Last year in July the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote this letter with other Christian and Jewish leaders against a government bill that try to make legal some forms of euthansaia. I've highlighted the different arguments against euthanasia.
Sir,
Today the House of Lords will debate the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill. We are opposed to this Bill and to any measure that seeks to legalise assisted suicide or euthanasia. We believe that all human life is sacred and God-given with a value that is inherent, not conditional. We urge legislators to withhold support for this Bill so as to ensure that British law continues to safeguard the principle that the intention to kill, or assist in the killing, of an innocent human being is wrong.
Compassion for the terminally ill is incumbent on all of us, but in that respect we believe that the Bill is misguided. Such a Bill cannot guarantee that a right to die would not, for society's most vulnerable, become a duty to die. Were such a law enacted, the elderly, lonely, sick or distressed would find themselves under pressure, real or imagined, to ask for an early death. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that economic pressures might not come to play a significant part in determining whether to treat or recommend assisted death.
...
We particularly acknowledge the opposition to a change in the law from disability groups and from the majority in the medical profession, especially those committed to providing palliative care (e.g. hospices). In helping the terminally ill to face their fears, and by relieving their pain and suffering, palliative care workers are integral to securing the dignity of those nearing death. We believe, therefore, that properly funded and universally accessible palliative care services are essential for meeting the needs - material, emotional and spiritual - of those with terminal illnesses, and we urge the government to recognise the need for greater funding for palliative care.
The Most Reverend and Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster
Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
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