CMDA Today Spring 2026

Influencing the World for Christ

Lift Up Your Eyes

“They

looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:5, KJV).

If you have registered for the 2026 CMDA National Convention, you may be familiar with the title of this editorial, which serves as the theme for our upcoming event and is derived from Psalm 121. Our 2026 CMDA National Convention will take place not far from the Rocky Mountain National Park in beautiful Loveland, Colorado on April 23-26. In this edition of CMDA Today, you can read an article by Dr. Lina Abujamra, who is one of our plenary speakers, the founder of Living With Power and a speaker beloved by CMDA’s Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ.

My wife Pam and I chose Psalm 121 as our “Psalm of the year,” one of 15 Psalms (or Songs) of Ascent. Beloved pastor and author of the mid-20th century A.W. Tozer wrote The Pursuit of God, a classic devotional that became a favorite of mine late last year. Somehow, Tozer’s writings stayed under my radar until three years ago when I read The Knowledge of the Holy Tozer’s writings have been a delightful discovery on my journey to know and love God. Tozer wrote a chapter in The Pursuit of God called “The Gaze of the Soul.” Tozer wrote, “When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth.”1 Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” (NLT). My office in Bristol, Tennessee has a spectacular view of the Appalachian Mountains just a few miles away to the southeast. Several times, I have gone to the window of my office, facing the east, and looked up at those mountains, thinking about this Psalm. I often take a stack of prayer postcards that we send out regularly to you, our members, and pray for each member by name looking up to Yahweh Shomrekha—“The Lord who watches over you” (Psalm 121:3,5,7-8). It is such a blessed release, which brings this CEO’s heart peace, that our God “…is always working, and so am I (Jesus)” (John 5:17, NLT, emphasis added). Watching over Christians in healthcare and working on their behalf is the never ceasing activity of the LORD we serve and worship at CMDA!

If you haven’t registered yet for the 2026 CMDA National Convention, I urge you to do so today! We have a tremendous lineup of speakers, including our Bible teacher this year, Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies from Grove City College and author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Crisis of Confidence and soon to be released The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity. Dr. Trueman gave us a wonderful preview of his book in a live webinar in January. For the third consecutive year, the talented and inspiring Liberty University group Shine will be leading our worship in the plenary sessions. We will be joined for the Saturday evening banquet by special guest speaker John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center. Several of our members have completed or are in the middle of completing the Colson Fellowship program. I am so grateful for all our sponsors and exhibitors this year, including our two Premier Sponsors for the 2026 CMDA National Convention, Samaritan’s Purse and Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

What is the consensus feedback we receive, year over year, on attendees’ favorite aspect of our National Convention? The hands down biggest blessing is the fellowship that occurs in between sessions, over meals and during breaks with fellow Christ followers, sojourners in faith and healthcare. Speaking of faith, Tozer defines faith as “the gaze of a soul upon a saving God” ( The Pursuit of God, p.93) and “a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus” ( The Pursuit of God, p. 95). The views of the Rockies from Loveland, Colorado will likely be spectacular on April 23-26, but I believe the opportunity to increase our faith by lifting up our eyes to the “maker of heaven and earth” will be an even greater mountain-top experience. Come join us!

Endnotes

1 Tozer, A.W. (1948). The Pursuit of God. Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL

Mike Chupp, MD, FACS, is the CEO of CMDA. He graduated with his medical degree from Indiana University in 1988 and completed a general surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in 1993. From 1993 to 2016, he was a missionary member of Southwestern Medical Clinic in St. Joseph, Michigan, while also serving as a career missionary at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Kenya.

EDITOR

Rebeka Honeycutt

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Gregg Albers, MD

John Crouch, MD

Autumn Dawn Galbreath, MD

Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD

Van Haywood, DMD

Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD

Debby Read, RN

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Spring 2026, Volume LVII, No. 1. Printed in the United States of America. Published four times each year by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations® at 2604 Highway 421, Bristol, TN 37620. Copyright© 2026, Christian Medical & Dental Associations®. All Rights Reserved. Distributed free to CMDA members. Non-doctors (US) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international). Standard presort postage paid at Bristol, Tennessee.

Undesignated Scripture references are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Other versions are noted in the text.

CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS

P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637

main@cmda.org•cmda.org

If you are interested in submitting articles to be considered for publication, visit www.cmda.org/publications for submission guidelines and details. Articles and letters published represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Acceptance of paid advertising from any source does not necessarily imply the endorsement of a particular program, product or service by CMDA. Any technical information, advice or instruction provided in this publication is for the benefit of our readers, without any guarantee with respect to results they may experience with regard to the same. Implementation of the same is the decision of the reader and at his or her own risk. CMDA cannot be responsible for any untoward results experienced as a result of following or attempting to follow said information, advice or instruction.

LinaAbujamra,MD

KurtBravata,MD A review of new book LiveFreeorDiet

Living out Christ-centered obedience through everyday clinical practice Choose WUP: Wisdom, Unity and Prayer!

REGIONAL MINISTRIES

BrickLantz,MD

Are We Doing? Rethinking Meaning in Medical Practice

RachelJ.Murphy,MD

Practicing medicine through the lens of a higher calling

CMDA’s latest ethics statement concerning medically-assisted suicide and euthanasia

The Dr. John Patrick Bioethics Column If There is No God, Everything is Permissible

JohnPatrick,MD

CMDA Ethics Statement on Medically-assisted Suicide and Euthanasia (MAS & E) A call for spiritual revival to reclaim character formation in a rapidly changing world

Connecting you with other Christ-followers to help better motivate, equip, disciple and serve within your community

Western Region: Wes Ehrhart, MA • 6204 Green Top Way • Orangevale, CA 95662 • 916-716-7826 • wes.ehrhart@cmda.org

Midwest Region: Connor Ham, MA • 2435 Lincoln Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45231 • 419-789-3933 • connor.ham@cmda.org

Northeast Region: Tom Grosh, DMin • 1844 Cloverleaf Road • Mount Joy, PA 17552 • 609-502-2078 • northeast@cmda.org

Southern Region: Grant Hewitt, MDiv • P.O. Box 7500 • Bristol, TN 37621 • 402-677-3252 • south@cmda.org

THE CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL

Ministry

MEMBER NEWS

In Memoriam

Our hearts are with the family members of the following CMDA members who have passed in recent months. We thank them for their support of CMDA and their service to Christ.

• Charles R. Westley, MD – Westminster, Colorado Member since 1960

• Robert R. Schenck, MD – Chicago, Illinois Lifetime member since 1991

• Delynn W. Stults, DDS – Richmond, Indiana Member since 1996

• Ralph Bubeck, MD – Wichita, Kansas

Lifetime member since 1980

• John P. Curlin, MD – Humboldt, Tennessee Member since 1989

• Connie Y. Sadik, RN – Fairfield, Ohio Member since 1995

• William H. Markle, MD – Clairton, Pennsylvania Member since 1982

• James R. Foulkes, MD – Boone, North Carolina Member since 1954

CMDA honors the life and ministry of Dr. Marvin R. Jewell, Jr., who recently went to be with his Savior. Dr. Jewell was born in 1932 and married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Jane, in 1954. He earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1958 and went on to complete residency at Wayne State University before becoming a fellow in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He practiced medicine there for the rest of his career, serving as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Jewell joined CMDA in 1955 and became a lifetime member in 1977. He served as the President in 1976 and served as an executive committee member and president for ICMDA. He and his wife were integral in helping the organizations provide medical education opportunities for missionaries to earn continuing education credits in Africa and Asia. Dr. Jewell was married to Mary Jane for 71 years and is survived by her, three daughters and sons-in-law, one son and daughter-in-law, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He dedicated much of his life and career to serving his family and others.

CMDA honors the life and ministry of Dr. George L. Stewart, who recently went to be with his Savior. Dr. Stewart was born in 1936 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He served in the United States Department of Public Health and held postings in Bethesda, Maryland and Bethel, Alaska. Dr. Stewart earned his medical degree from the State University of New York, Syracuse in 1964. He completed residency at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Washington and a pulmonary disease and criti-

cal care medicine fellowship at the University of Washington before he and his family moved to Anchorage, Alaska to serve for two years at the Alaska Community Hospital. Along with partners, he founded Internal Medicine Associates and practiced medicine until retiring in 2005. Dr. Stewart also served as an adjunct professor at UAA and Embry-Riddle. After retiring from private practice, he stayed very active personally and professionally, serving faithfully through CMDA teaching in the U.S. and abroad. He also served as Alaska’s CMDA state representative and the American Academy of Medical Ethics State Director. Dr. Stewart is survived by his wife Kathy, four daughters and sonsin-law and one son and daughter-in-law, plus several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Memoriam and Honorarium Gifts

