Reasonable and unreasonable risks
All of life has some element of risk, so avoiding all risk is impossible. However, we must protect our lives by not needlessly putting ourselves in danger.
One of our obligations under the Sixth Commandment is to take reasonable measures to preserve our own lives. This means actions that unnecessarily put our own life at risk are not permitted. We were made in the image of God, and should not place ourselves at unreasonable risk of death. We also have an obligation to our families and especially to our spouses and children to preserve our lives for their sake.
Obviously, This does not mean we must never take any risks. We would not be able to live at all, because all of life has some element of risk. This includes driving an automobile, even if you take all precautions to drive defensively and always use your safety belt. This also does not mean it is impermissible to serve as a firefighter, policeman or soldier. The Lord tells us in John 15:13 that there is no greater love than dying for someone else.
What is unnecessary risk? That is the subject of much debate, and we must be charitable with other people who disagree with us on what risks are and are not reasonable. But before we get tangled up in the weeds of what is and is not an unnecessary risk, we need to admit there is such a thing as an unnecessary risk, and those risks should be avoided. We cannot apply a Biblical principle to any specific scenario unless we agree that the Biblical principle exists.
Six mothers died tragically in an avalanche at a ski resort. They left behind seven children. Severe weather had been predicted, and there was a significant risk of an avalanche. This has also led to questions about the company that guided the trip.
However, we should be careful before making sweeping judgments about skiing itself. Ten million people go skiing every year, and there are about 50 fatalities. This means there is a 0.0005% chance of death. The likelihood of dying in an automobile crash is much higher than that. People are far more likely to die while driving to a ski resort - or to a conference held by a church - than in an avalanche while skiing. We can and should question proceeding in the face of increased avalanche risk while not overreacting.
Preservation of life - both of your own life and not risking the lives of others for financial or other types of personal gain - is one of the most important obligations we have. Scripture describes death as an enemy that will be destroyed in I Corinthians 15:19-26, and we should also see death as an enemy and behave accordingly.