The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has expressed its ‘deep disappointment, sadness and regret’ at today’s vote in the House of Commons on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, saying that it is ‘a watershed moment for the United Kingdom’.
It also hoped ‘that the resources required to establish state assisted suicide do not detrimentally affect the UK’s commitment to palliative care and the NHS in general.’
In a joint statement, PCI’s Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray and the all-Ireland denomination’s convenor of its Council for Public Affairs, Rev Daniel Kane said, “On behalf of our Church, we want to express our deep disappointment, sadness and regret at today’s news that MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, enabling it to progress to its next legislative stage.
“We have consistently affirmed the importance and innate dignity of every human life from conception to death as precious and a gift from God. The preservation, protection, and dignity of human life are moral and precious values that cannot, and should not, be altered by legislative change. This morning’s vote is a watershed moment for the UK, both culturally and spiritually, which has shifted the value that society places on life itself.
“Along with others, we firmly believe that no amount of legal safeguards can ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society and protect them from emotional coercion, or the very feeling that they are now a burden to their family. We should be protecting people’s lives and advocating for a better way, not speeding up death and devaluing life.”
The senior Presbyterians continued, “This is not the best way to help those who are suffering and at the close of their lives. The hallmark of a mature, caring and compassionate society is how we care and support those with a terminal diagnosis to live and die well. As ministers, having sat at countless bedsides, we continue to count it a real privilege to be able to work alongside our church’s pastoral care teams, and with chaplains in hospitals and hospices, to support and journey with families who are caring for a loved one. This is compassionate end-of-life care.
“It is also important to recognise that a natural death is something that God has ordained as part of life. As society has moved further from Him, we are reminded of the fact that death is not the end. We believe that the Bible teaches that God knows what suffering feels like and He is well able to help us in our times of suffering. Where personal autonomy and individual choice have often driven this debate, we should remember that in our humanity we are also spiritual beings, created for dependence, not self-sufficiency. Our comfort and confidence in our suffering is that there is the assurance of everlasting life, by God’s Grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The reality is that this life is not all that there is.”
Closing their remarks, the two ministers said, “Notwithstanding today’s vote, we believe there is a better way. We will continue to call for the mainstreaming, investing in, and strengthening of well-resourced palliative care services that support those who are nearing the end of their lives across these islands. For all concerned, we believe that this is the most compassionate way forward, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
“At the same time, we hope that the recourses required to establish state assisted suicide do not detrimentally affect the UK’s commitment to palliative care and the NHS in general. Finally, as this bill continues its parliamentary journey, we would encourage all MPs and Peers who are opposed to it, to continue the fight against the Bill and persuade their colleagues that end-of-life palliative care is a better, and more dignified way of caring, and state funded euthanasia is not,” they said.