Kim Leadbeater will introduce a bill into Parliament on the 16th October which if passed will legalise euthanasia or giving doctors permission to supply lethal drugs to enable their patient to take their life.
The Prime Minister has indicated that he is pleased to see parliamentary time given for this. As things stand, it looks likely that the bill will pass.
At the point of writing, we don’t have visibility of the details of the bill and that in itself is concerning because it hardly allows time for MPs to consult their constituents. However, it is reported that the Bill is likely to be along similar lines to recent attempts in the House of Lords. If this is so, then we can expect provision along the lines of:
- That the person is over 18 and has capacity to make decisions.
- That in the view of medical professionals the person is terminally ill and can reasonably expect to have no more than six months to live.
- That the High Court should make a ruling on the person’s case.
The arbitrary decision to limit at six months raises questions of its own. Why six months? There may still be uncertainty about the exact outlook at this stage. It is also unlikely that this measure will do anything to alleviate suffering as a patient may well be suffering from severe chronic pain for a long time before the six months mark and indeed without a terminal diagnosis.
Not withstanding these questions, the move towards legalised euthanasia isq one that we should say an urgent and strong no to.
First, it will draw both medics and the courts into making life or death decisions and asking lawyers and judges to rule on medical matters.
Second it changes our culture from a culture of life to one of death. This is seen as drugs are prescribed to cause harm and take life instead of to treat and protect.
It’s seen as value is increasingly placed on life based not on human dignity as made in God’s image but on other factors determining whether life is worth living.
In recent times we have seen the pro euthanasia lobby as exemplified by a recent Matthew Parris article overtly stating that it is a good thing if certain types of people are out under pressure to end their lives.
It devalues the role of palliative care and I’m concerned that it will mean that resources are increasingly diverted from this important part of medical care. If life can be extinguished with an injection or a tablet then why worry about the dignity and well being of those in the latter stages of dying
This is not about mere slippery slope arguments but rather about how an act will potentially reshape our beliefs culture, values and practices at the end of life just as the 1967 Abortion Act brought a culture of death into our approach to the start of life.
Please take time to write to your MP and to pray that this bill will not pass.
Faithroots 