Assisted suicide

On 11 September, 2015 I was in the office of CARE’s chief executive, Nola Leach.

Along with colleagues we were praying together as MPs debated the Rob Marris Assisted Dying Bill (No. 2). On that occasion, MPs overwhelmingly rejected the Bill, by 330 votes to 118. Many cited concerns about patient safety and pressure being put on the most vulnerable. That day was a great victory. But advocates of assisted suicide being legalised in the UK are not giving up. Having failed so far in Parliament, they have been attempting to advance their agenda through the courts, while all the time seeking to change MPs’ minds and shift public opinion.

Framing the pole

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Physicians, which is one of the UK’s most important medical bodies, has decided to survey its members on assisted suicide. Before the poll was even launched the College declared it would shift to a new default position of ‘neutral’ on assisted suicide unless a supra-majority of 60% either voted in favour of assisted suicide or against.

Its decision to frame the poll in this way – which would mean that, even if a majority voted against assisted suicide, the College would still go neutral – has caused considerable fury. More than 20 leading doctors signed a letter, published in The Times, which urged the College to think again. As one doctor pointed out, when the College last polled its members on assisted suicide, fewer than 25% were in favour of campaigning for new assisted suicide legislation.

Some will argue that ‘neutrality’ is the best answer to a complicated and sensitive issue. But in this instance, neutrality is a myth. It is nothing less than tacit support for assisted suicide. It does not matter if the patient administers the drugs, or if it is the doctor – the principle is still the same, that the doctor would be involved in a deliberate action to enable someone to end their own life. Given the vital importance of the doctor/patient relationship, how can doctors be neutral on such an issue? Assisted suicide is not simply ‘another treatment option’.

Pressure growing

There is little doubt that pressure to legalise assisted suicide is growing. A well-funded campaign group, Dignity in Dying, is leading the charge. They have utilised the power of personal testimonies to swing public opinion. Heart-breaking cases tug on our emotions. Replying with the soundbite ‘hard cases make bad laws’ makes us seem hard and callous. We have compelling evidence about the risks of assisted suicide, but this seems to make little impression in a culture which is so dependent on feelings and obsessed with individual autonomy.

The momentum for assisted suicide is being driven by a fear of losing control and of dying. People buy into these powerful and persuasive reasons to justify support for assisted suicide. We need to find a way of explaining that individual autonomy, while important, is not absolute and must be weighed against other relevant legal and ethical principles.

Two-fold response

Our response then, must be two-fold. Firstly, we must continue to use evidence and clearly demonstrate why legalised assisted suicide would be dangerous and wrong. The so-called ‘slippery slope’ is not a scare tactic but demonstratively true. Look at figures from Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. They show higher numbers over time and incremental expansion as well.

But secondly, we must communicate a better story that challenges the individualistic narrative of today’s culture. The Christian worldview, when shaped by the unchanging truth of God’s written word, offers a brilliant alternative. Those astonishing words in Genesis 1.26-27 are our starting point. We believe wholeheartedly in the absolute dignity of every human being, independent of their circumstances. For those who are afraid of being a burden, our message is: Be a burden! We will give you care and love, not a prescription for lethal drugs.

Spiritual battle

Ultimately, we must recognise that this is a spiritual battle. In Isaiah 64.1, the prophet pleads that God would ‘rend the heavens and come down’. He knew that God acting in a decisive way is the ultimate game-changer. The Bible shows us that God’s signature move is to confound our low expectations. When God intervenes, the impossible becomes real.