1. WELCOME!
Parkside Bible Fellowship
Adult Summer Sunday School
August 16, 2009
10th Session

2. IN THE NEWS
1. Gay / Lesbian Parade and
Festival in Reno yesterday.
2. The Real Truth Behind
WOODSTOCK
• 40 yrs. ago this weekend.

3. SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
Counterculture----
----Hippies
Disillusioned with TRADITIONAL VALUES
Movement toward a new society
Greater freedom
Question authority Established
Sexual Revolution Key Concepts To
Moral Relavatism
Communal living
Co-habitation
Use of “mind-expanding” drugs
expanding”

4. The Real Truth About Woodstock
Moral relativism is the view that ethical
standards, morality, an positions of right or
and
wrong are and therefore subject to a
person's individual choice.
We can all decide what is right for
ourselves. You decide what's right for you,
de
and I'll decide what's right for me. Moral
relativism says, "It's tr
true for me, if I believe
it."

5. IN THE NEWS
1. Church and State Issues
• Principal and Athletic Director Face
Criminal Charges for Prayer at Luncheon
2. Euthanasia in the News
• Sarah Palin: Health Care Creates Death
Panels
• Death Panel Is An Absolute Outrage
• Let Live Or Let Die

6. Something To Think About
1. Health Care Plan.
2. Utilitarianism is described
Utilitarianism:
"the greatest good for the
gre
reatest number of people".
Always act in the way that
will produce the greatest
good for the greatest
number.
3. Imago Dei is a concept that
Host of Breakpoint asserts that human beings
Chuck Colson are created in God's image
•Defend the Truth and therefore have inherent
nd
•Live the Faith value independent of their
•Advance the Kingdom utility or function.

8. God’s Word forbids murder.
• Abortion All fall into
• Euthanasia the category
of murder!
• Suicide
However, Capital Punishment
(Death Penalty) does not.

9. Euthanasia
1. From the dictionary
• A good death or dying well
• A peaceful and painless death to
end a painful an incurable disease.
and
2. Society
• Physician Assisted Suicide
• Mercy Killing
• Death With Dignity
• Quality of life vs. Sanctity of Life

10. 3. Medical World
• Active euthanasia occurs in those
instances in which so
someone takes active
means, such as a leth injection, to bring
ethal
about someone’s death. “ “PHYSICIAN
ASSISTED SUICIDE
SUICIDE”
• Passive euthanasia occurs in those
instances in which someone simply
refuses to intervene in order to prevent
someone’s death. Natural death is not
imminent.

11. 3. Medical World
• Letting die* involves the withholding or
withdrawing life-prolonging and life
prolonging life-
sustaining medications and technologies from
ns
an irreversibly ill patient with whom death is
imminent even with treatment.
*The difference between Passive
Euthanasia and Letting die is in
Passive Euthanasia, a patient’s
death is not imminent.

12. Relativism Absolutes
Recognize worth of Treat all human life
human life varies as of equal worth
Death With Dignity Never intentionally
is JUST take human life
Respect a person’s Never take your own
desire to live or die life prevent others’
from taking theirs
Bring children into the Be fruitful and
world only if wanted multiply
Do not discriminate on Treat all human life
the basis of species as more precious
than any non-human
non-
life

13. As with Abortion Euthanasia,
Abortion,
and Suicide is man usurping
(seizing) the sovereign will and
)
authority of God.
It is man desiring to become God,
ing
to decide who lives and who
doesn’t.
It is a rebellion against
God’s authority.

15. GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER
LIFE AND DEATH
Job 1:20 - 22
20Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved
re
his head; and he fell to the ground and
worshiped.
21And he said: Naked I came from my
mother's womb, And n d naked shall I return
there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has
taken away; Blessed be the name of the
Lord.
22In all this Job did not sin nor charge God
with wrong.

16. GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER
LIFE AND DEATH
Psalms 139:16
Your eyes have seen my unformed
substance; And in Your book were all
;
written. The days that were ordained for
me, When as yet there was not one of them.
re
Deuteronomy 32:39
The Lord says, See now that I myself am
He! There is no god besides me, I put to
!
death and I bring to life I have wounded
life,
and I will heal, and no one can deliver out
of my hand.

17. THE BIBLE SPECIFICALLY
CONDEMNS THE TAKING OF LIFE
Genesis 9:6:Whoever sheds man's blood,
er
By man his blood shal be shed, For in the
all
image of God, He made man.
Exodus 20:13: You shall not murder.
Matthew 5:21: You have heard that the
:
ancients were told, YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT
MURDER and Whoever commits murder
shall be liable to the court.

18. OUR BODY AS WELL AS OUR SOUL
AND SPIRIT BELONG TO GOD
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19Or do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom
you have from God, and that you are not your
own?
20For you have been bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body.
Galatians 2:20
20I have been crucified w with Christ; and it is no
longer I who live, but Ch hrist lives in me; and the
life which I now live in th flesh I live by faith in
the
the Son of God, who love me and gave Himself
ved
up for me.

19. GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING
EVEN WHEN WE DON’T
UNDERSTAND THAT PURPOSE
Romans 11: 33
33Oh, the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments
and unfathomable His ways!

20. GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING
EVEN WHEN WE DON’T
UNDERSTAND THAT PURPOSE
James 4:13-15
13Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow
we will go to such and su a city, and spend a
such
year there and engage in business and make a
profit.
14Yet you do not know whwhat your life will be like
tomorrow. You are just a vvapor that appears for
a little while and then vanishes away.
15Instead, you ought to sa If the Lord wills, we
say,
will live and also do this or that.

21. SUFFERING HAS A PLACE IN
GOD’S ECONOMY
2 Corinthians 1: 8
8For we do not want you to be unaware,
brethren, of our affliction which came to us in
Asia, that we were burdened excessively,
beyond our strength, so to that we despaired even
of life;
2 Corinthians 12: 6-8
6For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for
st
I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from
this, so that no one will credit me with more
than he sees in me or hears from me.

22. SUFFERING HAS A PLACE IN
GOD’S ECONOMY
2 Corinthians 12: 6-8 8
7Because of the surpassing greatness of
the revelations, for this reason, to keep me
his
from exalting myself, t
lf, there was given me a
thorn in the flesh, a me
messenger of Satan to
torment me to keep me from exalting
myself!
8Concerning this I impmplored the Lord three
times that it might leave me.

23. AS A RESULT OF ADAM AND EVE’S
SIN, DEATH IS INEVITABLE
Romans 5:12:
12
Therefore, just as through one man sin
entered into the world, and death through sin,
and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned;
Romans 6:23:
23
For the wages of sin is d
death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

24. Hippocratic Oath
“I will never give a deadly drug to
e
anybody if asked for it, nor will I
make a suggestion to this effect.”
Every Physician Practicing
Medicine Takes This Oath.

25. Dr. Keith Essex, pro
professor at Master’s
Seminary provides Six Biblical
guidelines when confronting death.
1. Death is inevitable--Ecclesiastes 3: 2 A time
Ecclesiastes 2:
to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant
ime
and a time to uproot what is planted.
• Each Christian needs to create an
advanced medical directive
• Living will
• Durable Power of Attorney

26. 2. Death is the enemy-- Corinthians 15:26:
-1
The last enemy that will be abolished is
death.
• Value the sanctity of life
• If recovery through medical
treatment is a possibility,
• forestall death so one can continue
th
serving the Lord.

27. 3. Dying is a process-- Hebrews 11:21
11:21-22:
21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each
ew
of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning
on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when
he was dying, made mention of the exodus of
the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning
dg
his bones.
• If disease is incurable and terminal,
• Letting Die or the natural process of
dying but control pain, provide food and
water, hygienic care and ensure personal,
are
mental and spiritual interaction. HOSPICE

28. 4. Suffering is a part of life and death
Romans 8:18: For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not
pr
worthy to be comp pared with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.
• The believer will patiently
endure pain
• especially tow wards the end of life
and not let pain become the
reason for EUTHANASIA
EUTHANASIA.