Gifts received October through December 2025

• Lori A. Geddes, OD in honor of Lori Geddes

• Lori A. Geddes, OD in honor of David Geddes

• Kyle and Sandi Weld in honor of Mitzi Roberts

• Pauline Kwong Bridgeman, MD in honor of Pauline Kwong Bridgeman, MD

• John Charles Snyder in honor of Dr. David Snyder

• Norman G. Schabel, Jr. in honor of Trish Burgess, MD

• R O. Lerer in honor of Bob and Janis Lerer

• Harold Henderson in honor of Jonathan and Dr. Susan Morris

• Julie Gordon in honor of Sarah Francis

• Rachel Nycum in honor of Michael Knower

• Willie Tsiu, MD in honor of Stephen and Helen Joe

• Sarah E. Steffens, MMS, PA-C in honor of Jack Pike, PA-C

• Alice Ko Tsai, MD in honor of Gloria Halverson

• Alice Ko Tsai, MD in honor of Elaine Eng

• Wendy B. Badgwell, MD in honor of Kiran and Emmanuel Chang

• Timothy Pfanner, MD, BPh in honor of Abel Castro, MD

• John Charles Snyder in honor of David and Kathleen Snyder

• Mallory A. Lawrence, MD in honor of Masaki Chiba

• Christopher Connell in honor of Craig and Amy Fowler

Ministry News

• Jonathan Carlson in honor of Corey Whitaker

• David Aaron Garza in honor of Templo Lugar Para Cristo

• Thomas Allan Mendel in honor of Lem Howard

• Kerry Nelson in honor of Christopher Carruth

• Abigail Castro in honor of Bonnie Scoggins

• Teresa Iaquinta in honor of Eugene Belanger

• Catherine P. Scarbrough, MD, MSc in honor of FMS Leadership

• Ashley Christine Dumas in honor of Ashley Dumas

• Judy Fray in honor of Bud Fray

• Joanna Stacey in honor of Joanna Stacey

• Daryl Stacey in honor of Daryl Stacey

• Chritopher Whittaker in honor of Jim Whittaker

• Sonny Sherrill in honor of Debbie Sherrill

• Barbara Denham in honor of Steven Rice, MD

• Natalie Kim in honor of Allison Kim

• Pauline Kwong Bridgeman, MD in honor of Abigail Bridgeman

• Sarah and Chris Hodge in honor of Cynthia Robinson

• Sarah and Chris Hodge in memory of Curly Robinson

• Gregory L. Weigler, DO in memory of Dr. Herb Friesen

• Kristen Grace Daniel in memory of Debbie Flint Daniel

• Carolyn Parsons in memory of Kenneth C. Parsons, MD

• Jeff A. Kraakevik, MD in memory of William Lawton, MD

• Timothy W. Lawton, MD in memory of William Lawton, MD

• Anne Dawson in memory of Peter E. Dawson, DDS

• Joshua Campbell, DDS in memory of Doug Lindberg, MD

• Christina Crumbliss in memory of Doug Lindberg, MD

• Carrie Joshi in memory of Doug Lindberg, MD

• Rick and Barb Johnson in memory of Doug Lindberg, MD

• Barbara Blackburn in memory of Doug Lindberg, MD

• Danielle Evans, MD in memory of Zephaniah Evans

• Christina Awad, MD in memory of Charlie Kirk

• Mark E. Ralston, MD in memory of Marvin Jewell, MD

• Cindi Fouch in memory of Marvin Jewell, MD

• John and Dianne Stoneman in memory of Marvin Jewell, MD

• Susanne Shipley in memory of Marvin Jewell, MD

• Sam Elizondo in recognition of Landon Perdue

• David Crowder in recognition of Rick Boden

For more information about honorarium and memoriam gifts, please contact stewardship@cmda.org.

RESOURCES

The Point of Medicine

The Point of Medicine, formerly The Point Blog, is now an online forum aiming to stimulate thought and discussion on the most pressing issues in healthcare. Through this forum, we hope to educate, encourage and equip healthcare professionals and the church to practice and advocate for good medicine—that which is God-honoring and committed to the flourishing of the patient as an image bearer. Articles on this forum are intended to promote scholarship and biblical wisdom, providing clarity on the issues of the day, to bring glory and honor to God. To join the conversation, visit cmda.org/point

Faith in Healthcare: The CMDA Matters Podcast

Are you listening to CMDA’s podcast with CEO Dr. Mike Chupp? Faith in Healthcare: The CMDA Matters Podcast, formerly known as CMDA Matters, is the premier audio resource for Christian healthcare professionals. This popular weekly podcast shares powerful stories and explores the issues that matter most to you, along with the latest news from CMDA and healthcare. A new episode is released each Thursday, and interview topics include bioethics, healthcare missions, financial stewardship, marriage, family, public policy updates and much more. Plus, you’ll get recommendations for new books, conferences and other resources designed to help you as a Christian in healthcare.

Listen to Faith in Healthcare: The CMDA Matters Podcast on your smartphone, your computer, your tablet…wherever you are and whenever you want. For more information, visit cmda. org/cmdamatters.

Standing Strong in Training

As the latest addition to CMDA’s long list of resources for our members, Standing Strong in Training is an on-demand video series that helps healthcare students and residents stand up against the cultural pressures facing Christians within healthcare today.

The curriculum’s seven modules are designed for group settings, allowing attendees to solidify their foundational worldview beliefs regarding important issues, such as the beginning of life, end of life and biblical sexuality. Each module also offers ideas of how to winsomely defend biblical values and positively interact with others in developing their worldview beliefs.

For more information and to access this study, visit cmda.org/ standingstrong

Opioid Learning Center Course

CMDA is excited to share about an opioid and substance use disorder and treatment course available in the CMDA Learning Center. The 2023 MATE Act requires prescribers to complete at least eight hours of continuing education on substance use disorder assessment and treatment before their new DEA renewal. This course in the Learning Center includes four modules that satisfy this requirement for most U.S.-based prescribers. Plus, it is a one-of-a-kind, whole-person addiction course, which integrates faith and science in approaching and treating addiction. And even better, it is FREE for CMDA members! For more information, visit cmda.org/learning.

The Voice of Advocacy

We believe conscience freedoms have profound ethical and religious importance within the healthcare profession, and we encourage colleagues, institutions and governments to respect these freedoms. If you feel your conscience freedoms are at risk, please visit cmda.org/legal

CMDA Learning Center

The CMDA Learning Center offers complimentary continuing education courses for CMDA members. This online resource is continuing to grow with new courses to help you in your practice as a Christian healthcare professional. All continuing education courses are available at NO COST to CMDA members. For more information and to access the CMDA Learning Center, visit cmda.org/learning

CMDA Go App

Included in CMDA’s network of podcasts is The Voice of Advocacy with Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy Brick Lantz, MD. This monthly podcast features special guests and members of the Advocacy team. Listen to learn more about Advocacy’s grassroots efforts at the state and federal level, legal and legislative victories and how CMDA members can be involved in achieving justice for the vulnerable. To listen to the latest episode, visit cmda.org/advocacy.

Legal Assistance for CMDA Members

As a result of a partnership between CMDA and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), we are now offering free legal consultations for CMDA members who may be experiencing conscience freedom issues in the workplace. Exclusively available to CMDA members, this program is designed to serve members who feel they are being discriminated against in the workplace due to their firmly held moral and religious beliefs.

Have you downloaded CMDA Go yet? Our mobile app, CMDA Go, is available to download, so visit your device’s app store to download it today. In the CMDA Go app, you can set up your personal CMDA profile, check out the latest news from CMDA, listen to podcasts, renew your membership and make your dues payments, access a variety of downloadable resources, interact with other members through the discussion forms and join group chats. For more information, visit cmda.org/app.

Faith Prescriptions

Now available exclusively for CMDA members, Faith Prescriptions is an on-demand video series that provides training on everything from LGBTQ issues in the healthcare arena, to praying with your patients and sharing your faith in ethical and appropriate ways with colleagues and patients. Faith Prescriptions is a revision of the program Grace Prescriptions, which has been in circulation for several years on DVD, but this updated and improved series is available video-on-demand. It is free to CMDA members and simply requires your member login and password to access all sessions, as well as all video training sessions, within the CMDA Learning Center. For more information, visit cmda.org/learning.

Ministry News

Upcoming Events

Dates and locations are subject to change. For a full list of upcoming CMDA events, visit cmda.org/events.

Remedy East Mission Conference

March 6-7, 2026 • Lynchburg, Virginia

Saline Process Witness Training

March 27-28, 2026 • Grand Rapids, Michigan

2026 Adriatic Tour – Early Christianity in the Roman Empire

April 10-21, 2026 • Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Italy

Saline Process Witness Training

April 11, 2026 • Washington D.C.

Saline Process Witness Training

April 22-23, 2026 • Loveland, Colorado

Saline Process Train The Trainers

April 22-23, 2026 • Loveland, Colorado

2026 CMDA National Convention

April 23-26, 2026 • Loveland, Colorado

Connections Conference 2026

June 1-3, 2026 • Bristol, Tennessee

18th ICMDA World Congress

June 30-July 5, 2026 • South Korea

2026 Great Commission Dental Conference

September 11-12, 2026 • Dallas, Texas

2026 Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ Annual Conference

September 17-20, 2026 • Niagara Falls, New York

MINISTRIES LIST

As the nation’s largest faith-based professional healthcare organization, CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS (CMDA) represents thousands of healthcare professionals who are dedicated to standing together as we bring the hope and healing of Christ to the world. Together, we demonstrate the compassion of Jesus and share the gospel as we meet the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of those in every specialty and every corner of healthcare.

COMMUNITY

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

A network of more than 60 local graduate ministries and more than 380 campus chapters provide opportunities for members to connect and live out their Christian faith in their practices, on campus and in their communities. cmda.org/ccm

DENTAL MINISTRIES

An outreach supporting dental professionals and students as they integrate Christian faith into all aspects of their lives, while providing opportunities for training and equipping. Also includes the CMDA Dental Residency [+] program.

cmda.org/dental

SIDE BY SIDE

A network of about 90 local chapters to encourage, support and minister to women in healthcare marriages through fellowship, Bible

ADVOCACY

COMMISSION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

An effort to abolish human trafficking through policy initiatives, education, raising awareness and providing clinical services to victims. cmda.org/humantrafficking

ETHICS HOTLINE

An on-call program to assist members facing difficult patient care decisions, provided by Christian physician ethicists. You can easily reach the hotline at 423-844-1000.

cmda.org/ethics

LEGAL ADVOCACY

A cooperative endeavor that includes partner-

The core of our ministry happens in local communities and on campuses where healthcare professionals and students live out the character of Christ. Our campus and community ministries are dedicated to changing hearts in healthcare through evangelism and discipleship.

study and prayer. Each local chapter meets the unique and individual needs of its community.

cmda.org/sidebyside

SPECIALTY SECTIONS

A wide variety of sections formed to equip, network and provide a voice for CMDA members to their areas of specialty or service. Organized by CMDA members who wish to connect with their colleagues, these sections include:

• Addiction Medicine Section

• Christian Academic Physicians and Scientists

• Christian Healthcare Executive Collaborative

• Christian Physical Rehab Professionals

• Christian Surgeons Fellowship

• Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners

• Dental Hygienists Section

• Dermatology Section

• Emergency Medicine Section

• Family Medicine Section

• Fellowship of Christian Optometrists

• Fellowship of Christian Physician Assistants

• Fellowship of Christian Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons

• Neurology Section

• Obstetrics and Gynecology Section

• Psychiatry Section

• Ultrasound Education Section cmda.org/specialtysections

WOMEN PHYSICIANS & DENTISTS IN CHRIST

A ministry that encourages and supports Christian women physicians and dentists in the unique challenges women face. It is a key resource for women in integrating their personal, professional and spiritual lives. cmda.org/wpdc

We serve as a Christian voice through our advocacy efforts on the state and federal levels and partnerships with like-minded organizations. We provide resources on current healthcare topics, and we equip Christians in healthcare to defend and care for our most vulnerable patients.

ships with legal firms, participation in amicus briefs, collaboration with the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and more to advocate for life and human dignity in important court cases.

