Dear Friend,

Euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide – what the Criminal Code refers to as Medical Assistance in Dying or “MAiD” – was legalized in Canada in June 2016.
 
Every year since then, the incidence of MAiD has been rising. By the end of 2019, doctors had hastened the deaths of nearly 14,000 Canadians. MAiD accounted for more than 5,600 deaths in 2019 alone – that’s 15 doctor-assisted deaths each day or one every 1½ hours.
 
Although the law enables patients to seek MAiD, it was understood that healthcare providers are under no obligation to provide it. This is important for medical professionals who hold the conviction that the deliberate taking of any human life is immoral and want no part of it. Even medical staff who don’t object to all euthanasia may feel they cannot end the life of a patient who still has decades to live, or whose request is motivated by despair over inadequate living conditions or lack of support. Forcing them to participate in MAiD would be a major violation of their conscience rights as guaranteed in our Charter.
 
And yet, regulatory bodies that govern doctors in provinces like Ontario have already adopted policies that require the doctor to participate in MAiD, regardless of the doctor’s beliefs on the matter. If they refuse to end the patient’s life themselves, they must find a doctor who is willing do to it – called an “effective referral.” However, physicians who believe that making an effective referral indicates their approval of the procedure and implicates them, cannot take this step and be party to the killing of their patient.
 
Bill C-268, the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act, was introduced in Parliament in February 2021. It would make it a criminal offence to coerce a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other healthcare professional into participating in MAiD. It would also make it a criminal offence to fire or to refuse to hire a healthcare professional for being unwilling to participate in MAiD. This bill offers assurance to healthcare providers that they will not have to choose between violating their conscience and losing their jobs.
 
We should find it troubling that our lawmakers are even having to debate whether healthcare providers should be protected from being forced to take part in euthanasia or assisted suicide under threat of sanction. After all, patient access to willing providers of MAiD can be ensured without having to coerce conscientious objectors into taking part.
 
Requiring a medical professional to participate in taking the life of a patient against their conscience, sincerely-held beliefs or professional judgment is unconscionable in a free and democratic society. Forcing a person to abandon their conscience and beliefs to do something they find morally reprehensible causes mental distress and is an assault on the person’s core identity and a violation of their human dignity.
 
We entrust our healthcare professionals with our very lives. We would not want them to approach patient care (either our own or those of our loved ones) with indifference – absent of any moral and ethical considerations. We expect them to use their extensive knowledge and experience to make sound judgments in developing optimal treatment plans. And we certainly don’t want them to act unthinkingly – to simply give us whatever we request, “on demand,” particularly if they believe it’s against our best interest.
 
Medical professionals must be protected from being forced to participate in procedures like MAiD against their will. If their conscience rights are not protected, many will feel compelled to leave their practice, to relocate or to abandon their area of medicine. How much harder will it become then, to have confidence that your healthcare provider will act to protect your right to live, regardless of your health, age, mental or physical abilities, etc.?
 
Bill C-268 is a very timely bill as the government continues to amend MAiD laws to make it easier for more Canadians to ask their doctor to end their lives. With the most recent changes, MAiD will be accessible to patients with chronic conditions or disabilities who are not dying. As well, patients with mental illness as the only medical condition will become eligible for MAiD by 2023. And soon, Parliament will consider further extending accessibility to mature minors who wish to die. As more and more Canadians qualify for MAiD, the need to put in place clear and strong conscience protection for medical professionals is now critical!
 
As Christians, we believe that each life is a gift from God. Because we are created in His image and loved by Him, every life has God-given honour and dignity, and God alone has sovereignty and authority over matters of life and death. Even as the EFC continues to oppose the practices of euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide, we have been pressing both provincial and federal governments to provide clear, specific protections to ensure medical professionals and institutions will not be compelled to participate in killing their patients. We strongly support Bill C-268.
 
No one should be forced to participate in intentionally terminating human life against their deeply held beliefs. Medical professionals need conscience protection now, and we are asking the Church in Canada to help. Together, with your prayers and generous financial support, we can work to ensure that Canadian healthcare providers who wish to practice medicine according to their religious and moral convictions are supported, encouraged and protected!
 
As always, we are very grateful for the blessing of your ongoing partnership!

Sincerely,

Bruce Clemenger
President

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