4 Reasons why I am against the Assisted Dying Bill

On Friday 29th November the Assisted Dying Bill will have its second reading in parliament, and there will be an opportunity for MPs to vote on it. Is assisted dying a kindness? Should we support it? Or is it cruel and should we stand against it?

Why people support it…

According to Dignity in Dying a large percentage of the British public are in support of Assisted Dying.[1] It is often seen as a way of giving dignity at the end of life rather than months of incapacitation. It is said that Assisted Dying will help end the suffering of those who have no options left. That we all should have a choice about how we die. Patrick Stewart, the actor and campaigner says, “We have no control over how we arrive in the world, but at the end of a life we should have control over how we leave it.”[2]

… and why I don’t…

This bill will put the vulnerable at risk

In its 1994 report the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics concluded:

“It was virtually impossible to ensure that all acts of euthanasia were truly voluntary and that any liberalisation of the law in the United Kingdom could not be abused. We were also concerned that vulnerable people – the elderly, lonely, sick or distressed – would feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request early death.”[3]

It is argued that Assisted Dying should be a right because everyone should have control over how they die. However, this argument assumes our individual actions do not affect other people. Assisted Dying is not an act that only has consequences for the individual making the choice, it also has consequences on many others. For Assisted Dying to be well managed, rather than a free for all, it will require help from medical professionals. They will be involved in the individual’s choice and will be responsible in part for their death.

It is not simply medical professionals who will be impacted, so too will the vulnerable and sadly the impact is very real and very dangerous. In Oregon and Belgium, where Assisted Dying is legal, this can be clearly seen. In Oregon 53% of those who chose Assisted Dying did so because they felt like a burden on their family. While in Belgium hundreds of people have undergone Assisted Dying because of deafness or incontinence.[4]

Safeguards have not worked

The counter argument to the one stated above is that we need good safeguards in place to ensure that the vulnerable are protected. The problem is that these safeguards have not worked in the past. The Abortion Act 1967 when it was introduced was only meant to enable a tiny number of abortions each year, not the 200,000+ that now happen.

Neither have the safeguards worked in other countries when euthanasia bills are introduced.

  • In 2001 euthanasia was legalised in the Netherlands for mentally competent adults with unbearable physical pain and no prospects of cure. Also, children aged 12 – 16 with parental consent.
  • Then in 2006 euthanasia was extended to infants under the age of 1 with parental consent.
  • While in 2008, “unbearable physical pain” limitations extended to psychiatric pain and euthanasia for mentally incompetent patients began.
  • Then in 2020, a new “completed life” bill was introduced to the Dutch parliament for over 75’s for euthanasia on request.[5]

If we legalise Assisted Dying then we start down a long and dangerous slippery slope.

This is not the way of compassion

It is often said that Assisted Dying is the way of compassion. That we need to help people finish well. But is this really a good definition of compassion? Surely, a better understanding of compassion is about helping someone live the best life that they can live. Surely, a better understanding of compassion is about valuing people for who they are, no matter how weak or vulnerable, rather than about what they can do.

Assisted Dying is not the same as the removal of medical treatment. The removal or withholding of treatment so that an individual may reach a natural but more accelerated end is already legal and a common part of end-of-life palliative care, and every patient (if they are mentally capable) is entitled to refuse medical treatment.[6] There is already a legal way that we can compassionately help those whose end is near. An individual can choose to let a disease take its natural course and be given pain relief to help them through this.

This is not God’s way

An argument for Assisted Dying is that individuals need a dignified means by which they can end their life. However, they forget why human beings have dignity in the first place. Humans have worth and value because we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and there are consequences to having this level of value. In Genesis 9:6,7 we read that it is an offence to shed the blood of a human because we bear God’s image (Genesis 9:6,7). The ten commandments then solidify this with a clear instruction: You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). Humans have unique value and worth because we are image bearers thus we cannot support the taking of innocent person’s life.

Patrick Stewart was right when he said that “we have no control over how we arrive in the world.” But God does. In the same way that God brings life, he also brings death. 1 Samuel 2:16 states: “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.” We may want to believe that we are our own. That we get to decide when we live and when we die. But we are not the sovereign of our lives, only God has that job.

To support the Assisted Dying Bill is to do the opposite of what the Lord asks of us. God repeatedly asks his people to support the weak, the needy, the vulnerable and the sick. We are even instructed in Proverbs 24:11: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” It is our job to protect, not to harm.

What next?

Be informed:

  • CARE is a charity that helps Christians engage in politics. They have a huge library of resources on their website to help you think and act wisely: https://care.org.uk/cause/assisted-suicide
  • Vaughan Roberts has written a short book: “Talking Points: Assisted Suicide.”

Pray:

  • That this bill would not pass.
  • That those campaigning against it would be wise, gentle and persuasive.
  • That Christians in parliament would be able to make our voice heard.
  • That those who are supporters of this bill would look to the Lord for the compassion and help that they seek.

Write:

  • To whoever your MP is. You can find their contact details here: Find my MP
  • The Maidenhead MP is Mr Joshua Reynolds, and his email address is: joshua.reynolds.mp@parliament.uk
  • When writing provide your full postal address as he must be sure that you are constituents of his.
  • What to write:
    • Be kind and polite
    • Explain why you are against the bill
    • Ask them to vote against it
  • An example letter from CARE (but it is best not to copy and paste this as personal letters get a better response):

Dear Mr Joshua Reynolds MP,

As your constituent, I am writing to raise my concerns about legislation to introduce assisted dying. Wherever you stand on this issue personally, its dangers are clear and have been set out in many parliamentary debates over the years.

Where the law has changed around the world, being a burden on family, friends and caregivers is consistently cited as one of the main end-of-life concerns for those dying under those laws. Changing the law here would have a similarly profound cultural impact.

I’m also concerned that assisted dying would lead to both overt and unseen pressure on elderly, disabled, and marginalised people – including those living in poverty – to consider the “option” because they do not have sufficient health, social, and welfare support.

Some people argue that we need assisted dying. Not if we ensure the availability of good end of life care, to deal with the fear of a painful, undignified end. This country leads the way in palliative care but much more investment is needed in this area of medicine.

The law’s duty is to protect: if you change the law, it will no longer protect the vulnerable. Evidence from countries around the world is that these laws start off as being for the terminally ill or those who are in great pain but expand to allow wider access.

Parliament has looked at this issue repeatedly over the years and concluded that a law change is simply too dangerous. I believe that this is still true, and therefore urge you to vote against assisted dying.

Your sincerely,

 

[1] https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/assisted-dying/public-opinion/

[2] https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/news/sir-patrick-stewart-ian-mcewan-chris-broad-join-dignity-dyings-campaign-legalise-assisted-dying/

[3] https://care.org.uk/cause/assisted-suicide/arguments-for-and-against-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia

[4] https://care.org.uk/cause/assisted-suicide/ten-things-you-should-know-about-assisted-suicide

[5] https://ourdutyofcare.org.uk/

[6] https://care.org.uk/cause/assisted-suicide/ten-things-you-should-know-about-assisted-suicide