Assisted dying bill statement
In light of the recent vote to move forward with the Assisted Dying Bill in Parliament, Geoff Levermore, President of the Unitarians and Free Christians in the UK, reminds us that our denomination voted in favour of assisted dying in 2013, after a year’s examination of the issue within our congregations. Ultimately, it was our underlying values of love for our neighbour and compassion for all beings that swayed our stance. From our perspective, we respect our neighbour’s right to interpret or ignore religious texts as they see fit. Our faith tradition gives us the freedom to interpret religious texts and other sources, such as science, philosophy and poetry, and to use reason to shape a faith that fits our consciences. We put loving thy neighbour into action; deeds not creeds. As the Bible says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
From Ann Howell, our Social Action Officer: It is important to mention that our vote in 2013 was far from unanimous and that while the motion we agreed on was in favour of giving terminally ill people the right to end their life in a “painless and dignified manner”, this new bill brings up some potential nuances that should be considered. Our vote was erring on the side of compassion and the relief of intolerable suffering and not meant to undermine the sacredness of human life and each individual’s agency over their own existence.
The exact wording of the 2013 motions is:
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, recognising the worth and dignity of all people and their freedom to believe as their consciences dictate, believes that:
1) Any individual who faces an intolerable existence because of a debilitating and/or incurable physical condition should have the right to seek support for the termination of their life in a painless and dignified manner; and
2) legislation should respect their choice and allow them compassionate assistance in achieving such a death without fear of the prosecution of anyone involved.