The Scottish Bishops’ Conference has responded to calls for views on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, presenting evidence to the Scottish Parliament Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on its proposed legalization of assisted suicide.
In the bishops’ submission, which can be read on the website of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, the group voiced their opposition to the bill, stating that “assisted suicide attacks human dignity and results in human life being increasingly valued on the basis of its efficiency and utility.”
They went on to warn that legal assisted suicide can lead to the promotion of the idea that “an individual can lose their value and worth.”
Furthermore, they championed the elderly and disabled, noting that the bill could make these vulnerable groups feel as though they have a “duty to die”:
“When the elderly and disabled express concerns about being a burden, the appropriate response is not to suggest that they have a duty to die; rather, it is to commit to meeting their needs and providing the care and compassion to help them live.” The bishops continued, “If Scotland establishes the provision of death on demand and this becomes normal practice, how will that not become a cultural expectation for the vulnerable, including the elderly, disabled, and lonely?”
The missive went on to call the views of proponents of the legislation flawed, noting that those who feel that euthanasia is compassionate have a “false understanding of compassion.” They reiterated the Catholic Church’s guidance on compassion, which calls on us to “embrace the sick” and offer them support in living rather than dying.
In an effort to illustrate the dangers of euthanasia legislation, they pointed toward other nations in which euthanasia legislation has ballooned much larger than when passed, such as Canada, the Netherlands, and Oregon (in the US). The letter noted there is no way to prevent the future expansion of such laws, which often become extended towards those with mental illness.
In the letter’s conclusion, the bishops wrote:
“Assisted suicide undermines suicide prevention, the provision of palliative care, trust in doctors and puts pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives prematurely.” The bishops added, “The poor and vulnerable are already struggling to live. Parliamentarians in Scotland ought to offer them care and support to live, not a concoction of drugs to die. Killing is not the solution to ill-health, poverty or any other social challenges. The state ought to support the provision of care, not deliberate killing, for those at the end of life.”
Read the bishops' full letter to the Scottish Parliament at the Catholic Parliamentary Office.
