Like the British Medical Association, the Church of England has become somewhat “woke” of late.
Unlike the BMA — which late 2021 despicably voted to become “neutral” on the issue of Assisted Suicide — the General Synod of the Church of England last weekend overwhelmingly supported a motion against Assisted Suicide. A major component of the two-part motion was the support for improving Palliative Care throughout the UK. (The wording of the motion is below.)
The Synod concluded:
"For these reasons – & because no new or better arguments to the contrary have been advanced by any of the lobbyists for Assisted Suicide -- the [C of E] has been adamant in its REJECTION of a change in the current law in Parliament, in the media & among the medical professions."
The succinct reasons included:
• The opposition is not based solely on religious conviction but is based on a commitment to the Common Good which is, in principle, accessible to all people of any religious belief or none. This is an important point because of the frequent accusation from secularists that our position is an attempt to foist a religious ethic onto all people. Opposition to Assisted Suicide is not merely a matter of dogma.
• The Church has a responsibility to speak in the public sphere to the whole nation, not only to its adherents.
• Assisted Suicide is a communal not merely a personal decision, affecting relationships between individuals, family members, professionals and whole communities.
• Opinion polls are not a valid means of testing ethical arguments. Opinion polls not only rely upon questions which lack nuance or context, they also invite people to imagine themselves into a situation in which most people have no relevant experience.
• The argument from compassion must also include compassion towards those who are vulnerable to persuasion to end their lives
• A change in the law would entail a change in the doctor-patient relationship, affecting the trust upon which that relationship must depend.
• A change in the law would undermine the intrinsic value of every human life.
• Despite claims that safeguards can always be established, we are persuaded that there is no adequate way to introduce safeguards into a change in the law.
The Motion
Dr Simon Eyre, a retired GP, proposed the motion, citing Psalm 31: “Our times are in his hands.”
He noted that “hospices are suffering from a lack of funding” and reminded the delegates that the “sanctity of life is central to our understanding as Christians.” Eyre cautioned delegates that terminally ill people with depression and people with disabilities, will be put at risk if the current legislation was changed.
PRIVATE MEMBERS’ MOTION ON ASSISTED SUICIDE (GS 2266A & GS 2266B):
“That this Synod:
(a) appreciate the enormous and untiring efforts of health professionals, including healthcare chaplains, in constantly developing and maintaining the excellence of palliative and end of life care provision in this country;
(b) call on Her Majesty’s Government to guarantee and expedite the adequate funding and resourcing of palliative care services within the NHS to ensure that the highest possible standards of care are achieved and made universally accessible; and affirm that the current legislation in relation to Assisted Suicide referenced in Section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 (and its application through the DPP guidelines) should remain unchanged.”
The motion was carried: 289 delegates FOR, 25 Against with 33 Abstentions.
Dr. Kevin Hay
(You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinhay77)