STATE ADVOCACY PROGRAM

An initiative with the American Academy of Medical Ethics dedicated to preserving and promoting the ethical standards outlined in the original Hippocratic Oath through life-honoring legislation at the state level.

ethicalhealthcare.org

VOICE OF CMDA MEDIA TRAINING

A workshop to learn how to prepare for and

give television, radio and print media interviews that offer Christian perspectives on ethical questions and general health topics.

cmda.org/mediatraining

WASHINGTON OFFICE

CMDA’s liasion with Congress, the White House, federal agencies and others in Washington, D.C. Provides opportunities for federal employment, testimony and committee service. Includes Freedom2Care, a coalition to advance conscience freedoms and provide other legislative tools.

cmda.org/washington

Influencing the World for Christ

Why Medicine, Missions and Obedience Still Matter

LinaAbujamra,MD

Istill remember the first time I walked into a refugee camp clinic. The air was thick with dust and diesel. Mothers sat on plastic chairs clutching feverish children. A teenage boy with a bandaged leg tried to look brave while his younger siblings watched his every move. There were no automatic doors, no electronic medical records, no overhead code announcements. Just a long line of people who had lost almost everything and were hoping that maybe—just maybe—someone would see them, touch them and help them.

I was there as a pediatric emergency medicine doctor. I examined, I prescribed, I treated. As the day wore on, I realized what people needed most wasn’t only medicine. They needed hope. They needed someone to look them in the eyes and remind them they had not been forgotten by God.

In a way, I was seeing a reflection of my own story.

I grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, a city marked by sirens, explosions and uncertainty. My mother is a Palestinian refugee. Our family carries the memory of war, displacement and loss in our bones. Long before I stepped into a refugee camp as a physician, I had lived as the child of people who knew what it meant to flee, to start over, to wonder if anyone in the world cared.

That background has shaped everything about my calling. Healthcare has been my doorway into people’s pain, but Jesus has always been the reason I walk through it.

In this article, I want to share with you—as fellow Christian healthcare professionals—who I am, why humanitarian aid and discipleship have become central to my life and why I’m convinced it is critical for us to intentionally seek to influence the world for Christ, not in spite of our medical calling, but through it.

Who I Am and How God Led Me Here

I’m a pediatric emergency medicine physician by training, and I’ve spent most of my career on the front lines of acute care. The emergency room is its own kind of mission field—fast-paced, unpredictable and full of the entire spectrum of human suffering. Over time, God opened doors for me to step into telemedicine as well, caring for patients I would never meet in person but who still desperately needed expert care, compassion and wisdom.

Growing up in Beirut, I learned early that life can change in a moment. War does that. It strips away the illusion of control and exposes what we really trust. Watching my parents navigate fear and uncertainty, and seeing my mother carry the quiet strength of a woman who had already lost a homeland once, planted deep in me a longing to offer hope to people in crisis.

As an adult, that longing eventually grew into Living With Power Ministries, a teaching and relief ministry focused on

God placed you in healthcare to be an ambassador of

Christ in places where pain, fear and vulnerability open doors that are rarely open anywhere else.

bringing hope to people in crisis and equipping believers to live courageously for Christ in a chaotic world. Humanitarian work became a natural extension of that vision. It started with shortterm trips and grew into ongoing relief initiatives among refugees and vulnerable communities—people whose stories felt strangely familiar to my own family’s story.

If you were to boil down my calling into one sentence, it would be this: I help people in crisis experience the hope of Jesus—through medicine, teaching and presence.

I suspect your calling isn’t so different.

You may be in a clinic, a dental office, an operating room, a university setting or a telehealth platform. You may be early in your training or nearing retirement. But if you belong to Christ, your story is ultimately about something larger than your CV, your specialty or your schedule. God placed you in healthcare to be an ambassador of Christ in places where pain, fear and vulnerability open doors that are rarely open anywhere else.

Why Humanitarian Aid Became Central to My Calling

People often ask, “Why humanitarian aid? Aren’t there enough needs here at home?” The answer, of course, is yes. But for me, obeying Jesus has meant holding both local and global needs together, without pretending that one cancels out the other.

Humanitarian work became central to my calling for three main reasons.

1. The Gospel Is Inherently Global

From Genesis to Revelation, the heart of God beats for the nations. God’s promise to Abraham was that “all the families of the earth” would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 12:3, ESV). Jesus’ Great Commission sends us to all nations (Matthew 28:19). The final vision in Revelation is of a multiethnic, multilingual family gathered around the throne (Revelation 7:9).

As a physician who grew up in the Middle East, with a Palestinian refugee for a mother and a passport in my hand, I cannot read those passages and conclude that my only responsibility is to my own comfort and context. The faces in refugee camps are not abstractions to me; they look like cousins, neighbors, childhood friends. The more I listened to their stories, the more I sensed the Spirit whisper: “You have something they need. Will you go?”

2. Suffering Exposes the Deepest Questions

Medicine brings us close to suffering; humanitarian work plunges you into the deep end. In refugee camps, bombed-out neighborhoods or makeshift clinics, the questions are rarely theoretical:

• “Where was God when the bombs fell?”

• “Why did my child die and not the others?”

• “Does God care about people like us?”

As Christian healthcare professionals, we don’t have to choose between alleviating physical suffering and addressing spiritual questions. Jesus healed bodies and preached the kingdom. He fed the hungry and called people to repentance. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb and then raised him from the dead.

Holistic care—care that touches body, mind and soul—is not a luxury. It’s our model.

Whether you’re performing surgery, managing chronic disease, filling teeth or teaching students, your training is a stewardship for the sake of the kingdom.

3. Our Training is a Stewardship, Not an Achievement

It takes years to become a healthcare professional. The exams, the long nights, the training, the sacrifice—none of that is wasted. However, if we see our training only as a personal achievement instead of a sacred stewardship, we’ve missed the point.

Stepping into humanitarian work was my way of saying to God: “Everything you’ve invested in me—my medical skills, my cross-cultural background, my language abilities, my family story—I place them back in your hands. Use them however you see fit.”

That posture is not reserved for people who fly into crisis zones. Whether you’re performing surgery, managing chronic disease, filling teeth or teaching students, your training is a stewardship for the sake of the kingdom.

Why I Do What I Do

At the deepest level, the reason I do what I do is simple: Jesus is worth it.

He is worth the inconvenience of travel, the discomfort of sleeping on a thin mattress in a noisy camp, the emotional weight of hearing stories that sound like echoes of my own childhood. He is worth the awkwardness of speaking about faith in environments that may not welcome it. He is worth the risks, the fatigue and the nights when you wonder if anything you’re doing is making a difference.

There are biblical reasons that apply to all of us, wherever we practice.

We

Are Ambassadors of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us, “…we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us…” (ESV). For several of our patients, the healthcare system is a foreign land. They en-

ter anxious, confused and afraid. As Christian healthcare professionals, we step into that environment not just as technicians but as representatives of the King—embodying His compassion, truth and presence.

We Are Called to Move Toward Suffering

The way of Jesus is to move toward the leper, not away. As clinicians, we already live closer to suffering than most people. Yet, it’s easy to protect ourselves by turning people into “cases” or “interesting pathology.”

Humanitarian work has been one of God’s ways of reminding me: These are not cases. These are image-bearers. You don’t need to cross an ocean to adopt that posture. You can do it in your clinic tomorrow.

We Are Part of a Larger Story

The kingdom of God grows like a mustard seed—small and often unseen. I’ve treated children whose names I no longer remember and prayed with mothers I’ll never see again. Still, I believe every act of love done in the name of Jesus becomes part of a much bigger story than we can see. The Spirit takes our loaves and fish and multiplies them.

Facing the Obstacles to Obedience

Then there is disappointment and cynicism. Maybe you once burned with passion for ministry or missions, but doors closed or people disappointed you. It’s easier now to stay safe, but God hasn’t written you off. Sometimes the detours are the very seasons that prepare us to carry more influence later without collapsing under it.

At this point you might be thinking, “That’s inspiring, but my life is already maxed out. How am I supposed to add ‘influencing the world for Christ’ to my to-do list?”

I feel that tension too. Obedience rarely happens in a vacuum. It happens in the middle of incredibly real limits, pressures and fears. If we’re going to take seriously our call to influence the world for Christ through healthcare, we have to be honest about what stands in the way.

For some of us, the biggest obstacle is fear—fear of safety if God were to send us to hard places, fear of financial instability, fear of reputational risk, fear of failure. Yet almost every calling story in Scripture begins with God saying, “Do not be afraid,” not because the circumstances are safe, but because He is with us (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10).

For others, the obstacle is time and exhaustion. You’re charting after hours, juggling family responsibilities or preparing for boards. The idea of adding anything—much less humanitarian work—feels impossible. Nevertheless, God can use small, faithful yeses woven into the rhythm of our lives: five unrushed minutes with a patient, a prayer whispered in the hallway, mentoring one student or saying yes to one stretch opportunity.

