Pamela Margolis writes:
In response to Assisted dying debate, week ending 6 November:
If we consider the question of assisted dying from the perspective of the suffering individual as presented by Professor Nancy Duff, as well as from the perspective of the pre-existence of the soul, we get a broader understanding of the whole spectrum of events.
Duff states in support of assisted dying that death is inevitable and sometimes people must cope with extreme pain, loss of dignity and knowing that things will only get worse. In order to understand more fully the picture that is being outplayed at the time of suffering, we need to consider the laws of karma and reincarnation.
Karma being the law of cause and effect and reincarnation is the opportunity afforded to us to rectify and learn from past mistakes. Not being possible to do so in only one lifetime, God gives us many opportunities through Grace to re-embody to pay our karmic debts and experience whatever it is our soul needs to grow.
Lacking this understanding can cause one to become resentful of difficulties when, in fact, it is the very experience needed to learn the lesson, enhance our growth and perfect the soul. We experience the results of previous actions, both good and bad, and it becomes a learning curve for the maturing of the soul.
When we consider students studying a profession at university we see that they are continually learning as they engage in their studies and practical application. This too is true of the soul as she engages in daily challenges (lessons) in the ‘schoolroom of life’.
Life is really the journey of our soul and our physical body is the ‘vehicle’ our soul uses to navigate in the material world.
Entering in and leaving this world is all according to God’s timetable and Grace, and taking a life before an appointed hour is cutting short the soul’s opportunities in the schoolroom of life.
Every moment we are here is a moment for our soul to pass a test and come up higher. Painful experiences are often part of that and it accelerates the soul’s growth by learning through one’s mistakes. Committing suicide is the rejecting of such opportunity, resulting in that person having to return to earth shortly after death and continuing with exactly the same problems and illness.
Nothing is resolved by suicide.
