On 16 October, Kim Leadbeater MP introduced a private members’ bill proposing to legalise assisted suicide (sometimes called assisted dying). The bill seeks to allow adults who are terminally ill to be provided with assistance to end their own lives. It will be first debated and voted on in the House of Commons on 29 November.
The Evangelical Alliance is opposed to moves to legalise assisted suicide for biblical, social, policy and evidential reasons. These proposals undermine the sanctity and value of every life and will lead to pressure on some of the most vulnerable in our society to end their lives prematurely. International evidence shows that initial safeguards and restrictions are progressively weakened. Instead of facilitating death, the focus should be on improving palliative care, offering dignity in dying. A compassionate response does not seek to alleviate suffering by ending the life of the sufferer. Compassion literally means ​‘to suffer with’, journeying through the pain rather than avoiding it.
Four key concerns:
Moral and ethical – our culture cannot articulate a coherent account of the value, dignity and sanctity of every human life. We reduce life to questions of functionality and usefulness and so struggle to find purpose for a person who can no longer ​‘contribute’. We have also prioritised the individual and personal choice, ignoring the wider implications of our decisions. These proposals will have an impact on medical staff who swore an oath to do no harm, on family members and friends who must live with the consequences, and on wider society. Leadbeater has acknowledged that this is one of the most important changes in legislation our country will ever see – a fundamental ethical shift.
Protection of the vulnerable – our healthcare system suffers from systemic inequalities impacting most on those who are poor, elderly, from ethnic minorities or living with disability. Rather than addressing these disparities, this bill will heighten the risks for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and the elderly. Polling reveals that 21% of disabled individuals fear that legalising assisted dying would lead to pressure on people like them to end their lives prematurely (ComRes, 2019). Additionally, data from Oregon –where assisted dying has been legal since 1997 –shows that in 2021, 63% of those opting for assisted suicide cited concerns about being a burden on their families (Oregon Health Authority, 2021).
Health and palliative care – the majority of doctors oppose a change in the law and most do not want to be actively involved in prescribing life-ending drugs. The Association for Palliative Medicine opposes this legislation due to concerns about protection of the vulnerable, lack of adequately funded palliative care and concerns about trust and the impact on doctor – patient relationships. Most of the hospice care in the UK is not funded by the state leading to a post-code lottery and a lack of genuine choice at the end of life. Better palliative care provision is an important part of the conversation.
Safeguarding and international evidence – the proposals suggest that adequate safeguards will be put in place, but these have not been specified. There have been suggestions that only those with six or 12 months left to live will be eligible, but these prognoses are far from certain. It is also impossible to safeguard against the pressures an elderly patient might feel of being a burden as care costs continue to rise.
For others, there may be questions of coercive control as family members implicitly or overtly mention the mounting costs and impact on the remaining estate. In Canada, 4% of all deaths are from assisted suicide. The number is rising and there are proposals to widen the eligibility criteria despite reports of a growing number ending their lives due to financial pressures. The safeguards don’t work and the direction of travel only goes one way.
Four ways to engage
The Evangelical Alliance holds that life is sacred and should be respected until its natural end. Along with members such as Christian Medical Fellowship, we contend that legalising assisted dying is incompatible with the commitment to care for the most vulnerable and alleviating suffering through methods that do not involve ending life (Christian Medical Fellowship, 2023).
Instead, we advocate for the expansion of palliative care services, providing emotional, spiritual, and medical support for those at the end of life, allowing them to die with dignity without the need for legalising assisted suicide. Here are four ways where the church can engage:
Pray – that this legislation will be defeated, but also that in the process many will be provoked to think more about the sacred nature of life and that Christians will be willing to give an answer for the hope that they have.
Pastor – this topic is very real for so many people and the church has incredible opportunities to minister in these moments. While this is particularly true for chaplains, pastors and ministers, we all have a chance to come alongside those suffering at the end of life.
Policy engagement – we don’t currently have the details of the proposed new law, this will come some time in November. The Evangelical Alliance are already engaging on behalf of our members and when the time comes, we will provide more detail about how to respond to the proposals. You can write to your MP and express concerns along the lines outlined above, or wait to speak to the specifics of the proposed law.
Prophetic – we are called to be a prophetic voice in a culture that is championing death. We have an opportunity, individually, and as church communities, to speak life and offer hope to those who are struggling.