And many of us wrestle with family and calling. What does obedience look like when you have children at home, aging parents or a spouse with different risk tolerance? God doesn’t call us to sacrifice those He’s entrusted to us; He calls us to seek Him together and discern what faithfulness looks like now. Sometimes that means staying stateside. Sometimes it means inviting your family into the journey.

Through all of this, we must remember the next generation is watching us. Medical students, residents, young dentists, even our own kids are quietly asking, “Is Jesus really worth my whole life—or just what’s left over?”

They don’t need perfect mentors, but they do need real ones— people who choose obedience over comfort, faith over fear. Our daily choices become living curriculum for those coming behind us.

That heartbeat is what led me to write my new book, All Your Life: What It Really Means to Follow Jesus. It grew out of conversations with young adults who love Jesus but feel pulled in a hundred directions—career, success, identity, influence. The book explores what it means to give Jesus not just your Sundays or your spiritual compartment, but your whole life—your mind, heart, emotions, relationships and future.

GET INVOLVED

CMDA is excited to announce Lina Abujamra, MD, will be a featured plenary speaker at the 2026 CMDA National Convention on April 2326 in Loveland, Colorado. Join us for a time to renew your spirit, recharge your faith and connect with fellow believers in healthcare. To learn more and to register, visit natcon.cmda.org.

My prayer is that as you and I wrestle honestly with our own obstacles to obedience, we’ll also be equipped to guide the next generation—to model for them what it looks like to say a daily, costly, joy-filled “yes” to Jesus.

Whatever your obstacles, the invitation is the same: bring them into the light of God’s presence instead of letting them quietly dictate the terms of your obedience. Ask Him, “Lord, given my fears, limits and responsibilities, what does faithfulness look like for me right now?” You might be surprised by how creative His answers are—and how many lives, including those of the next generation, are touched by your yes.

How You Can Step Into Your Calling Right Where You Are

My story is mine. Yours will look different, but the same Spirit who sends doctors into refugee camps is the Spirit who sends you into exam rooms, operating suites, dental chairs, classrooms and Zoom visits.

Here are a few simple ways to lean in:

1. Reframe your daily work as mission. Pray before your shift: “Lord, these are your patients. Use me as your hands and voice today.” Look for those “interruptible moments” to acknowledge fear, offer hope or pray.

2. Cultivate a theology of suffering. Let passages like Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 1–5 and the Gospels shape how you talk about pain and hope. Good theology will keep you from both cheap answers and quiet despair.

3. Connect with others on the same journey. One of the gifts of CMDA is community—people who understand this world. Find a local group, a mentor or a small circle of colleagues to pray and wrestle with Scripture together.

4. Take one concrete step toward humanitarian engagement. Volunteer at a free clinic, partner with a church serving immigrants or refugees, join a short-term team or explore how your skills could serve ministries in crisis zones. Ask God to show you one next step.

5. Guard your own soul. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Build rhythms of rest and Sabbath. Seek help if you’re carrying secondary trauma. Remember that your worth is not measured by how much you do but by what Christ has done for you.

When we live from grace instead of striving, influence becomes overflow, not burden.

A Final Word

If you’re reading this as a member of CMDA, I want you to know something simple and profound: your work matters.

God sees every chart you finish, every tooth you repair, every child you comfort, every prayer you whisper, every tear you wipe away. He sees the days you feel like a hero and the days you feel like a failure. He sees the times you boldly speak His name and the times you walk away wishing you had said more.

And He still invites you—and me—to keep going. To keep showing up. To keep offering our training, our influence and our lives back to Him.

My hope is not in what I can accomplish through humanitarian aid or medical ministry. My hope is in Jesus—the One who stepped into our suffering, who healed the sick and forgave sinners, who died and rose again, and who will one day bring an end to all war and all tears.

Until that day, I want to spend my life influencing the world for Him—one patient, one refugee, one clinic, one conversation at a time.

I pray you will too.

Lina Abujamra, MD, is a pediatric emergency room physician, now practicing telemedicine, and the founder of Living With Power Ministries. Known for her bold faith and down-to-earth honesty, she’s passionate about helping people connect biblical truth to everyday life. Whether through teaching, writing or podcasting, Lina brings hope to those wrestling with life’s hardest questions. When she’s not speaking or creating content, she’s providing medical and humanitarian aid in crisis zones like Lebanon and Uganda. Learn more at LivingWithPower.org.

KurtBravata,MD

Live Free or Diet is my call to patients and Christian healthcare professionals in an era where healthcare often prioritizes reactive interventions over true restoration. Live Free or Diet: A Holistic Guide to Finding Faith, Freedom, and Abundant Life emerges as a beacon for Christian healthcare professionals seeking to integrate their faith with their calling to heal.

Published by WestBow Press, this transformative book, available at livefreeordietbook.com, offers a faith-centered roadmap to wellness that resonates deeply with those who serve on the frontlines of medicine. As a family physician and boardcertified addiction medicine specialist, I drew from my extensive clinical experience and my role as co-founding vice-chair of the CMDA Addiction Medicine Section to challenge the status quo, urging believers in healthcare to champion preventative, holistic care rooted in God’s design for abundant life.

My journey is one numerous Christian healthcare professionals will find familiar and inspiring. Raised in a home devoted to ministry for the poor and outcast, I witnessed firsthand the redemptive power of hope and faith. This foundation propelled me into family medicine, where I responded to the needs of rural patients battling substance use disorders, eventually leading to my specialization in addiction medicine. My work within CMDA underscores a commitment to blending evidence-based medicine with biblical principles, making Live Free or Diet an essential resource for those who strive to treat the whole person—body, mind and spirit—in their practices.

Far from a rigid diet plan or prescriptive self-help manual, the book serves as a “buffet” of practical tools, life hacks and scriptural insights, allowing readers to tailor their path to personal wholeness. In the book, I address society’s rejection of definitive truth, which I argue has fueled an identity crisis exacerbated by digital distractions and fleeting desires. “Have we lost sight of what it means to be human, to thrive as incarnate spirit beings created for connection with God and one another?” I ask in the book, calling on Christians to rebel against cultural instability by reclaiming their divine purpose. For healthcare professionals, this message is particularly poignant: it critiques the profit-driven norms of reactive medicine, advocating instead for self-determination, informed shared decision-making and preventative strategies that honor God’s creation.

Reviewer Kellie Haulotte captures the book’s essence beautifully, noting, “This nonfiction work is a compilation of Bravata’s essays, holistic medical insights, philosophical thoughts and poems to help the reader not only get a healthier mind and body but also a healthier spirit.” She praises its departure from overly prescriptive diet books that focus on “don’ts” without uplift, highlighting instead the self-directed guide that empowers readers to make choices aligned

with God’s leading. Topics range from modern humanity’s identity struggles and the harms of unchecked digital influences to practical advice on harmful foods, substances, vaccines, medicines and environmental hazards—all infused with Christian ideals. As Haulotte affirms, “Those seeking a Christian book infused with the perfect mix of spiritual and natural wisdom to inspire and guide them in finding a new purpose will undoubtedly find the author’s work to be beneficial and quite possibly, life changing.”

This approach is especially relevant for Christian healthcare workers grappling with patients ensnared by addiction, depression or chronic illness. The book reminds us that “we are all recovering humans,” emphasizing true healing comes from submitting our health and future to God’s strength and stability. Woven with Scripture, the book equips readers to break free from cycles of binging and purging, fostering a vibrant union of body, mind and spirit. It’s a powerful reminder that, as stewards of health, we are called to model and promote the abundant life Jesus promises in John 10:10—not through shortcuts, but through faith-aligned discipline and compassion.

For Christian healthcare professionals yearning to bridge faith and science in their work, Live Free or Diet is more than a book; it’s a tool for personal renewal and patient advocacy.

This guide invites you to embark on a journey of freedom, faith, and fulfillment. Discover how to live fully as the person God created you to be—visit livefreeordietbook.com today and take the first step toward holistic wholeness.

Kurt Bravata, MD, is a family physician, addiction medicine specialist and co-founding vice-chair of the CMDA Addiction Medicine Section. Passionate about helping others find wholeness, he combines medical expertise with a deep faith to guide readers and his patients toward optimal health and abundant life.

Iremember years ago when I testified for the first time at a state legislative hearing. The senate bill concerned requirements of pregnancy centers to post in the lobby and on doors a list of abortion providers in their area. Subsequently, a similar bill in California made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of pregnancy centers. In Oregon, they allowed four people to testify for the bill and then four people to testify against it. The first four proponents of the bill spewed hatred toward pregnancy centers and the sanctity of life. I was last to testify against the bill. The three people before me spoke with wisdom, grace and respect against the bill. The senate chair did not allow me to testify and asked only one question: “Who is responsible for the patient that enters your pregnancy center?” I responded, “Chairman, as medical director, I am.” He slammed his gavel on the desk and closed the hearing. He dismissed the bill. At the time we testified, 50 followers of Christ were in the rotunda of the state capital praying for the hearing.

I learned in advocating for the vulnerable, in this case the preborn, we need to proceed with wisdom, unity and prayer (WUP). Wisdom, that is knowing the issue in detail, is important as we advocate. We also need to go in unity. “For by one Spirit we were baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13, NASB). This requires intentionality on our part. “Being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, NASB). Together we are to speak truth in love. We also need to be in prayer, not underestimating the power of prayer. A great oxymoron used within the church is “just pray.” The words “just” and “pray” do not go

together. Jesus prayed to His Father for unity in John 17. The world can see God in our unity and see His love.

“‘I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who also believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me’” (John 17:20-23, NASB 1995).

