By Michael Gryboski, Editor Wednesday, September 17, 2025

A narrow majority of people in the United States believe that physician-assisted suicide is “morally acceptable,” according to a recent report from Lifeway Research.

According to the report released by the Evangelical research group earlier this month, 51% of Americans say “it is morally acceptable for a person facing a painful terminal disease to ask for a physician’s aid in taking his or her life.”

Additionally, 32% of respondents said they do not believe it is morally acceptable, while 17% said they were not sure if it was morally acceptable.

Lifeway Research also found that 55% think that “physicians should be able to assist terminally-ill patients in ending their lives,” while 31% disagree and 14% were not sure.

Data for the research was drawn from an online survey of 1,200 Americans conducted Aug. 14-30, 2024, with a margin of error of +3.3% at the 95% confidence level.

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, told The Christian Post in emailed comments that since “we had done a similar survey a few years ago, we expected this to be around half.”

In that earlier survey, which was released in 2016, 67% had said they found assisted suicide morally acceptable; however, a “not sure” option was not provided to respondents of that poll.

“Given the ability to state they were not sure did put more people in that (17%) group than we anticipated,” McConnell noted.

Another finding of the report was that both adults who attend church more than once a week and adults who never or rarely attend were more likely to say that assisted suicide was morally acceptable when compared to respondents who attended church “about once a week” or “once or twice a month or only on religious holidays.”

For both extremes on church attendance, 58% said it was “morally acceptable,” while 40% of those who attend about once a week and 44% who said they attend once or twice a month said the same.

Regarding this finding, McConnell told CP that respondents “who rarely or never attend are less likely to be using a religious filter in their reaction,” while regular attendees are looking at the easing of pain as a reason.

“It is likely they are looking to ease suffering in the moment rather than thinking of biblical principles that would leave death in God’s hands,” he explained.

In recent years, there has been considerable debate over whether to legalize physician-assisted suicide, which can also go by the terms euthanasia or medical assistance in dying.

In May, Delaware became the 11th state in the country to allow terminally ill patients to die by assisted suicide when Gov. Matt Meyer signed the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law.

“This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms without unnecessary pain and surrounded by the people they love the most,” stated Meyer.

The pro-life advocacy group National Right to Life condemned the passage of HB 140 in a statement earlier this year, with NRTL President Carol Tobias claiming that "Delaware's new law puts lives at risk.”

“Assisted suicide laws offer no compassion, no hope, and no help for vulnerable members of our society," said Tobias. "End-of-life discussions should focus on palliative care, hospice, and support options."

"Assisted suicide shifts the focus from life-affirming care to premature death and erodes the public trust in healthcare and medical doctors." 

Regarding his views on the controversial practice, McConnell told CP that “Scripture teaches that life itself is a gift from God, and it is not something humans should end before He does.”

“Psalm 104 speaks of God’s hand on every creature, ‘when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your breath, they are created,’” said McConnell.

“The Bible closes with Jesus declaring ‘I was dead, but look — I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.’”