29. 5. Instead of mercy killing Christians need to
killing,
exhibit mercy living.
Pray for, visit and care for the dying.
•
• Euthanasia is NOT a good death
• Christians having strong faith
throughout life and even unto death
are ones who die well.
6. Slippery slope argument
argument---What’s next?

31. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT h been the hallmark
has
of just and free societies for millennia
Christians are just as confused on CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT as is the general public.
The Biblical position is clear in both the
tion
Old and New Testaments that God is
favor of CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
PUNISHMENT.
That position is supported by several
extra BIBLICAL arguments as well.

32. Divided in the Christian World
AGAINST FOR
1. Believe in the sanctity 1. Death penalty is
of life retribution for shedding
2. Thou Shall Not Kill* of innocent blood.
3. He who is without sin, 2. Thou Shall Not MURDER*
let him cast the first 3. God created
stone. government to carry out
law and order.
4. Biblical References: 4. Biblical References:
• Exodus 20: 13
• Gen. 9: 6
• John 8: 1-11
• Ex. 20: 13, 21:12
• Rom. 13: 1-7

33. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Is man a mere machine
or a moral agent?
Man is a mere machine Human beings,
machine:
by and large, are machines and not
moral agents. Wh
When a machine goes
bad, we fix the machine.
Man is a moral agent: Human beings
are free moral agents. They can
make choices an they ought to be
and
held responsible for the moral
choices they make

34. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
1. Most Americans favor the death
penalty and limiting appeals for
death row prisoners.
2. Supreme Court has ruled that the
• 8th Amendment’s cruel and unusual
punishment clause is not violated by
the DEATH PENALTY.
3. Other Americans believe that the
• 8th Amendment’s cruel and unusual
punishment is violated by the DEATH
PEANLTY.

35. FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
1. The DEATH PENALTY acts as a
deterrent.
•1955 to 1965: 78,500 murders and 351
executions in the U.S.
•1966 to 1976: 288,310 murders were
committed with only 6 executions.
2. Death is the proper “repayment” for
”
the terrible crime of murder.
• “An eye for an eye
eye”.
• Victim and loved ones must not be
forgotten.
death penalty

36. FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
3. The judicial system provides
death row prisoners with ample
opportunity for appeals.
•Average stay on death row
is 8 to 12 yrs.
4. The possibility of executing an
innocent person is a price
society pays for administering
true justice toward the guilty
murderer
death penalty
arguments for death peanlty

37. AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
1. “Thou shalt not kill” is one of God’s
commandments”.
• Sanctity of life.
• The State should not be permitted to
conduct executions.
• The State kills to satisfy the emotions
of revenge.
.
2. States with no death penalty have
the same or less murder rate than
States with capital punishment.
death penalty
arguments for death peanlty

38. AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
3. DEATH PENALTY has been applied
unfairly
• those who are p
re poor are most likely
to be executed.
4. Innocent individuals may be
executed mistakenly.
• 31 known cases
cases.
• Life imprisonment allows time for
new evidence to be uncovered
death penalty
arguments for death peanlty

39. Blue states have no death penalty statute.
Yellow-green pro death pena no executions since 1976..
nalty
Reddish-orange states have executed people since 1976.
ve

40. AGAINST
1.The Death Penalty is barbaric and
The
unnecessary in a mature society.
“In order to oppose CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
you must confront th horror of murder,
the
feel the loss, fear an outrage, and still
and
be able to look the victim’s relatives in
their eyes and say the murderer must
live…….”

41. FOR
1. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT is needed in society
to act as a DETERRENT to PROTECT the
rights and freedoms of citizens.”
“In order to support CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT, you m u must be able to look
into the eyes of the condemned
man, recognize his humanity, see
how he got to that point and tell him
he must die…..”