Life is the most fundamental of all freedoms.
Contrary to what many in our generation believe, life is not a choice, but an inalienable right gifted to us by a sovereign God.
As we wait to see the final hours close in on the now-famous case in the United Kingdom of Charlie Gard, our hearts go out to the parents put in such a precarious position of having to beg the state to give their son a chance to live.
Charlie suffers from a rare disease called mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, an extremely rare condition of which there is no known cure. British courts have decided that Charlie should be “allowed” to die after a lengthy legal battle where doctors have determined the child has no chance for survival. The parents have taken the case to the European Court of Human Rights, but the court declined to hear the case and determined, as previous courts stated, that it was in Charlie’s best interest to withdraw life support.
Unless something else can be done, Charlie will take his last breath on Friday, July 14. To make matters worse, Charlie’s parents said in a statement, “We can’t even take our son home to die.” The hospital will not allow the family the privacy and time to say their final goodbyes. The parents’ last wish was to take their son home to be with him in his final hours.
Charlie’s father said, “We know what day our son is going to die and we don’t even get any say in what happens to him.”
There has been much attention given to this case. Help has been offered by a doctor here in the United States and both Pope Francis and President Donald Trump have expressed support for the parents but to no avail.
Charlie’s plight sheds new light on what can happen in a liberal progressive society, where life and death decisions are decided by the state, a state in which the government runs healthcare.
If there is a silver lining, Charlie’s life has already served a greater purpose. This heart-wrenching story has brought attention of a socially controlled state to the world stage. Who should make the final determination in life and death decisions?
Government’s first duty is to protect its citizens. There is a moral obligation to the most fundamental of liberties that are foundational to a democratic society. We have a right to life and that right is God-given. We should not live and die at the will of government.
In the case of Charlie Gard, the decision about his life should be left to his parents and, ultimately, God Almighty.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)
