Sadly and regrettably it has been brought to our attention that for the 13th time in recent years, MPs in Westminster will once again debate assisted suicide in the Westminster Hall on the 4th July, at 4.30pm.
It is our shared conviction that this is another attempt by euthanasia and assisted dying campaigners to legalise what they call “assisted dying” in the UK.
While we recognise that assisted suicide and euthanasia are technically different actions, however, they are equivalent in moral terms. In both cases the intention is to cause the person’s death on the basis that their life is not worth living.
It appears that Dignity in Dying groups have not given up and now want to change the law using euphemisms like ‘assisted dying’ or ‘medical assistance in dying’.
- Assisted suicide is assisting another person to kill themselves, with the dying person taking the decisive act
- Euthanasia is intentionally killing a person whose life is felt not to be worth living
Legalising assisted suicide will send out the message to some that their lives are not worth living. If legislation is brought in that indicates to certain categories of people that they would be better off dead, a good number of people in that condition will believe it. In January 2021, Lord Summation controversially suggested that some lives are less valuable than others.
Not only that, but it becomes the thin end of the wedge. Once the principle is accepted that some people are better off dead, then it becomes very hard to argue that other categories of people are not in a similar situation. Conceding this principle will have far-reaching consequences for our society. The law must not affirm the idea that some lives are not worth living.
Our reasons are as follows:
- Changing the law on suicide will inevitably affect how vulnerable people view their own worth and how they are viewed by others.
- Making assisted suicide an option will undergo the good work done in suicide prevention campaigns. It most definitely will not help those battling depression and other mental health conditions.
- Legalising assisted suicide will reduce over time investment in palliative care facilities and palliative care treatment.
- All vulnerable people should be assured of their true self worth and offered counselling and hope. They should not be given help to commit suicide or made to feel they are a burden on their families of the state.
- Once assisted suicide is legislated for, the criteria for those eligible always seems to expand. The Canadian model introduced in 2016 is a fine example of “mission creep” in this regard.
- Leading disability groups oppose changing the law.
- Legalising assisted suicide open the door to vulnerable family members to be manipulated into taking there own lives by unscrupulous carers for financial gain. Such tactics as abuse and coercion can be hard to detect and prove by medical practitioners.
- Doctors involved in caring for terminally ill patients and the vulnerable elderly do not want assisted suicide legalised. Thankfully even the Royal College of GPs and the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland along with the British Geriatrics Society are all against it.
- Most importantly the Bible is against it: the 6th Commandment states, “Thou shalt not kill” Exodus 20 :13. God is the giver of life and he alone is the taker of life.
Please email your local MP to show your objection to this bill.
East Antrim Sammy Wilson barronj@parliament.uk
East Belfast Gavin Robinson gavin.robinson.mp@parliament.uk
East Londonderry Gregory Campbell dupcoleraine@parliament.uk
Ferm & S Tyrone Michelle Gildernew michelle.gildernew.mp@parliament.uk
Foyle Colum Eastwood colum.eastwood.mp@parliament.uk
Lagan Valley Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Donaldson jeffrey.donaldson.mp@parliament.uk
Mid-Ulster Francie Molloy francie.molloy.mp@parliament.uk
Newry and Armagh Mickey Brady mickey.brady.mp@parliament.uk
North Antrim Ian Paisley ian.paisley.mp@parliament.uk
North Belfast John Finucane john.finucane.mp@parliament.uk
North Down Stephen Farry stephen.farry.mp@parliament.uk
South Antrim Paul Girvan paul.girvan.mp@parliament.uk
South Belfast Claire Hanna claire.hanna.mp@parliament.uk
South Down Chris Hazzard chris.hazzard.mp@parliament.uk
Strangford Jim Shannon jim.shannon.mp@parliament.uk
Upper Bann Carla Lockhart carla.lockhart.mp@parliament.uk
West Belfast Paul Maskey westbelfastmp@sinnfein.ie
West Tyrone Órfhlaith Begley. orfhlaith.begley@sinnfein.ie
Minister
