My Declaration For Life  A Christian Physician's Ethics Statement

Reasons

Almighty God, With You all life begins and ends.

I know my life entirely depends on You.

By You, all human life is loaned for a season.

I cannot give life to, or take life from anyone.

For You, I must hold in careful stewardship

My life, and the lives of all my neighbours.

You created mankind a little lower than the angels

And have given me Your life and love giving Spirit.

Through Jesus Christ You have made me Your child,

Now my first priority is to show people their hope is in You.

You have honoured me with Your challenging friendship

Thus, what I am becoming is more important than what I achieve.

You have conquered death and will soon destroy it.

Since I am Your servant, Your enemy is my enemy.

It is Your creation but death is seeking to ruin it.

I must fight death on its doorstep or it will attack me on mine.

There are no innocent bystanders in matters of life and death.

Unless I am fighting death, I am aiding and abetting its terror.

Without forgiveness and reconciliation between those who injure and are injured,

The triangles of tragedy must be reenacted from generation to generation.

Unresolved bitterness will kill us and those we hate.

Unless forgiving and forgiven, our sins and illness will remain.

With love, You are always healing the weak and wounded,

By helping the smallest and weakest I learn to love like You.

Every person was wonderfully made in Your image,

So how could I ever benefit at the expense of another.

No, I benefit when I give my neighbours what they need,

For we are intrinsically bound together in the bundle of life.

Commitment

I will love You more than my life; as long as I live

I will always promote and enhance life for everyone

Not regarding their wealth or rank, sex or race, ability or disability,

Their size or completeness, I will love them as myself.

I will seek my neighbours' physical, mental and spiritual wholeness.

Treating them equally, I will help distribute

Health and life maintaining resources fairly throughout the world.

I will help each one to the limit of my abilities and resources.

If because of circumstances I must choose who I will treat first

I will treat those who most likely will benefit from what I can offer.

I will seek to know all the needs of all my neighbours

And help find and apply new remedies.

I will try to untangle the tragic triangles that injure and kill.

Starting with myself I will exemplify and promote reconciliation.

I will not kill or hasten death or just let anyone die

But will seek to remedy all factors that lead to the destruction of life.

I will oppose abortion, euthanasia, murder and genocide

And help heal all those affected by these tragedies.

I will fight death in all its guises

And avoid compromise with any form of evil.

Prayer

Please Lord, help me to do what I say I believe.

Give me the courage to love life and live it fully.

Remind me that my struggle is but for a short time.

Forgive me for vanity and pride in my accomplishments.

Remind me You alone heal and I am privileged to be your helper.

Keep me from fearing death or the consequences of serving You.

Grant me sufficient strength to bring hope, healing and joy to others.

Make me determined to loan my life without interest for

The most complete life of each and all of my neighbours.