Advocating with WUP is important for the local community. Our local school board called an urgent meeting upon learning from a parent about our pregnancy center’s sexual health education program in the schools (Stop & Think). Loved by the healthcare teachers, the first day in class discusses values with all students participating. The next day establishes goals based on the values discussed. The third day applies the values and goals to sexuality. God and the Bible are never mentioned, though our pregnancy center website declares our Christian beliefs. The meeting was like a circus with folks in the parking lot screaming obscenities about the pregnancy center with a megaphone. The room was packed. As the school members opened their laptops, several of them had Planned Parenthood stickers. Despite the hatred and the rhetoric,

GET INVOLVED

CMDA Advocacy is dedicated to serving as a Christian healthcare voice in the public, to the media and to the government, through grassroots advocacy efforts on both state and federal levels. If you would like to get involved in our advocacy work on this and other issues, please contact advocacy@cmda.org. To keep up with the latest updates from CMDA’s Advocacy team, by listening to TheVoiceof Advocacypodcast or reading TheAdvocacyReportnewsletter, visit cmda.org/advocacy.

WUP prevailed, as several spoke with wisdom, gentleness, respect and unity in favor of the program while others prayed. The school board did not find any just reason to disallow the program.

Advoacting with WUP has been evident at the national level with the victory in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022. A coalition of organizations espoused wisdom and rationality to overturn Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision. It was bathed in prayer. There was not a victory in FDA v. Alliance of Hippocratic Medicine in June 2024, meaning there was no change to the access to mifepristone (chemical abortion). We are called to be faithful and continue choosing WUP, but the victory belongs to the Lord.

Queen Esther chose WUP when she advocated for the Israelites before the king. Upon learning of Hamon’s plot to destroy the Jews, there was great distress. “In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish…” (Esther 4:3-4, NASB 1995). Mordecai told Esther, “‘For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this’” (Esther 4:14, NASB 1995). Esther’s response was, “‘Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish’” (Esther 4:16, NASB 1995). If you do not remember the outcome, go and read the book of Esther. There was victory. I wonder if Esther gave a “WUP! WUP!”

Advocacy is much more than politics. CMDA’s American Academy of Medical Ethics (AAME) will continue to provide testimony for legislation that involves vulnerable people. We care about the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. Politics matter because policy matters because people matter. “Evangelical engagement is increasingly uninterested in power for its own self-interest. Rather than seeking to rule, the focus is on preserving the moral architecture that makes just and ordered society possible (seeking) to uphold what Russell Kirk once called the ‘permanent things’—those enduring moral truths embedded in the creation order that undergird human dignity, family, community and justice.”1

I invite you to join us in the efforts of AAME. There are numerous avenues in which to advocate for the vulnerable. Various issues come to the forefront depending on the cultural moment. Jesus speaking to His followers who are to inherit the kingdom stated, “‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to

Me’” (Matthew 25:35-36, NASB 1995). Jesus calls them the “…least of them…” (Matthew 25:40, NASB 1995), which today includes the preborn, those with gender dysphoria, the elderly near the end of life and those who are trafficked, as well as the poor, hungry, homeless, widows, orphans and aliens. We advocate for conscience freedoms in healthcare. We advocate for God’s design for humans. We advocate for human flourishing. Micah wrote of God’s instruction regarding advocacy: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NASB 1995). Martin Luther King, Jr. was an advocate for the vulnerable who said: “A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”2

When we choose WUP, we need to go with gentleness and respect, and we need to avoid inflammatory words. Relationships are key to voicing our concerns in advocating for the vulnerable. In my community, a medical clinic that cares for the indigent population and a well-known arts organization started using preferred pronouns in their emails and correspondence. I am a financial donor to both organizations. With gentleness and respect, I reached out to the leadership of the organizations with which I had a good relationship and asked if they would stop using preferred pronouns. I made it known my donations would cease otherwise. Both organizations stopped using preferred pronouns. Founder of the Colson Center Chuck Colson’s plaque on his desk stated, “Faithfulness not success.”

An acrostic that helps me when I advocate is PPPPP (pray, partner, plan, prepare, proceed). Always start with prayer. Then partner with others in unity. Seek wisdom as you plan and prepare. The power of the Holy Spirit gives us confidence to proceed. In advocating with wisdom, a balance should exist between scientific evidence and personal stories. Christ wants His bride, the church, to be in unity so the world may see. The church is the bastion of truth in our culture. If there is victory, we want to give praise to God and glorify Him. Then we can shout our “WUP! WUP!”

Endnotes

1 Walker, Andrew T. A Maturing Political Conscience: Why Evangelical Activism Today must be about Public Order, not just Political Power. World Opinions, April 25, 2025

2 King, Martin Luther. Sermon in Selma, Alabama, March 8, 1965

Brick Lantz, MD, retired after 34 years in private practice in orthopedics. He is a CMDA lifetime member, serves as medical director of a local pregnancy resource center, leads an undergraduate chapter of CMDA at University of Oregon, is the Oregon State Director for the American Academy of Medical Ethics, is a previous member of CMDA's Board of Trustees and currently is CMDA Vice President of Advocacy and Bioethics. He recently completed his master’s in bioethics at Trinity International University.

What Are We Doing? Rethinking Meaning in Medical Practice

RachelJ.Murphy,MD

This question haunts us in the stillness of the call room, in the moments after a difficult patient encounter, in the space between one crisis and the next. As physicians, we’ve all been there—staring at a patient’s chart, exhausted and discouraged, wondering if our efforts truly matter. The question emerges not just from fatigue, but from a deeper yearning for purpose in our medical calling.

In psychiatry, this question takes on special weight. We focus on alleviating symptoms and reducing suffering—noble goals, certainly. Our patients improve, relapse, return. The cycle can leave us wondering about the significance of it all, especially when progress feels so elusive.

Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl understood this search intimately. His experiences led him to recognize that humans are driven not primarily by pleasure or power but by the need to find purpose, even in suffering. As Christian physicians, we recognize

the profound truth in Frankl’s insights—and we know they point to something deeper still.

Beyond Meaning-making

Frankl offered a valuable perspective on finding significance in our struggles. Yet, we face a fundamental limitation: meaning isn’t something we can simply manufacture or prescribe. We can help patients identify their values, examine their responses to suffering and discover purpose in their trials, but there is a difference between constructing meaning and encountering it as a living reality.

What if our deepest yearning—and our patients’—isn’t for abstract truth but for relationship with Truth Himself?

In Christianity, we encounter Jesus Christ’s revolutionary claim: “I am the way and the truth and the life…” (John 14:6a). He presents Himself not as a teacher of truth, but as Truth incarnate—a living,

personal reality who we can KNOW. This transforms our understanding of human needs. The ache for purpose, identity and significance finds its answer not in fleeting solutions—comfort, pleasure, knowledge, success, even our closest relationships— but in Christ alone. Jesus offers not merely guidance for life’s struggles but His very self as the source of wholeness.

Rethinking Psychiatric Care

This perspective reshapes how we approach our work. We might appreciate medications and therapeutic interventions as God-given tools, at least for creating stability in crisis. They serve a function—like guardrails on a mountain road, they protect people while on a journey toward healing. Paul himself counseled Timothy to “…use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23, NASB), acknowledging our need for earthly remedies in a fallen world.

Yet, we must recognize their limits. These interventions can manage symptoms, create space for growth and prevent deterioration. What they cannot do is satisfy the soul’s deepest hunger. Like the law that served as our tutor (Galatians 3:24), they can only restrain. And they come with their own costs: side effects that remind us we are treating symptoms, not causes; managing crises, not curing the brokenness. They’re mere shadows that can only point to something greater—toward the Great Physician Himself.

That doesn’t mean dismissing legitimate suffering or withholding effective treatment. Every person in pain deserves compassionate care and real relief, but it does mean recognizing that symptom management addresses only part of the human experience. We can offer excellent clinical care while remaining aware that physical and psychological healing, profound as they are, point toward the need for a complete and total restoration.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

Not all patients will choose this path. Some will seek only symptom relief, like the crowds in John 6 who sought Jesus for physical bread to meet their temporary earthly needs, rather than the Bread of Life. We meet them with the same compassion Christ showed—providing the bread they ask for while remaining open to deeper conversations if they emerge.

Yet, suffering itself often creates what Jesus called poverty of spirit—that crucial awareness of our need for something beyond ourselves. When medications plateau, when therapy reaches its limits, when earthly answers fall short, hearts may open to eternal questions. Not because clinical setbacks always have spiritual significance in themselves, but because earthly pain can be redeemed by exposing our deepest hunger for the God who satisfies our eternal longing. We needn't force these conversations, but we should recognize the openings when they come.

We address immediate needs with competence and care, knowing this earthly life may be all some choose to embrace. We stay alert to those moments when a patient’s question shifts from, “How do I feel better?” to “Why am I here?” These are invitations, not to proselytize, but to walk alongside someone as they discover that their search for purpose might be a search for God.

The Potter’s Hands

Each encounter could hold eternal significance, with Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We help patients examine their fundamental values and responses to life’s trials, understanding how these shape both physical and spiritual well-being. Like clay in the potter’s hands, we and our patients are being formed for His purposes—sometimes through healing, sometimes through endurance, always through His faithfulness.

This truth becomes especially precious when we face our own struggles. Medical training’s demands, witnessing endless suf-

fering, juggling responsibilities, fighting burnout—all can leave us feeling disconnected and purposeless. We may seek significance in our impact on patients or our professional expertise, but in a broken world, even these noble pursuits feel insufficient.

Our Why

So what are we doing?

Frankl reminds us of Friedrich Nietzche’s words, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”1 For Christians, our ultimate “why” is Jesus Christ, who offers not a philosophy but Himself. In Him, we find not just what we are doing but Who we serve.

We are physicians, yes. We diagnose, prescribe, counsel and care. More fundamentally, we are witnesses to the One who entered into human suffering, bore it fully and emerged victorious. We point not to ourselves but to the living water that truly satisfies, the bread that truly fills, the Healer who truly restores.

This calling sustains us through every trial and empowers us to bring His light into the darkest corners of human suffering. On difficult days, when nothing seems to help and we question our purpose, we return to this: we serve the Great Physician, who uses even our limitations to accomplish His perfect work.

And that is more than enough.

