A Hill to Die On
For the second time in less than a year, the British Parliament voted down a bill that would have legalized euthanasia in England and Wales. In an uncomfortably close vote of 286-270, the House of Commons rejected the appeal by Labour MP Lauren Edwards to renew the earlier proposal put forward by MP Kim Leadbetter.
Despite another defeat, these supporters of death are unlikely to give up anytime soon. After the recent vote, Edwards retorted:
Assisted dying will come in this country, as it is already doing all across the world, but not soon enough. Parliament has dropped the ball today. It will be picked up again, as it must be, because the law as it stands is simply too cruel and too unjust to be allowed to stand.
And a few days later, Leadbetter said:
The vote on September 11th will not be the end of this conversation. We owe it to the individuals and families at the heart of this debate to keep working toward a compassionate, safe and workable approach to choice at the end of life. ... we have a duty not to give up and a responsibility to all those who were depending on Parliament to do the right thing, and I take that very seriously.
Of course, anytime a politician loses a vote, they claim to “just be getting started.” However, this is not just another political play. Supporters of euthanasia are true believers that dignity is only found in autonomy. Thus, they are convinced they’re the good guys, on the side of human dignity, and that their cause is just. They see themselves as champions of compassion, and their opponents as cruel and uncaring. They think they are honoring the ill, the depressed and the elderly by helping them to die on their own terms.
Their cause continues to be successful around the world, especially in Canada and even in the United States. And the cases continue to be more and more shocking. Late last year, a two-year-old in the Netherlands was euthanized. The child was not dying or even sick. He was disabled, and that was enough to take his life. In July, an 83-year-old Canadian woman was put to death, against her express wishes and her Christian convictions.
This means that those who just as truly believe in the inherent value of all human life—at whatever stage of life or medical condition—will have to fight this evil. This will require cultivating a coherent understanding of human dignity among the next generation, a greater challenge than many of us think, because it is so countercultural.
The underlying principle beneath so many of today’s moral issues—from abortion to trans ideology to even seemingly mundane things like gambling or drug use—is the assumption that our dignity lies in our autonomy. In this view, everyone has the right to do whatever he or she wants, regardless of cost or duty to anyone else. This must be countered at the worldview level, with a bigger and better vision of what it means to be human.
Also, to win the fight for life in our age, we will need to be political. Though it is the mark of a nation in trouble if life and death are left up to a vote, that’s where we are. Given how quickly things have escalated in Canada, we have a political opportunity right now to clarify what is at stake and to force our elected leaders to clarify where they stand.
Much harder to quantify is that we simply cannot remain silent. The fact that we care about our vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors will sound strange to those catechized to “follow their hearts” and “live for the moment.” But we have a vision of life, too, and it is a better option than what they’ve been sold. Like those who are on the other side, this must be a hill we are willing to die on, too.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Peter Horrox
John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.
