Juliana is 5 years old, lives in Oregon, and she has an incurable neurodegenerative disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or CMT. It is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders affecting about 1 in 2,500 people in the United States. The disorder impacts the peripheral nerves which are outside the brain and spinal cord and supply the muscles and sensory organs in the limbs. Her case of CMT debilitated her arms and legs, and now it’s targeting the nerves that control her breathing muscles. There is no cure, just difficult hospital visits as doctors struggle to keep her alive. This story gained national attention when it came to light that the parents of Juliana had offered her a choice, heaven or hospital. They told her that the next time she got sick she could stay home and go to heaven. In heaven, she would be able to run and play with other kids, and she can wait there for mommy, daddy and brother to join her. That sounded good to Juliana as she despised the hospital visits and the treatments. The doctors have said that she will probably die of pneumonia if she gets sick again. As of the last report, Juliana, age 5, has chosen heaven.
This is a story that tugs at the heart and calls the reasoning of the parents into question. How can they allow a 5-year-old child to make end-of-life decisions? Psychologists say that children don’t grasp the concept of death until 9 or 10. My heart hurts for that family, and I pray for Juliana.
While that is a sad situation, it is sadder still when parents allow children to choose between heaven and hell. Should we allow our children to choose if they go to church or choose if they participate in the youth group or any other church activity? Here are some sobering passages. “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:5-6). “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
We have the responsibility to raise up our children to follow God. Children must be trained to have a propensity for spirituality. The proverb says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). There will come a time when they are adults, and they will choose between heaven and hell. We must do all that we can to prepare them for that day. This proverb does not say, “train up a child in the way he/she should go, and they will always be faithful.” It does teach that a trained child can be faithful “even when he is old.”