Dear Friend,
It was initially promoted as an option for people suffering and near death. But now, it is being offered as an option for people to end suffering in
life. I’m referring to doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia (euphemistically called Medical Assistance in Dying or MAiD).
The EFC is strongly opposed to all hastened death, but when MAiD was legalized in 2016, we pushed hard for the strongest possible safeguards and limits on the practice in order to protect vulnerable Canadians and to try to minimize harm.
In the beginning, MAiD was restricted only to competent adults who were suffering from an advanced state of an incurable condition
and whose natural death was reasonably foreseeable.
But it did not take long for Parliament to amend the laws to give
more Canadians access to doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In March 2021, the government removed some of the critical safeguards around the waiting period and the giving of consent. It also expanded access to those who are living with a chronic disease or disability – like asthma or arthritis –
but who are not dying.
And soon, it will be easier for those who are mentally ill to act on their suicidal thoughts. Effective March 2023 – in less than 5 months’ time – adults who are suffering solely from a mental illness (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, etc.) will be eligible for doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
We cannot treat MAiD as simply another healthcare option for those who are struggling solely with mental health challenges. The risk of harm is too great. One wrongful death is one death too many. We must act now to stop this expansion – to voice our many concerns with our MPs before this change takes effect.
First, the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention and many others have concluded, based on extensive medical evidence, that it is
not possible to predict whether anyone’s mental illness is incurable or untreatable. This is because not enough is known about mental illness, how it changes over time, and what treatments work. We don’t want to risk prematurely ending the life of someone who could have gotten better or recovered from their mental illness.
Second, when people experience mental illness, it is not uncommon for them to have distorted beliefs about themselves and their outlook on life. Given that suicidal thoughts and actions may also be a symptom of their condition, the wish to die might go away once the condition is managed.
However, under the current law, people requesting euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide can refuse treatments they do not find acceptable. But even if the government required that standard treatments must first be
attempted before MAiD can be consider, it is not a workable safeguard. Because each case is different, it would be impossible to establish rules for how many treatments should be attempted (and for how long) before it is “good enough” to give up and end a life.
As well, we must consider the risks of facilitating access to death for suicidal people who are not dying but suffering from psychosocial life stress. People with mental illness are vulnerable to isolation and a lack of economic and social support. Many individuals living with psychiatric conditions struggle with marginalization and obtaining the health care services and support needed to live well and to thrive. Canadians who are living with mental health challenges tend to have lower incomes and are less likely to be employed. And even though affordable and supportive housing is known to be a key component of recovery for people with mental illness, many are homeless or living in substandard accommodations. It would be unconscionable to offer assisted suicide, rather than support, to these individuals.
Furthermore, the legislation only requires that patients be
informed of treatment options, not that they have received them – or even that the treatments are available in a timely way. In Canada’s severely strained health care system, the waiting lists for mental health treatment are longer than the waiting period for MAiD! With no or limited access to supports and treatment options, we run the risk of Canadians – even those with means – dying from euthanasia because they feel suicide is their only choice.
Every life has God-given honour and dignity which comes from being created in the image of God (Gen 1:26, 9:6). Every single person – regardless of age or ability – has dignity. Our dignity is not diminished or lost when we are suffering because dignity is bestowed upon us by the One who loves us and gives us life. And we don’t gain dignity in choosing the manner and time of our deaths. In God’s eyes, the taking of a life stands in direct opposition to the command to love our neighbour (Rom 13:9). It is neither an act of love nor an act of compassion. True compassion lies in walking with those who are suffering – caring for them and serving them.
As Christians, we are called to care for and protect those who are vulnerable – to offer supports to live, not to expand access to hastened death. We are never to support the creation of two classes of people – those to whom we offer treatments and suicide prevention, and those to whom we offer death.
The EFC will continue to affirm the preciousness of all human life and to defend the equal worth of all humans, regardless of age, ability or health. Please consider making a generous donation today to help us bring these concerns to our MPs and to all Canadians! We must act now!
Sincerely,
Bruce Clemenger
President