London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Senior Britain’s religious leaders have united to oppose the assisted dying bill, highlighting the potential for abuse, inadequate palliative care and the dangers of a “duty to die mentality”.
A coalition of 29 faith leaders has come together to voice their strongest opposition to the assisted dying bill.
Prominent religious leaders from Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Sikhism have warned that the assisted dying bill will force people to end their lives to avoid burdening families or the National Health Service (NHS), turning the “right to die” into a “duty to die”.
As reported by the Telegraph News, the Bishop of London, the Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, and the Chief Rabbi have signed an open letter stating they are
“deeply concerned about the impact the Bill would have on the most vulnerable, opening up the possibility of life-threatening abuse and coercion.
In the open letter by leaders, they stated
“In the UK, it is estimated that 2.7 million older people have been subjected to abuse; many of these may also be vulnerable to pressure to end their lives prematurely.”
“Disability campaigners and those working with women in abusive relationships have also highlighted the danger of unintended consequences should the law be changed.”
“The experience of jurisdictions which have introduced similar legislation, such as Oregon and Canada, demonstrate how tragic these unintended consequences can be. Promised safeguards have not always protected the vulnerable and marginalised.”
“Even when surrounded by loving family and friends, people towards the end of their life can still feel like a burden. This is especially the case while adult social care remains underfunded. In this environment, it is easy to see how a ‘right to die’ could all too easily end in feeling you have a duty to die.”
This letter is endorsed by senior leaders from the UK’s five major religions, including representatives of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism.
Voting on the assisted dying bill will be held next week on 29 November.
The letter signed by 29 faith leaders added more,
“It argues that the current law provides
“much greater security for those who are vulnerable.”
It goes on to suggest that a Private Member’s Bill is unsuitable for such significant changes, noting that MPs have had only three weeks to scrutinise before they vote on it this Friday. “
“We do not deny that some people experience a painful death, though we welcome the fact that these deaths are far less common than they used to be due to advances in palliative care. “
“Over decades, we have witnessed how compassionate care, along with the natural processes of dying, allow those at the end of their life to experience important moments. “
“We have seen relationships repair and families reconcile. We have seen lives end in love. Much can be lost by cutting these processes short.”
The faith leaders highlighted Marie Curie’s report statistics which revealed that one in four people in the UK passed away without the support of palliative care.
They wrote in the letter,
“While there are many examples of excellent palliative care in this country, it remains worryingly underfunded. Investment in palliative care is the policy of a truly compassionate nation. It is the way to ensure that everyone in society, including the most vulnerable, receives the care they deserve at the end of life. “
Three influential figures from the Catholic, Jewish, and Anglican faiths are leading the appeal, including the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, whose signature has raised questions about her candidacy for Archbishop of Canterbury. Other notable signatories include Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, and representatives from the UK’s leading Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu groups.
The vote for controversial legislation will be in the coming week, and many MPs have cleared their position on whether they are in favour or not of the assisted dying bill.
Cabinet ministers including Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, Shabana Mahmood, Bridget Phillipson and Jonathan Reynolds already said they will not vote on the legislation.
While the former PM Gordon Brown also opposed the bill and the current British PM Keir Starmer stated he would vote but declined to specify how, stressing the need to “maintain neutrality” as revealed by The Guardian.