Endnotes

1 Friedrich Nietzsche, TwilightoftheIdols, “Maxims and Arrows”

Rachael J. Murphy, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her residency in Psychiatry at Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2025. A graduate of Boston University with a major in neuroscience and psychology, she earned her medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine. Dr. Murphy is the founder of RiverStep Health, a private practice based in NYC serving patients in both New York and Pennsylvania, with a focus on functional medicine and deprescribing. She has published numerous research articles and bridges spiritual and neurobiological perspectives on mental illness. Dr. Murphy is dedicated to bringing hope that extends beyond temporal solutions to eternal significance.

GET INVOLVED

The Psychiatry Section, a ministry of CMDA, offers a forum for the interface of psychiatric practice and the Christian faith. The Psychiatry Section strives to promote fellowship and provide community to support and encourage Christian physicians in the practice of psychiatry, as they explore the relationship between their faith and professional practice; to promote within the church the knowledge and understanding of valid psychiatric approaches to mental health and healing, consistent with Christ’s redemptive love; to participate in the local church and global missions. To learn more and to get involved, visit cmda.org/psychiatry

CMDA Ethics Statement

MEDICALLY-ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA (MAS & E)

A. INTRODUCTION

Medically-assisted suicide and euthanasia (MAS & E) are morally controversial practices because they intentionally cause death and thereby contradict the Judeo-Christian and Hippocratic traditions of medical ethics which call for curing and caring, not killing. Though medicallyassisted suicide has been legalized in several jurisdictions in the United States, and euthanasia has been legalized in a limited number of other countries, public and professional debates persist about the ethics of MAS & E and the harmful consequences of their legalization. Some people may want to have access to MAS & E because of the possibility of physical or mental decline, losing control of their lives, becoming a burden to others, or experiencing severe pain or other symptoms, or the fear thereof. In response to such concerns about suffering, healthcare professionals should provide excellent palliative care which respects life and supports the whole person. They should not endorse self-destructive notions of autonomy and mistaken notions of dignity which devalue the lives of those who suffer. Based on a biblical account of life, death, killing, suffering, freedom, and love, Christians hold that the goodness of every human life is not diminished by suffering or disability, and that dying patients need compassionate care, not interventions that disrespect life by ending it.

B. DEFINITIONS

in dying”, “death with dignity”, or “mercy killing”. Such expressions may be motivated by a desire to avoid negative connotations or stigma associated with suicide, but they represent moral evaluations and euphemisms which prioritize motivation over description. By encouraging clarity about actions and intentions, the above terminology and definitions seek to avoid moral confusion in the discussion of these practices.

1. The following definitions reflect long-standing terminology used in society and the medical profession:

a. Suicide: the act of intentionally killing oneself.

b. Medically-assisted suicide (including Physician-assisted suicide, or P-AS, or PAS): the act of intentionally killing oneself with assistance from a healthcare professional who provides the means, or information, which enables a person to commit suicide (for example, by ingesting a lethal dose of medication which is prescribed by a healthcare professional for the purpose of causing death); the healthcare professional does not directly administer the means which causes death.

c. Euthanasia: the act by a healthcare professional of intentionally killing a person to relieve pain or suffering (for example, by directly administering a lethal injection).

2. Other phrases may be used to refer to MAS & E, such as “medical aid in dying (MAiD)”, “physician assistance

C. BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE, DEATH, KILLING, SUFFERING, AND LOVE

1. Life

a. The Old and New Testaments reveal the sanctity of every human life as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; Colossians 3:10).

b. The sanctity and dignity of human life are based in God’s sovereign goodness as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer (Genesis 1:26-2:25; Exodus 20:1-7; Psalm 78:35; Isaiah 44:6-8; 45:5-7; Acts 17:24-29; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 4:4-11).

c. Life’s value does not depend on our desire to live, but on the goodness of life as God’s gift (James 1:17-18).

d. Human life is not deprived of its goodness because of disease or disability. (Genesis 1:26-2:25; Luke 14:13).

e. Every human being deserves our respect, protection,

and responsible care. (Deuteronomy 6:5; 30:15-20; Leviticus 19:18; Luke 10:25-37).

2. Death

a. According to the Bible, death is a punishment resulting from the fall and is a limit ordained by God (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:19; Psalm 49:9-10; Psalm 89:48; Psalm 90:10; Ecclesiastes 7:1-2) for His purposes of judgment and, through Christ’s death and resurrection, salvation (Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Colossians 1:19-22; Hebrews 9:27-28)

b. Death is a cause for weeping (John 11:35), but our sorrow over death is comforted by the hope of resurrection in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Death reminds us that our earthly lives must be understood within the limitations of fallen human nature (Romans 5:12; 6:23), the atoning work of Christ’s sacrifice for us (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18), and the promise of everlasting life (1 Cor 15:12-58; Hebrews 13:14).

c. Death is a conquered enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26) whose sting has been removed by Christ’s atoning death (1 Corinthians 15:56). Therefore, death is not a good outcome to be pursued or hastened, but rather a reality to be accepted as a limit God places on earthly life until death is destroyed by Christ (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4).

d. There is goodness and dignity in caring for the dying, in living well while dying, and in facing death, but there is no dignity in death itself.1 Though death is not a good to be pursued, we give thanks that God uses death to bring us to our heavenly home (John 6:40; 14:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:16; 13:14; Revelation 21:1-4).

e. Because God has ordained death as a limit to our earthly existence, we should not try to forestall death at all costs or by any means. At God’s appointed time we should accept death as part of His providence (Philippians 1:21-30) and seek to discern when life-sustaining interventions are no longer part of God’s will for our lives.

3. Killing

a. God commands us not to murder (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17; Matthew 5:21-22; 15:19; 19:17-18; Romans 13:9; James 2:11; 1 Peter 4:15; 1 John 3:15; Revelation 21:8). The deliberate killing of an innocent human being violates God’s will because it intentionally destroys the life of someone who bears God’s image (Genesis 9:6).

b. Suicide is self-murder and violates God’s commandment against killing and His sovereignty over life and death (Ecclesiastes 8:8; Acts 17:22-31; Romans 14:79; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

c. Though the Bible does not explicitly condemn suicide, the five instances of suicide or assisted suicide recorded in Scripture place suicide in a negative light as an unfaithful act of despair by men who disobeyed God: Abimelech (Judges 9:54); Saul (1 Samuel 31:4); Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23); Zimri (1 Kings 16:18); and Judas (Matthew 27:5).

d. The story of Job’s excruciating suffering contrasts starkly with the desperate use of suicide by disobedient men. Job refused to curse God and die (Job 2:9-10) and instead humbled himself before God (Job 42:2-6) and trusted His compassion and mercy (James 5:11).2

e. Suicide should not be confused with martyrdom. The purpose of the martyr is to bear witness, not to die. Indeed, the word martyr literally means ‘witness’. For the Christian, martyrdom does not intentionally seek death but rather demonstrates a willingness to suffer death, if God wills, for the sake of faithful witness to Christ.

4. Suffering

a. Christ’s suffering love (Isaiah 53:3-5; Luke 9:22; Acts 3:18; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 3:18) shows that the goal of Christian living is not to eliminate all suffering in this life, but to love God and our neighbors (Matthew 22:37-40) and to accept the sufferings God calls us to endure (Matthew 26:36-39; Romans 5:3; 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:6; Philippians 1:29; 3:10; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 4:19) with trust in His fatherly providence (Matthew 6:25-34; 10:28-31).

b. Suffering reminds us that all creation groans, and we ourselves groan, in hopeful expectation of God’s faithfulness in this world and His redemption in the world to come (1 Peter 5:10; I Thessalonians 5:24; Romans 8:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:2-10).

c. Christ’s cross reminds us that we are not alone when we suffer, we will never be forsaken (Psalm 37:28; 86:5; 94:18; 100:5; 103:11; Isaiah 43:1-3; Hebrews 2:18), and nothing can separate us from Christ’s love (Romans 8:37-39).

d. Though suffering may tempt us to doubt the goodness of our lives and cause us to cry out to God for answers (Psalm 88), God invites us to trust that His grace is sufficient for our need (Job 1:21; 2 Corinthians 12:9). We are called to trust that God in His loving providence is acting for our good and using our suffering for His glory and our benefit (Psalm 119:71, 75; Psalm 121:7; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11), difficult as it is to accept the mystery of God’s inscrutable ways (Psalm 131:1-3; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33), especially when suffering is severe.

e. Suffering reveals our basic neediness as human beings (2 Corinthians 1:9) and our basic inability to control the circumstances of our lives. Suffering thereby deepens our awareness of our dependence on God (Psalm 55:22; Proverbs 16:33; Acts 14:15-17), increases our thanksgiving for his steadfast love (Psalm 31:7; 42:8; 59:16-17; 63:3; 103:4; 106:1; Philippians 4:19-20), and increases our desire to show Christ’s comforting love to others who are suffering (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).

f. Christian healthcare professionals are called to a ministry of healing which includes caring for those who are suffering and providing appropriate means of alleviation (Matthew 8:5-7; 25:35-40; Luke 10:25-37) (see CMDA’s statement on Suffering). But Christians are not called to attempt to eliminate suffering at all costs or by any means, such as by MAS & E which attempt

to eliminate suffering by eliminating the sufferer.

5. Freedom and Love

a. The purpose of human freedom is to love God and our neighbors (Deuteronomy 6:5; 30:15-20; Leviticus 19:18; Luke 10:25-37) and express our thanks to God through good works (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14); the purpose of freedom is not autonomous choice or self-determination (Psalm 10:2-4; 14:1; 100:3; 127:1; Proverbs 8:13; Jeremiah 10:23; Romans 14:7-9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

b. Christians should use freedom to love and serve others (Matthew 5:43-48; Galatian 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16), and Christian healthcare professionals should show love to their patients through care which is compassionate, ethical, and sensitive to the needs of the whole person.

c. In using their freedom responsibly, Christian healthcare professionals need to turn away from evil and do good (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 34:14; 101:4; 119:101; Matthew 6:13; 12:35; Romans 1:29-30; 12:2,9; 16:19; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; 1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 5:14).

d. Our responsibility to love God and neighbor reflects an order to our moral obligations in which the priority of our love for God (Acts 5:29) is not at cross purposes with our love for our neighbors. When we disagree with our neighbors because their wishes are harmful, our refusal to cooperate with their wishes is for their own good, even as we also recognize their freedom to reject what is good for them when they have decision-making capacity.

