Belief and Practice

This week, we enter more fully into the last week of Jesus' life and ministry leading up to his death and resurrection. In this context, I found a recent study intriguing. A survey found that terminally ill cancer patients who say they find comfort in religion are the ones most likely to undertake "aggressive, life-prolonging care." They are far more likely than those who do not find comfort in their faith to ask the doctor to do everything possible to keep them alive.

“People think that spiritual patients are more likely to say their lives are in God’s hands — ’Let what happens happen’ — but in fact we know they want more aggressive care,” said Holly G. Prigerson, the study’s senior author and director of the Center for Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“To religious people, life is sacred and sanctified,” Dr. Prigerson said, “and there’s a sense they feel it’s their duty and obligation to stay alive as long as possible.”

Medicare pays out about a third of its money on the last year of a patient's life and much of that on the last weeks. But that is at the dollar cost level. There is also the increase in suffering patients take on in order to prolong their lives.

The study published in the Journal of the American medical Association found that A vast majority of patients, religious or not, did not want heroic measures taken. But in some indicators, those of faith varied substantively. For example 11.3 percent of the most religious patients received mechanical ventilation during the last week of life, compared with only 3.6 percent of the least religious.

Faith in God was a more influential factor than the recommendations of their family doctors, their spouses and children, and even information about whether treatment would cure the disease.

Doesn't this approach to prolong life at any cost make an idol out of our lives. Is living longer the greatest good in all situations? Or can't quality of life for a shorter amount of time be a faithful option for Christians?

For most of human history, options including chemotherapy and various surgeries, etc. were not available. But now that they are options to consider, must a Christian always opt for the maximum care possible. I say no. In saying no, I certainly am not in any way addressing those for whom care has a chance of returning the person to health. When there is a chance of being returned to health, then that seems like it is always the right choice. I am addressing only end of life care when a return to full health is not possible and it is only a matter of how long one will live.

In that setting, I do think taking less extreme measures to assure a better quality of life. So, for example, a person can be lucid and have less pain and suffering for three months rather than to go through a very difficult final six months.

That's my take, but then I am not currently making this decision for myself and so do not seek to judge someone who is in that position. I have walked with families making that journey and am continually amazed at the grace and love found in difficult circumstances. I am not looking at this with specific cases in mind, but with the total numbers in view and asking this Holy Week whether those of faith should not show their belief in the resurrection in their practice of making end of life decisions. What do you think?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor