A new federal lawsuit may block Illinois’ assisted suicide law from going into effect on September 12.

Several disability rights groups, a doctor, and two Illinois citizens with disabilities say the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, formerly known as SB 1950, discriminates against people with terminal illness or disability and doesn’t have necessary safeguards in place.

This lawsuit does a fantastic job showing a few of the reasons Christians take issue with assisted suicide. Rather than protecting the most vulnerable in society, assisted suicide laws – like the Illinois End of Life Options Act – harm the most vulnerable.

For the full text of the lawsuit, click here.

The Illinois End of Life Options Act allows adults diagnosed with a terminal prognosis of six months or less to obtain a prescription for lethal drugs. The person would then self-administer the drug, killing themselves.

There are multiple tragedies in any policy like this.

First, this bill facilitates the taking of a precious life.

Life is sacred because humans are created in the image of God. Though sin has corrupted mankind, God’s image is still there. Assisted suicide laws treat people as expendable.

Second, assisted suicide laws harm the most vulnerable.

The lawsuit said suicidal ideation can be a side effect of terminal illness or life-threatening disability. When people receive and live with a terminal diagnosis, they worry they will be a burden or that they don’t matter anymore.

Assisted suicide laws essentially affirm those worries. They tell them, “It’s okay to end it – let us help you.” This is particularly egregious because God has a special heart for the vulnerable and needy. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of God’s heart for those who are suffering.

The people of God are supposed to care for the vulnerable. Proverbs 31:8-9 says,

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

God goes so far as to tell His people that true faith in Him involves caring for the orphan and the widow (James 1:27), and He requires justice, kindness, and humility over sacrifices and mere talk (Micah 6:8). We are saved by grace, not faith, but faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Christians have a Scriptural mandate to care for the vulnerable. Staying silent as these laws pass or when someone is contemplating suicide in any form is the opposite of caring for the vulnerable.

Third, assisted suicide laws always expand.

Once a government defines a group of people as expendable, it’s easier for other groups to enter the same category.

Proponents of assisted suicide laws love to tout the “safeguards” included in the legislation – such as waiting periods or requiring two doctors to sign off on suicide requests. The news release from Governor J. B. Pritzker’s office when he signed the act even said,

“Several safeguards are in place to ensure robust patient protection for Illinois residents.”

However, these “safeguards” are often dubious. In the Illinois law, the waiting period is only five days and can be waived if a doctor says their patient will die within five days. History shows these “safeguards” rarely last.

Canada is a prime example of how safeguards around assisted suicide disappear. When Canada legalized assisted suicide (and euthanasia) in 2016, it was for adults suffering from a “grievous and irremediable medical condition,” resulting in foreseeable natural death, according to the government. They called it Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID.

In 2021, MAID became possible for those with medical problems that weren’t terminal by removing the “foreseeable natural death” criteria. This made it legal for those suffering from a mental health issue like depression to qualify for MAID, although eligibility was pushed back until March 17, 2027.

One doesn’t even have to look so far as Canada, though. Oregon was the first American state to legalize assisted suicide. Since their assisted suicide law was implemented in 1997, the program has expanded to legally provide assisted suicide to non-residents.

In 2025, a bill was introduced in Oregon to cut the required waiting period by about half. Thankfully, it did not pass.

In 1998, the state recorded 15 people who died from assisted suicide. In 2025, that number jumped to 400 known cases, while at least 80 more may have died from it. The data may be inaccurate. Similar to Illinois law, Oregon physicians are told to record the terminal disease as the cause of death. In other words, they are told to lie about why the person died.

Assisted suicide laws prey on the most vulnerable, allowing fallible humans to define what makes life valuable. Christian, pray this lawsuit blocks the Illinois assisted suicide law.