D. MISGUIDED MOTIVATIONS FOR MAS & E

1. Regarding the misguided claim that MAS & E support autonomy, rights, control, and dignity.

a. The duty to respect a patient’s wishes is not an unlimited obligation, and a patient’s choice is not justified simply because it is expressed, especially when a desired action requires assistance from another person.

b. MAS & E require shared decision making, which means a patient’s ‘autonomous’ decision is not independent but is influenced by the beliefs and values of one or more healthcare professionals who assess a patient’s choice and decision-making capacity in light of the healthcare professionals’ judgments about the morality of suicide and the professionals’ feelings about suffering and death.3

c. Support for MAS & E rests on existential convictions about meaning, purpose, and flourishing which interpret weakness, disability, and dependence (‘being a burden’) as threats to dignity. These are philosophical or religious convictions, not medical assessments, and they demonstrate how MAS & E misappropriate physicians for their technical skills to achieve the goal of killing. It is important to emphasize that healthcare professionals do not have existential expertise to discern when a patient’s suffering warrants MAS & E.

d. To use healthcare professionals for MAS & E attempts to ‘medicalize’ the problem of suffering4 by eliminating patients instead of caring for their bio-psycho-sociospiritual needs.

e. A patient’s deliberate decision to refuse recommended treatment should be respected, but there is a difference between a right to refuse life-sustaining treatment (a ‘negative’ right to be left alone) and a demand for assistance in self-destruction. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized this difference when it concluded that there is no constitutional right to be assisted in suicide.5

f. MAS & E violate dignity and devalue persons by agreeing that their lives are not worth living.

2. Regarding the misguided claim that MAS & E promote compassion.

a. Compassion is a virtue which needs to be guided by moral reason and respect for life.6 True compassion keeps company with those who are suffering and is therefore expressed by actions which intend comfort and provide care, not killing.

b. The goals of healthcare include the amelioration of suffering, but they also include the promotion of care. Intentionally causing or hastening death violates the duty to care because killing is a deliberate act of objective harm, even when motivated by intentions to relieve suffering.

c. Experience demonstrates that interest in MAS & E is usually related to concerns about autonomy, control, and dignity – not because of concerns about uncontrolled pain or other refractory symptoms.7 Palliative care can address even the most severe symptoms (see below).

3. Regarding the misguided claim that there is no distinction between killing and allowing to die.

a. For patients with decision making capacity, it is appropriate to respect the right to forgo medical treatment, even when refusal of treatment results in death. But support for MAS & E may conflate the right to forgo treatment with a supposed right to die by MAS & E. This conflation confuses the issue by employing a utilitarian emphasis on a single outcome (death) without taking seriously how differently death occurs in each case. It is important to appreciate the moral significance of different intentions (caring vs. killing) and different causes (diseases vs. medications used as poisons). Appropriate palliative care does not intentionally cause death; rather, it recognizes when life-sustaining treatments are no longer appropriate and allows patients to die from natural causes.

b. A related confusion may arise from a mistaken belief that modern medical technology creates the need for MAS & E. Although modern technology has occasioned the need to decide when to forgo medical interventions, it has not introduced the possibility of MAS & E. Disagreements over medically-assisted suicide have existed for thousands of years, as evidenced by the original Hippocratic Oath which arose in ancient Greece.

E. ACTUAL AND ANTICIPATED HARMS OF MAS & E

1. Harms to patients.

a. MAS & E harm patients by ending their lives.

b. Vulnerable patients (e.g., due to disability, dependence, advanced age, or cognitive decline) are at greater risk of coercion to accept MAS & E, especially when care

is burdensome or costly to family or society.8

c. MAS & E may begin as a legal option but may become a social expectation or a professional recommendation, resulting in manipulation or coercion.

2. Harms to professionals.

a. MAS & E harm the healing professions because these practices are not healing acts. By contrast, palliative care affirms life, views dying as a normal process, and neither hastens nor postpones death.9

b. The practice of MAS & E undermines the trust that is essential for relationships between patients and healthcare professionals, and it weakens public trust in the healing professions.10

c. Participating in actions intended to kill can create attitudinal shifts among healthcare professionals which lessen their respect for human life in general.

d. Having separate jurisdictions within the U.S. allowing MAS & E creates ethical dilemmas including death marketing and suicide tourism, and it exacerbates ethical divisions within the health professions themselves.

3. Harms to society.

a. MAS & E weaken society’s moral fabric by decreasing respect for human life.

b. MAS & E medicalize suicide and grant social approval for a self-destructive response to suffering and despair, thereby increasing the mistaken belief that suicide is morally legitimate. In support of this concern, there is some evidence to suggest that where assisted suicide has been legalized it is associated with an increase in suicide overall (medically-assisted and non-medically assisted suicide).11

c. Legal requirements attempting to regulate MAS & E may be ignored12 and cannot eliminate the risk of abuses in these practices.

d. MAS & E may be encouraged by social and economic pressures to reduce healthcare costs.

e. MAS & E may at first be legalized on the basis of patient autonomy and a false understanding of compassion for terminally ill adult patients with decisionmaking capacity, but the logic of self-determination has a momentum which naturally finds broader application to other categories of persons (incapacitation, non-terminal illness, mental illness, children, multiple geriatric syndromes, and being tired of living).13 This logical momentum is the basis of the ‘slippery slope’ argument which rightly maintains that the underlying rationale for a policy has ramifications which in time justify a movement from an initially narrow scope to a much broader range of applications. Empirical observations support the existence of slippery slopes in the practice of MAS & E.14

F. PALLIATIVE CARE FOR PATIENTS TOWARD THE ENDOF-LIFE

1. Healthcare professionals should be committed to excellent palliative care toward the end of life.

2. Excellent palliative care is directed to the care of the whole person, oriented especially to the goal of comfort and the treatment of symptoms.

a. When patients are dying, life-sustaining treatments may need to be withheld or withdrawn because they are no longer effective in promoting the patient’s good (see CMDA’s Position Statement, “Medical Futility and the Good of the Patient”).

b. Patients and their surrogates should understand that although some medical interventions may no longer be helpful, medical care will always be continued and palliative aspects of care may be intensified toward the goal of comfort.

3. When palliative care adequately controls symptoms and provides bio-psycho-socio-spiritual support, the desire for death among patients who are suffering can be expected to decrease.15

Healthcare professionals should be supportive of efforts to educate patients and the public so that such benefits of palliative care are understood.

4. Palliative sedation is an appropriate intervention used in terminally ill patients who are imminently dying and whose symptoms are severe and refractory to usual treatments.16

a. In palliative sedation, medications are directed at symptoms such as pain, dyspnea, delirium, or nausea; medication dosages are titrated to the minimum amount necessary to achieve the goal of symptom relief. This usually allows patients to rest but still be arousable. However, for some patients, it may result in unconsciousness, which is acceptable on the basis of the principle of double effect17 (see CMDA’s statement on Double Effect).

b. When properly administered, palliative sedation is not the cause of death, and death is not the means of achieving symptom relief. This distinguishes palliative sedation from MAS & E.18

c. Studies suggest that palliative sedation19 and opioids20 for symptom control do not hasten death in terminally ill patients.

G. CONSCIENTIOUS PRACTICE

1. Conscience is at the core of our nature as moral persons made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Romans 2:15). It enables us to understand moral truth based on the moral law God has written on the human heart (see CMDA statement on Healthcare Right of Conscience).

2. Christians are called to live conscientiously by pursuing what is true and right and avoiding what is evil (Acts 5:29; Romans 3:8; 12:9; Ephesians 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Philippians 4:8; 1 Timothy 6:1112; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).

3. Where MAS & E have been legalized and a patient makes a request for MAS & E, healthcare professionals should refuse to participate in MAS & E. When needed, they should also explain their refusal to participate in these unethical practices and communicate their commitment to provide compassionate care which meets the needs and appropriate goals of the patient and respects the patient’s life.

4. Healthcare professionals who refuse to participate in

MAS & E are not abandoning their patients or failing to fulfill their duty to care.

5. To avoid complicity with evil, healthcare professionals should not refer patients for MAS & E. Healthcare professionals who refuse to make referrals for MAS & E believe these practices are contrary to their patients’ best interests. Such referrals would make them responsible contributors to a process aiming at an unethical goal and would thus make them complicit with evil.

6. Clinicians who invoke conscience rights should always respect a patient’s freedom to seek treatment elsewhere. However, respect for that freedom does not imply an obligation to assist the patient in seeking ethically objectionable procedures such as MAS & E.

7. In jurisdictions where MAS & E have been legalized, healthcare professionals, students, and institutions should be allowed to refuse to participate in, refer for, or otherwise be complicit in these practices, and their conscientious refusals should be protected through conscience clauses in institutional policies and statutory laws.

H. CONCLUSIONS

1. All human beings are made in God’s image and endowed with dignity and deserve respect, protection, and compassionate care.

2. CMDA opposes medically-assisted suicide and euthanasia and all interventions which intend to cause or hasten death and thereby violate God’s command that we must not kill innocent human beings.

3. Suffering patients need comfort and whole-person care for their bodies and souls, not medical interventions designed to end their lives.

4. Excellent palliative care includes decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments when patients are dying and these treatments are no longer desired or effective.

5. Patients who are dying should have access to palliative care for the treatment of pain and other symptoms which may arise toward the end of life.

6. Patients and their families should be reassured that relief from pain and other symptoms is possible through the administration of palliative treatments which do not intend or cause death.

This statement replaces two prior CMDA statements: Physician-Assisted Suicide (1992) and Euthanasia (1988).

