Reflection on latest campaign to legalise Assisted Suicide
You may have come to our web-site because you are facing the challenge of caring for someone who is suffering grievously, and probably dying, and you or your loved one are tempted to wish for the option of euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. You may also be aware of the Bill presently before Parliament to reform the law in the UK to make these options possible.
Do have a look at our book ‘Talking about Dying’ (Chapter 4 pp. 52-55 which is online here:
https://talkingaboutdying.org/resources/4-talking-about-dying-when-where-and-how )
where Elaine Sugden, a retired oncologist with many years of practice and experience, carefully considers the many difficult questions of ‘When, Where and How’ we die, including euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
For a simple statement from a Christian standpoint on this difficult subject, Mark Davies, the Bishop of Shrewsbury recently said:
“If Parliament were ever persuaded to legalise Assisted Suicide, we should be in no doubt as to the moral line that would be crossed. A line that has never been legally crossed in our care of the sick and elderly since the foundation of our society. The culture built on the commandment ‘You shall not kill’ has protected the most vulnerable, led to the development of the finest end of life care and never required of our medical and nursing professions that they assist in the suicide or the killing of their patients. I urge all those who value the sanctity of human life and desire the best care and support for the sick and the dying, to oppose this latest proposal to cross the line from caring towards killing.”
See also Dr John Wyatt. 'What’s wrong with the Assisted Dying Bill?" ( due for Lords Debate October 22) on www.johnwyatt.com here