By: Borut Korun
A negative outcome of the referendum on voluntary end-of-life decisions, which would mean legalising assisted suicide, might not seem to significantly affect our lives at first glance. The masses do not think in far-reaching or deep terms, which makes the referendum result uncertain. And yet, this is a battle over the foundations of civilisation, something the masses do not reflect on. That a suffering person can decide their own fate may seem acceptable at first. But this apparent humaneness is merely a deception through which we introduce a new inhumanity; it is another step toward barbarism.
The ideological activity of the political left typically involves the destruction of civilisation. A few examples: the image of the Virgin Mary of Brezje holding a rat. With this “cultural” performance, they attacked not only the essence of Christianity but also mocked motherhood. Another equally vile “artistic event” was the breastfeeding of a dog. One more extreme absurdity: despite the fact that Slovenian and other European nations are dying out, Nika Kovač, the icon of leftism, fights for abortion.
There is no need to emphasise the deeply destructive nature of such “artistic” and activist efforts.
Every civilisation rests on foundations that must be firm and immutable. In our modern civilisation, this includes trust in various social systems, without which modern life would not be possible. We trust that our army will defend us, the police will maintain order, and judges will be committed to law and truth. This also includes trust in doctors and the entire healthcare system. That trust must be absolute. And it can only be so when the system is governed by unwavering – absolute – rules. Hippocrates already understood this, stating in his oath that he would never give a patient a substance to kill him. Even if the patient asked for it (a typical anti-civilisational measure was the abolition of the solemn Hippocratic Oath during communist times).
There must be no exceptions in fundamental civilisational principles. No relativisation of basic rules. When rules become relative, they depend on personal judgment. If values, criteria, and standards are relative, they can be negotiated, even sold. This opens the door to mistakes, abuses, and exploitation.
Civilisation could be simply compared to driving on a highway. It requires strict, absolute rules. No one may drive in the wrong direction, stop in the middle of a lane, cross the road on foot, or drive too fast or too slow. No one can or should relativise the basic rules of driving. Likewise, a doctor should not even consider easing his workload by helping a patient die. Only his absolute stance will result in absolute trust. And trust certainly has a healing effect. Only then can the healthcare system function.
Slovenians, for example, currently do not fully trust the judicial system, a consequence of the fact that under communism, judges had to serve the regime rather than truth and law, another erosion of civilisational norms. We still feel the consequences today and will continue to feel them for some time.
The same will happen if assisted suicide is legalised. In moments of greatest distress, when we most need help, doubt will gnaw at us. And help destroy us.
The healthcare system, especially individual doctors, cannot serve two completely opposing moral principles: one that unconditionally serves life, and another that can take it away. These two fundamental and opposing principles will destroy each other and hollow out the medical profession.
And since everything in this world can be distorted, a bad reputation will begin to spread among people, unjustified, but still present, such as “if you are seriously ill, they will just let you die in the hospital,” and similar sentiments.
Who among us, when we need help, will accept it calmly and with resignation? Who will not fearfully wonder when someone will whisper that the wait for death can be shortened…
When social systems no longer function, chaos, arbitrariness, and the rule of the strong take over. Barbarism and despair. Is that what we want?
