A review of When Is It Right to Die by Joni Eareckson Tad

I just recently read a book called When Is It Right to Die and really enjoyed it. It asked very hard hitting questions about how life and death and how we should handle it. I liked the quote on page 49 that says "Each year more than 44 thousand people die by suicide in the United States. It is estimated that 25 times that number attempt suicide year. And the numbers have steadily risen since 2006." That really shocked me, didn't realize how bad it had become.

I also liked the quote on page 55 which says "No decent human being would allow an animal to suffer without putting it out of its misery. It is only to human beings that human beings are so cruel as to allow them to live on in pain, in hopelessness, in living death, without moving a muscle to help them." That is so honest and true.

I liked the quote on page 73 which says " When prescribing doctors fill out a final report after an assisted suicide, the top four reasons given for the request for assisted suicide are, 1-decreasing ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable, 2-loss of autonomy,3- loss of dignity,4- a sense of being a burden. The quote on page 95 is great as well. " If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, we may be hugged to death by the bear. The devil cares very little which it is, as long as he destroys our love for Christ and our confidence in Him." In a related quote on page 97 which says " Little wonder that Jesus not only recognized the existence of a devil, but nailed him with the name tempter."

I like the quote on page 102 that says " The apostle Paul got depressed. We are pressed on every side by trouble, but not crushed or broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandon's us. " The quote on page 106 goes with this last quote which reads " The devil is a fallen angel. He is a deceiver. He is doomed for destruction."

On page 119 it says " Life is more fleeting than we realize. We need the perspective of David, who wrote these words in Psalm 39:6-4 " Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years are nothing before you..." The quote on page 168 says " Followers of Christ are supposed to give, even when it hurts. We serve, even when-and especially when-we're worry or discouraged. Christ calls us to look out for others' interests before our own."


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