Assisted dying is a highly-controversial subject in nearly every area of the world. However, the debate is now raging in England, and one major religious leader has ended his opposition to the practice.
George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has announced he no longer opposes euthanasia in certain cases. The former leader of the Church of England warned that if religious leaders do not accept the practice, the organization risks supporting "anguish and pain." Carey stated his opinion that it would not be un-Christian for the government in London to change laws prohibiting euthanasia.
Labour peer Lord Falconer has introduced a bill in the House of Lords that would allow people with less than six months to live the chance to end their lives, provided they are mentally sound. If passed into law, it would apply to adults in England and Wales. Carey announced he will support the legislation.
Bishops from the House of Lords have consistently opposed legalized euthanasia, causing this change of heart from Carey to cause a firestorm of controversy among the people and media of Britain. The bishops have repeatedly stated that such a policy violates the sanctity of life.
Justin Welby, the current leader of the church, stated his opposition to euthanasia, and his disagreement with statements made by Carey. He warned that supporting assisted dying could result in a "sword of Damocles" hanging over the lives of elderly people.
Joining Welby in continued opposition to euthanasia is the British Medical Association.
Critics of assisted suicide claim legalization of euthanasia will lead to more people taking their own lives to avoid being a burden to their families. Welby said such suicides have become more common in countries that changed laws to permit the practice.
Under the new regulations, the mental and physical health of a patient seeking to end their life would need to be confirmed by two doctors. The person in question would also need to prove they are not being unduly influenced by others to end their lives.
Only the terminally ill would be allowed to seek such an end. It was talking to these patients that Carey said made him change his mind on the issue.
"[W]hile drugs might be able to hasten the end more quickly and painlessly, sophisticated medical science also offers people the chance to be kept alive far beyond anything that would have been possible only a few years ago. Yet our laws have not caught up with the science," Carey wrote in an article for the Daily Mail.
Both the House of Commons, as well as the House of Lords, will need to vote on the issue. Care Minister Norman Lamb is expected to vote in favor of passage.