Approved by the House of Representatives

Passed with 65 approvals, 0 opposed, 0 abstention  May 1, 2025, St. Charles, Missouri

ENDNOTES

1 Ramsey, Paul. The indignity of “death with dignity.” Hastings Center Studies 1974;2:47-62.

2 Vandrunen, David. Bioethics and the Christian: A Guide to Making Difficult Decisions. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009:200-204.

3 Kelly BJ et al. Countertransference and ethics: a perspective on clinical dilemmas in end-of-life decisions. Palliat Support Care. 2003;1(4):367-375.

4 Callahan D. When self-determination runs amok. Hastings Cent Rep. 1992;22(2):52-55.

5 Vacco v. Quill, 521 U.S. 793 (1997)

6 Pellegrino ED. Compassion needs reason too. JAMA. 1993 Aug 18;270(7):874-875.

7 Hedberg K, New C. Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act: 20 Years of Experience to Inform the Debate. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(8):579-583.

8 Coelho R et al. The realities of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada. Palliat Support Care. 2023(5):871-878.

9 Chochinov HM, Fins JJ. Is Medical Assistance in Dying Part of Palliative Care? JAMA. 2024;332(14):1137-1138.

10 Kass LR. Is there a right to die? Hastings Cent Rep. 1993;23(1):34-43.

11 Jones DA, Paton D. How Does Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide Affect Rates of Suicide? South Med J. 2015 Oct;108(10):599-604; Doherty AM, Axe CJ, Jones DA. Investigating the relationship between euthanasia and/or assisted suicide and rates of non-assisted suicide: systematic review. BJPsych Open. 2022 Jun 3;8(4):e108; Jones DA. Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Suicide Rates in Europe. J Ethics Mental Health 2022;11:1-35.

12 Miller DG, Kim SYH. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide not meeting due care criteria in the Netherlands: a qualitative review of review committee judgements. BMJ Open. 2017;7(10):e017628.

13 Bolt EE et al. Can physicians conceive of performing euthanasia in case of psychiatric disease, dementia or being tired of living? J Med Ethics. 2015 Aug;41(8):592-8.

14 Meier DE. The Treatment of Patients With Unbearable Suffering-The Slippery Slope Is Real. JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(2):160-161.

15 Sprung CL et al. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Emerging Issues From a Global Perspective. J Palliat Care. 2018;33(4):197-203.

16 Kirk TW et al. National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Position Statement and Commentary on the Use of Palliative Sedation in Imminently Dying Terminally Ill Patients. J Pain Symptom Management 2010;39:914-923.

17 Sulmasy DP, Pellegrino ED. The rule of double effect: clearing up the double talk. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159(6):545-550.

18 Cohen-Almagor R, Ely EW. Euthanasia and palliative sedation in Belgium. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2018;8(3):307-313.

19 Beller EM et al. Palliative pharmacological sedation for terminally ill adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Jan 2;1(1):CD010206.

20 López-Saca JM et al. A systematic review of the influence of opioids on advanced cancer patient survival. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2013 Dec;7(4):424-430.

CMDA Ethics Statements like this are designed to provide you with biblical, ethical, social and scientific understanding of today’s issues through concise statements articulated in a compassionate and caring manner. They are drafted by the Ethics Committee of the Board of Trustees, and the final version has to be approved first by the Board of Trustees and then by the House of Representatives representing the CMDA membership. Visit cmda.org/ethicsfor more information about CMDA’s Ethics Statements and to review all of the statements.

Bioethics

The Dr. John Patrick Bioethics Column

IF THERE IS NO GOD, EVERYTHING IS

This Christmastide, we had the privilege of visits from 18 of our grandchildren and six of our great grandchildren. As always, a line from the Lord of the Rings pops into my head: “Man often fails of his promise but never of his seed” (my paraphrase). I have to say, however, parenting is much harder than it used to be. C.S. Lewis recognized in the 1940s that educational “experts” believed there are no absolutes beyond scientific laws and all claims of moral knowledge are merely subjective personal opinions. Any claim beyond personal value is judgmental and must be stamped out (the logical fallacy of this process is not allowed to raise its voice). Lewis knew this was false and dangerous. Parents of 2-year-olds know that saying your opinion is just as good as mine is not really a viable option for a functional, happy family. In the days when the Bible defined honorable behavior as what we would and would not do, and the Ten Commandments gave expression to that concept, we lived in a morally stable world. Nowadays, a Muslim father in Britain commits an honor killing of his daughter because her Western style dress behavior dishonored him. These murders are rarely solved because the Muslim community will support him by staying silent and not cooperating with the police. Rigid interpretations of Sharia law override British law in their eyes. Our political elites are so committed to multiculturalism they cannot bear to face the inevitable need to decide which legal system rules Britain, because of the obvious fact that Sharia law would not tolerate multiculturalism nor recognize the British legal system.

can be built on that statement. They are not taught that this entails the loss of a few trivial things like love, justice, courage, hope and honor. Despite the fact we cannot maintain a functional traditional society without these metaphysical realities, the intellectual elite press on and are appalled that fraud runs rampant, trust decays, anxiety explodes and honor killings are swept under the carpet.

In the faculty of education, students, from an early age, are taught to say they respect everyone’s beliefs but to use the hermeneutic of suspicion, which is a pompous way of saying that scientific naturalism is the only solid ground and everything

The historical ignorance of university students is beyond belief. They do not know there are more slaves in Africa today than ever crossed the Atlantic. They do not know that Benin traded slaves for a long time and the Beninese were essential middlemen in the slave trade. They do not know Muslims routinely castrated Afri-

can slaves. They do not know England effectively banned slavery in the 12th century. (Yes, 12th century, and Wikipedia doesn’t know that either.) You have to look for Anselm’s London conference in the early 12th century to find it.1 They do not know it was the 18th century evangelical revival that made Wilberforce’s crusade effective and the British population did not complain about the cost. The work of the Royal Navy, which destroyed the slave trade, was a significant budgetary item. The budget for this project wasn’t paid down until this century.

The educational development of Europe began with the monasteries, and it began with memorization, which has always been an important part of education. Children learn to speak without formal training, and they do it effectively, even picking up the nuances of family and community. This level of education is universal, but early in the history of Christianity serious Christians asked themselves how God had designed us to learn and they came up with the trivium.2 First, use the incredible memorization capacity of children and fill their minds with repeated stories (in particular Bible stories), times tables, poetry and song, then next comes logic and last of all rhetoric. In church, liturgy provided memorable repeated content so we all knew the basic theology of our faith.

The Trivium system worked well in the public arena, but it has lost its roots in the Bible (read Dorothy Sayers essay The Lost Tools of Learning for an erudite and elegant account of this fiasco). It has been replaced not by a system of memory providing a metaphysical base upon which a flourishing culture can be built, but by propaganda drawn from the utopian pipe dreams and agendas of post-Christian academic tacit atheists. (The first chapter of The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis does criticize modern educational theory but in a far too gentle way.) The real problem is the accreditation racket, which presumes you have passed various courses, consisting of bald facts with their unproved utopian objectives, then credits are clearly assumed to have been achieved by our modern educational experts. A few proper studies have not demonstrated this to be so. Modern students acknowledge this when I ask, could they retake an exam taken six months ago and pass? They wryly say, “No.” Credits built on a process of “memorize and dump” aided by endemic cheating and now AI does not produce competent graduates. One sees the pathetic result in the public sphere when interviewees on political programs tell you what degrees they have rather than demonstrating mastery of the field they are supposed to direct.

Charlemagne was able to offer the cultureless and, I might say, almost unenlightened realm which God had entrusted to him, a new enthusiasm for knowledge. In its earlier state of barbarism, his kingdom had been hardly touched at all by any such zeal, but now it opened its eyes to God’s illumination. In our own time, the thirst for knowledge is disappearing again, and the light of wisdom is less sought after and is becoming rare again in most men’s minds.

He was too pessimistic because medieval learning flourished for several more centuries, culminating in the start of the universities in the 12th century. The modern world of naturalism and reductionism started in the late 13th century. It fostered what we call science and technology, but it neglected wisdom. Quantification pushed teleology into obscurity. T.S. Eliot’s lament in the 1930s, “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge, / Where is the knowledge we have lost in Information?” captures our problem. AI and Google do not a wiseman make.

Likewise, ethical problems in healthcare are presumed to be handled by a few lectures by philosophers, the best of whom acknowledge that the problem is not lack of knowledge but failure of character formation.

In the last few weeks, I have listened to John Lennox talking to university students in Norway (it’s on YouTube as three lectures) on how to begin to talk about this problem by thinking about the book of Daniel. He challenges us to prepare ourselves to defend our faith winsomely but also forcefully. It took me back to Sunday school where my favorite song was, “Dare to be a Daniel, and dare to make it known!” The world is changing, and the young, particularly young men, are looking for the challenge that John Lennox presents so well. We need a revival, but I doubt the churches are capable of nurturing the minds of the young. Even Russian philosopher Fyodor Dostoyevski’s logical contention, “If there is no God, everything is permissible,” could not be defended by most Christians. It’s time to wake from a long sleep.

Endnotes

1 https://wokingham.today/church-notes-the-long-journey-to-theabolition-of-the-slave-trade/ 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivium

John Patrick, MD, studied medicine at Kings College, London and St. George’s Hospital, London in the United Kingdom. He has held appointments in Britain, the West Indies and Canada. At the University of Ottawa, Dr. Patrick was Associate Professor in Clinical Nutrition in the Department of Biochemistry and Pediatrics for 20 years. Today he is President and Professor at Augustine College and speaks to Christian and secular groups around the world, communicating effectively on medical ethics, culture, public policy and the integration of faith and science. Connect with Dr. Patrick at johnpatrick.ca. You can also learn more about his work with Augustine College at augustinecollege.org. To hear more from Dr. Patrick, visit johnpatrick.ca to listen to the Dr. John Patrick Podcast.

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