Religious Reasons for Supporting Assisted Dying
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jonathan-romain/religious-reasons-for-sup_b_2269825.htmlJonathan Romain
Rabbi and writer
Posted: 11/12/2012 00:00
If you think all ministers of religion are against assisted dying, think again. It is true that the religious hierarchies are against it, but a growing number of Christian and Jewish clergy have a more nuanced view and now think it can be appropriate in certain circumstances. The once uniform religious response of 'no, it's ungodly and wrong' is no longer the only response.
Personally, I used to be against assisted dying. It was for the three reasons that opponents most commonly give, but all of which I now think are flawed.
The first concern is over abuses that could take place if a change in the law is enacted permitting those wishing to die to do so. This might include attempts by unscrupulous families to dispatch an elderly relative who is becoming a burden to them, or a rich one whose fortune they want to inherit as soon as possible.
But potential abuses should not be a block to helping genuinely-deserving cases. The answer is to put safeguards in place that can protect a permissive approach.
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for republican politicians.
"But our actions tell a different story. Rightly, we see no problem in usurping God's role by prolonging life through interventions such as blood transfusions or limb transplants. Similarly, we should also be able to bring life to a gentle close within the above limits and safeguards."
And the use of "assisted dying" instead of "assisted suicide". When I was doing hospice work that term was a real conflict for some clients and their families. Though they were fully aware of a terminal prognosis, understood that death was relatively imminent, the stigma of "suicide" was often an issue.
As was the use of pain meds, but that's another piece of the picture.
Using the word suicide makes consideration of the idea completely unpalatable for some.
