Dear Friend,

We commonly assign ‘worth’ to things based on their usefulness to us. When our kitchen appliances, cell phones or computers are no longer working properly or are irreparably damaged, they are often discarded.
 
When doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia became legal in Canada, it became inevitable that we, as a society, would start to view human beings with the same mindset – that if we can’t fix what’s broken, suicide-by-doctor is an acceptable response to end the suffering.
 
The legalization of medical assistance in dying (“MAID”) has led us inadvertently to set up a social hierarchy of human beings where a tenuous line exists between those whose lives are deemed valuable and worthy of protection, and those whose lives are not – where suicide prevention (and services to alleviate pain and suffering) is offered to those in one group, while suicide assistance is offered to those in the other.
 
We now live in a society where those who are incapacitated (from old age, permanent injuries and/or chronic illnesses) are considered ‘of sound mind’ if they ask to be killed!
 
The EFC had vehemently opposed the legalization of MAID, but when it became legal, we fought successfully, together with others, to have tight restrictions put in place. The law currently restricts MAID to competent, consenting adults whose natural deaths are reasonably foreseeable and who are in advanced states of irreversible decline.
 
Even with these restrictions, we remain gravely concerned over the serious abuses that could be forced upon our society’s most vulnerable members. With the constitutional right to choose MAID, we fear that this ‘right’ may be imposed upon the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill. At the most vulnerable time in their lives, such persons may feel pressured to choose death over life. Given that MAID is now a legal option, choosing to live might appear incredibly selfish, especially in light of negative public perceptions that the infirm and disabled have low quality of life and are a personal and financial burden on their loved ones and on the health care system.
 
Even though we continue to oppose MAID, we hold that the current eligibility restrictions are essential safeguards to minimize harm in a system that permits it. Unfortunately, these protective measures are being challenged by Julia Lamb and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. Ms. Lamb, a B.C. woman in her late 20s, has a genetic disorder that causes progressive weakness and damage to voluntary muscles. Her current physical limitations are being managed well. However, she is worried about a time in the future when she may wish to end her life via MAID but may not have the ability to express her wishes. The current laws make her ineligible for MAID at this time. She is demanding that the government extend MAID to people with non-terminal illnesses who are not nearing death.
 
While we sympathize with Ms. Lamb’s struggles, we do not believe that removing the crucial criteria that “natural death must be reasonably foreseeable” is the solution. Expanding access to MAID would expose those who are infirm or disabled to additional social stigmas and increase the pressure for them to opt for MAID. It would also dis-incentivize initiatives to provide the incapacitated with quality and accessible care, and the loving and compassionate support they need to enjoy or enrich their lives.
 
The sanctity of human life – that there is God-given worth in all individuals – is under attack.
 
Our belief that every person is created by God, in His image, and is loved by Him must compel all of us to uphold the protection and promotion of life, to oppose practices that destroy or devalue human life, and to uphold the dignity of every person. Each human life is precious – a gift from God that must be respected and protected through all its stages, from conception to natural death. Our lives are not our own; they belong to God.
 
And if God Himself has bestowed such great worth and dignity to all human life (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:16), then this worth could never be lost or diminished by age, trauma or disease. There are no grounds upon which we can ever deny this worth to another human being. It should be inconceivable that any accident or illness can ever incapacitate a person to the degree that he or she ceases to be human; that human life is worth less at the margins of life; or that human worth and dignity should ever require societal or legal affirmation.
 
This is why the EFC has been championing better access to palliative care in Canada and has produced resources to assist local congregations to care for people in our communities walking in the shadow of death. Caring for those facing death is part of who we are as Christ-followers.
 
The Lamb case is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court of B.C. in November 2019. The EFC and Christian Legal Fellowship are co-intervenors in this case. We are currently preparing our legal brief to the court. We will stand up for the sanctity of human life and uphold the current eligibility restrictions on MAID. There is a lot at stake in this case. Its outcome will determine whether euthanasia would effectively be made available to anyone who decides they no longer wish to live, even if they are not terminally ill or nearing natural death.
 
Many EFC supporters were with us when we fought against the legalization of assisted suicide. Will you join us as we continue to boldly defend the worth and dignity of all human beings and to uphold laws that promote the rights to life and security for all people. Your prayers and financial gifts are crucial to all our efforts. Together, we can work to be a blessing to all Canadians, in the name of Jesus.

Sincerely,

Bruce Clemenger
President

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