Policy / Oppose Physician-Assisted Suicide and all Euthanasia Efforts

Oppose Physician-Assisted Suicide and all Euthanasia Efforts

Southern Baptists affirm that every life is worthy of protection and is created in the image of God. Precious human lives deserve protection from the very moment of conception through the natural end of life. Scripture is clear that every person—regardless of age, race, or ability-level—is made in the image of God (Jer. 1:5; Ps. 139:13). These beliefs have major implications for our engagement on the issues of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

Physician-assisted suicide has continued to gain traction in states around the nation. In 1997, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Washington v. Glucksberg that state prohibitions on physician-assisted suicide do not violate the Constitution, thus opening the door for states to legislate the matter. Currently, 13 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized physician-assisted suicide, with Delaware and Illinois enacting laws in 2025, and New York following suit in early 2026. While most states outlaw physician-assisted suicide and classify it as manslaughter or a lesser felony, there are growing movements in state legislature across the country to permit this practice. These developments are a clear indictment of our world’s regressive view of human dignity and the value of life.

Pain and suffering call for compassionate treatment that supports a God-honoring culture of life, not state-sponsored suicide. This practice is in clear conflict with ethical principles from both the Hippocratic tradition and Scripture, whereas, hospice and palliative care options provide compassionate and ethical treatment that recognize the inherent value of a person’s life. Through a 2001 resolution, Southern Baptists resolved that legalized euthanasia is immoral ethically, unnecessary medically, and unconscionable socially.

Physician-assisted suicide is not healthcare. Medicine has been governed for over 2,500 years by the belief it is always wrong to intend to harm one’s patients, including killing or assisting a patient to kill himself or herself. Additionally, many states that have adopted these permissive laws are intentionally targeting those with disabilities and offering them ways to end their lives rather than offer proper medical care and health services.

While we remain anchored in the new life we have in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and wait with expectation for God to make all things new (Rev. 21:4-5), we rightly grieve all forms of death on earth, which is a consequence of the Fall. With multiple state-level bills on the horizon in 2026, the ERLC will continue to continue to work with state conventions and partners to oppose proposals to permit physician assisted suicide—which is never an appropriate end-of-life care option—and will advocate for compassionate, life-affirming treatment for those receiving end-of-life care.