone to death is an unusually cruel and prolonged method that would be considered inhumane in the case of executing a criminal. Although the decision to end Nancy's life appears to have been made out of care for the child, the judge's and mother's decision has greater implications and consequences.

This tragic story only highlights the moral horrors of a society that has abandoned a biblical basis for thinking and is simply doing whatever is “right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This case represents the “first time the British legal system has allowed a child breathing on her own, not on life support and not diagnosed with any terminal illness, to be killed by the medical system.” The implications of this are troubling. How long will it be before other parents with disabled children rule that they have “no quality of life” and have them killed? What about disabled adults? The elderly? Without an absolute standard—the Bible—to declare that murder is wrong, regardless of any self-imposed and arbitrary conditions like “quality of life,” what’s to stop society from getting rid of those who are deemed a burden and an inconvenience to society? And as our society drifts farther from a biblical worldview and replaces it with the religion of humanism—in which man determines truth—we can only expect horrors like this to continue to rise.

When you think about it, millions of children have already been murdered in their mothers’ wombs by abortion in our Western world (55 million alone in the US since Roe vs Wade in 1973). So it shouldn’t surprise us that people are wanting to kill children outside the womb!

According to the absolute standard—the Bible—life is a precious gift from God. Murder is wrong (Exodus 20:13). Period. Without a doubt, euthanasia is murder. Each person is lovingly made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and therefore they have inherent worth and value. This value is not determined by their quality of life, their contributions to society, or their abilities. This value is based solely on their position as a human being, fashioned by God (Psalm 139:13–14), in His very image. And each human life begins at fertilization!

Many people ask why God would allow this little girl to suffer so much. But we have to remember that suffering is not God’s fault—it’s our fault. Originally, everything was created perfect without death, suffering, disease, or pain (Genesis 1:31). However, the penalty for sin is death (Genesis 2:17) and when Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death and suffering into the world (Romans 5:12), and we continue to sin against God. Death and suffering exists because of our sin in Adam. Actually, we don’t deserve to live—we don’t deserve life at all. But God provided a solution to all this death and suffering. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a Cross and pay the penalty for our sin (1 Peter 3:18). He now offers eternal life where there will be no pain, suffering, or death (Revelation 21:4). He has provided a solution to the problem of death and suffering. Of course, while on Earth, Christians still suffer, but we have a blessed hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)—eternity with Jesus Christ in the new heavens and new Earth. God allows things to happen on Earth for a reason, but we know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We have to trust Him as “His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways” (Isaiah 55:8) and allow Him—the all-loving, all-wise, omniscient Creator who can see the “end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)—to be God and not us. We are simply called to love, obey, and worship Him.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.