Death on Demand #1 - What is MAiD, and Why Should Christians Care?

Canada is truly a great place to live. Many aspects of our social life far surpass what we find in other countries. But at the same time, our nation has adopted some public health policies that feel eerily dystopian. One of the most alarming is MAiD.

MAiD stands for Medical Assistance in Dying—Canada’s legal term for assisted dying, which includes both physician-administered and self-administered death under strict guidelines. In just a few years, MAiD has expanded rapidly: originally restricted to those with a reasonably foreseeable natural death (Bill C-14, 2016), it now includes non-terminal cases (Bill C-7, 2021). Though currently limited to adults 18 and older, the federal government has considered extending it to include “mature minors”—youth under 18 deemed capable of informed decision-making.

Advocates often describe MAiD as a matter of human dignity. But what does true dignity look like? From a secular, humanistic perspective, dignity is tied to autonomy, productivity, and perceived quality of life. But from a biblical perspective, human dignity is rooted in our creation—we have worth because we are made in the image of God. That worth is not lost through suffering, dependence, or lack of control. In fact, those experiences often highlight our deepest need for God.

In a world without God, suffering seems meaningless. But in Christ, even our pain becomes a tool in God’s hands for our good. The world sees death as a way to escape suffering, but Scripture calls death our enemy, not our saviour. For those outside of Christ, death is not relief—it is the doorway to eternal suffering and judgment. The true solution to both physical and emotional pain is not death, but Jesus. He may not remove every sorrow in this life, but he transforms our suffering into blessing and gives us the unshakable hope that one day, sorrow will be no more. Death will be swallowed up by life.

Nino Marques