Euthanasia backed by former Archbishop

By Vinitra Nathan, Daily Digest News

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Euthanasia – meaning ‘good death’ – is the practice of assisting terminally-ill patients with painful conditions to end their lives in order to prevent needless pain and suffering. The legalisation of euthanasia has been a topic of debate for decades now, and while some countries have come together on a consensus, others are still yet to come together with a unanimous decision.

The issue has been brought a great deal of attention recently, with the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Cary publicly declaring his support of any legislation that would enable terminally-ill individuals in England and the Wales to receive assistance to end their lives.

Lord Cary’s stance on issue comes as a surprise to many, as he was previously vehemently opposed to the legalisation of euthanasia, on the grounds of preserving the sanctity of life in support of Christian values.

“Today we face a central paradox. In strictly observing the sanctity of life, the Church could now actually be promoting anguish and pain, the very opposite of a Christian message of hope,” said Lord Cary, insisting that supporting euthanasia was not ‘anti-Christian’. He stated that his current perspective stems from the harsh reality of needless suffering that terminally-ill individuals are subjected to by current legislation.

The former Archbishop greatly attributed his recent change of heart on the issue to the case of Tony Nicklinson, who had locked-in syndrome (LIS), a condition where the individual is mentally aware of their surroundings but are unable to interact and communicate verbally due to the complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles, with the occasional exception of the eyes.

Nicklinson, who was denied the legal right to die and died shortly afterwards, was said to have the “deepest influence” on Lord Cary’s decision.

Opponents of the legalisation of euthanasia, including current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, disagree with Lord Cary’s stance, being of strong belief that the law will enable the vulnerable population of the elderly and disabled to be under increased pressure to end their lives to be “less of a burden”.

“It would be very naive to think that many of the elderly people who are abused and neglected each year, as well as many severely disabled individuals, would not be put under pressure to end their lives if assisted suicide were permitted by law,” said Archbishop Welby.

While some groups have been impacted greatly by Lord Cary’s position, including the Anglican Church and campaign group Dignity in Dying, other groups maintain their stance against legalisation of euthanasia.

Major influences in the House of Lords and House of Commons, primarily the bishops in the House of Lords and the Speaker’s chaplain in the House of Commons, stated that their position would not change, despite Lord Cary’s statement.

Countries that have legalised euthanasia in the world include Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana in the US, and as of 2015, the province of Quebec in Canada.

France is also looking to follow suit, currently fighting opposition from it’s medical ethics council.