Scotland: Capital minister challenges Kirk's opposition to assisted dying bill

Description: [of the article from The Scotsman]

An Edinburgh minister today challenged the Church of Scotland's blanket opposition to assisted dying and said he believed there were occasions when it could be right to help someone end their life. The Rev Scott McKenna of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church in Newington spoke out as the General Assembly was asked to reaffirm the Church's opposition to any legislation that allows assisted dying. A report by the Kirk's church and society council on Margo MacDonald's End of Life Assistance Bill, currently before the Scottish Parliament, said the legislation would "violate the sanctity of life".

Later, the report says: But Mr McKenna said there was more than one Christian view on the issue and accused the Church of being dogmatic. He said the Church was arguing there were no circumstances in which it would be right to bring a life to a close. "That is not a tenable position. This is about dignity and choice. "There is another Christian perspective on this matter, one that will not deny an individual the right to honour their God-given value and dignity through deciding themselves the manner in which they die.

[There are other related stories in the Links section below.]
[There are stories in the Overflow section below.]

Links:

To read the full article click on one of these links, both of which go to the same destination. A short link is provided for the convenience of readers. Also, readers may search and browse past and future advisories on the web (see bottom.)

  • http://tinyurl.com/3x9vlk4

  • http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Capital-minister-challenges-Kirk39s-opposition.6314561.jp

    Also see:

  • Dignity in Dying: The End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill [Dignity in Dying]
    http://dignityindying.blogspot.com/2010/05/end-of-life-assistance-scotland-bill.html
    Dignity in Dying welcomes the Bill, but says "However, the proposed Bill goes beyond what Dignity in Dying believes to be a safeguarded assisted death."

    Dignity in Dying campaigns for terminally ill, mentally competent adults over 18 years of age to have the choice of assisted dying, whereas the Bill proposes that person aged over 16 with a progressive condition or permanent physical incapacitation as well as those with a terminal illness be allowed assistance to die. The Bill also appears to offer no definition of what the final act will be, other than it occurs in a private place and the medical practitioner who has been involved in the process is present. This appears to allow for voluntary euthanasia, assisted dying and assisted suicide.

Source:

Swanson, Ian. "Capital minister challenges Kirk's opposition to assisted dying bill". The Scotsman. Published Date: 24 May 2010. <news.scotsman.com/scotland/Capital-minister-challenges-Kirk39s-opposition.6314561.jp>. The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, UK

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • assisted suicide

  • Margo MacDonald

  • End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill (SP Bill 38)

  • Scotland

  • Britain

Overflow:

Stories that EuthaNEWSia did not get to:

  • Australia: Internet filter bypass workshop comes to NT [ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)]
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/02/2916182.htm?site=idx-nt
    The voluntary euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke is bringing his controversial workshop on bypassing internet filters to Darwin. Dr Nitschke says his organisation has held workshops in every capital city in the last two months and more than 1000 people have attended.

  • Western Australia: MP's euthanasia bill angers Christians [The Brisbane Times]
    http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-national/mps-euthanasia-bill-angers-christians-20100520-vnnd.html
    A West Australian Greens MP has introduced a bill that will pave the way for legalised euthanasia in the state, angering Christian groups. Robin Chapple introduced the Voluntary Euthanasia Bill into parliament on Thursday, which would allow any terminally ill West Australian over the age of 21 and of "sound mind" to elect to be euthanised. Under the bill, a request for the administration of euthanasia would only apply to a person who has a terminal illness that will cause death within two years and is experiencing considerable pain or debilitation.

    The report concludes: However, the bill will struggle to pass the upper house with the Greens needing the support of the Liberal and National parties.

    Richard Egan from Christian group FamilyVoice Australia claimed the bill would put the lives of elderly and disabled people at risk. Mr Egan claimed under the bill, doctors "keen on giving lethal injection" would be able to help people who are not terminally ill, but suffering depression, to commit suicide.

  • Dignitas probed after "patient suffering from paranoid schizophrenia was given suicide kit" [Daily Mail]
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1282912/Dignitas-probed-patient-suffering-paranoid-schizophrenia-given-suicide-kit.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
    Strict assisted suicide laws in Switzerland state that each patient must be of sound mind and able to understand the consequences of their actions.

    But now details have emerged of a patient who was allegedly given a DIY suicide kit prescribed by a Zurich gynaeologist despite suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid201006034119.
Mailed: Thursday, June 3, 2010 14:01:10 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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