“A stylish and elegant way to die.” This oxymoron of a description was given by Philip Nitschke, suicide (Sarco) pod inventor. Nitschke is also the founder of Exit International, an organization that promotes the right to die and the deregulation of suicide laws around the world. Nitschke’s statement here is a polite way to dismiss the gravity of suicide and the trauma it leaves behind.
The pod primarily consists of two main parts, a detachable capsule that mounts onto a base. The base contains a cannister that dispenses nitrogen when the occupant pushes a button. As the pod fills with nitrogen gas, oxygen levels are depleted. In about a minute, the occupant will lose consciousness and die.
In reading this, you would have to wonder, what kind of evil has Satan conjured up now? But this contraption gets even more diabolical. To make the pod even more attractive, Nitschke has already addressed any contingencies and criticisms that would come with such an invention:
- Design: It’s modern and sleek and has the look of a movie spaceship. He wants the users to feel as if they are traveling “to the great beyond”. In addition, you can choose to have a dark or transparent view from inside the capsule.
- Location: Wherever you would like it to be. Whether it’s in the middle of the woods, an open grassy field, or the comfort and privacy of your own backyard, the purchaser can decide his final resting place. The company will transport it anywhere at your discretion.
- Personal Space: We all come in different shapes and sizes, right? No worries. The pod is 3-D designed, meaning the software can accommodate each person’s physical dimensions to ensure as much comfortability as possible.
- Psychology: Just in case you have no desire to seek professional help or the wisdom of Christ Himself, the pod offers a self-administered psych exam. There’s an online test to gauge mental fitness before acquiring access to the machine. If the applicant successfully passes the test, they receive an access code that lasts 24 hours.
- Fear Factor: Yes, Nitschke contemplated the fear that may come with carrying out such a travesty – just in case the customer has the audacity to change his mind about suicide. The nitrogen gas decreases oxygen levels at such a rapid pace, the sense of suffocation and panic are eliminated. The evil genius went all-out
Okay. Enough of the sarcasm.
It’s interesting how just thirty years ago, Dr. Jack Kevorkian sparked world-wide controversy with his ideology of doctor- assisted suicide of terminally ill patients. Public reception of such an idea was not good. Most were appalled by the practice. He admitted to euthanizing one-hundred and thirty people but went to prison for killing only one. Today, you can’t even get a peep out of the mass media about the Sarco pod, an invention that glorifies suicide, even for healthy individuals. The silence on this subject speaks to the desensitization and depravity of a fallen world. Little did we know at the time that doctor assisted suicide of the terminally ill would be a gateway to the promotion of suicide in general.
In 1994, physician assisted suicide was legal in three states. Today, there are eleven. By the grace of God, the majority of states still have not conceded to this practice. I do believe as the world trends more towards individualism, personal rights and the self-seeking mindset, the invention of the pod could ignite more states loosening their laws on suicide.
And not all people diagnosed with a terminal illness die right away. I recall some years ago, a young lady told me her grandmother was placed in hospice to finish out her last days. Nothing more could be done for her. At some point, her grandmother recovered and was removed from hospice care. She said her grandmother went on to live another two years. If it were up to Dr. Kevorkian and Nitschke, they may have encouraged her to go ahead and give up, which would have denied her family two more years with their loved one, more importantly, disrupted God’s plan for her life. God still does miracles – a miraculous act or physical expression by God not understood by the carnal eye. The carnal eye calls it “lucky”.
I am not sure if Nitschke counted the costs when he contemplated the Sarco pod. I cannot imagine what his thought process must have been when the idea pinged in his brain. Did he think he was making the world a better place? Did he believe he was solving the world’s crisis of mental illness? Maybe he’s a part of a conspiracy to control the world’s population. Or – was he simply thinking of financial gain? I’m not sure. What I am sure of is that instead of adding to the world, he is taking away from it…every single time someone pushes that button.
I won’t accuse Nitschke of inventing the act of suicide – just perpetuating it. People have been committing suicide since the beginning of time. As long as the world is Satan’s domain, it will continue to happen – suicide pod or not. But the one thing we do not want to do is add to the problem by making it more convenient and might I add, seemingly pleasant. Whether it’s by suicide, disease, natural disaster, or murder, we will all experience some form of suffering and discomfort before we meet God, even if it’s only for a split second. There is nothing pleasurable about the act of dying and there’s nothing euphoric about the taking of one’s own life. Those who contemplate suicide are wrestling with an enemy far beyond the help of a kill pod. They are experiencing psychological torment.
I pray for Nitchke. I pray for a reformed mind and heart. I pray that he speaks on the wonderful benefits of life rather than glorification of premature death.
The premise for those who advocate the right to die is the, ‘I didn’t ask to be here’ stance. The reason none of us were asked to be here is because this life – the air we breathe, is not our own. God never intended man to destroy what he has not created. Life is a gift wrapped up in a package called a loan. The bible says we are not our own but were bought with a price. Though God gives us autonomy to use this body as we please, at the end of the day, it’s still a loan. So instead of telling the broken, you have a right to die, this is your life, or the government doesn’t own you, encourage them in the delicate nature and the precious gift that life is. Encourage them in perseverance. Encourage them in the promises of God.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
–Psalm 34:18
When the despondent cannot fight, fight for them. When they cannot stand, stand for them. When they cannot a see, be the vision for them. It only takes a trickle of hope to change a person’s entire perspective on the beauty of life.
