On 20 June, MPs narrowly approved the landmark Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 314 votes to 291. If passed into law, the Bill could bring major social change by giving terminally ill adults in England and Wales the legal right to end their own lives.
The URC offers these prayers to help congregations navigate issues around Assisted Dying as they are discussed by legislators across these islands:
- The Isle of Man allows Assisted Dying, Jersey is in the latter stages of legal preparation for this;
- the Scottish Parliament is working on detailed legislation with a bill passing Stage 1;
- The Terminally Ill Adults Bill, passed by the House of Commons, is now subject to further scrutiny through various stages in the House of Lords. MPs will then get a final say when they have looked at any proposed changes. This is the point at which the bill will officially become law, unless it runs out of Parliamentary time or those in the House of Lords who oppose the Bill find a way to block it.
The United Reformed Church’s General Assembly last discussed the matter in 2007, resolving:
General Assembly affirms the report Assisted Dying, as encapsulated in the following statements:
- As Christians, we regard all human life as being God given, and therefore precious; we believe that death is not the end and we have faith that there is a more perfect life to follow.
- We recognise that there is a time to die and that there are circumstances in which it will be wrong to continue to provide treatment designed to prolong life.
- We recognise that some palliative treatment for the terminally ill, makes the patient more comfortable and pain free, but can also hasten death. We believe this to be acceptable, as long as the intention of the treatment is pain relief and comfort of the patient
- We could not support legislation that would empower medical staff to intervene in ways which deliberately seek to assist a patient to die. We would therefore oppose any change in the law to permit voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide
- We believe that a Living Will or Advance Directive which has been prepared by a patient of sound mind, can be helpful for carers and relatives; however, we do not believe such a document should be used to facilitate a person’s death
- We believe that additional resources are needed to provide more uniformly available and more high quality palliative care
- We recognise the valuable contribution made by carers. We express our prayerful support for those who work in, and promote, hospices and others who care, befriend, and provide support for the dying.
I’m Confused Lord
I’m confused Lord and don’t know what to say;
I grew up believing in the sanctity of life,
that You command us not to kill, and that life is always worth living…
…but if I was in pain with little hope of respite,
or one I loved was living in unimaginable agony,
I’d want that pain to stop.
I’m confused Lord and don’t know what to say,
all these difficult choices but they can’t properly fund hospice care,
there’s always money for bombs though…
…but surely good end-of-life care is a prerequisite of a decent society?
We live our lives as if there’s nothing else to come,
clinging to it, forgetting it’s possible to have a good death.
I’m confused Lord and don’t know what to say,
I’d not want to be a burden when my time comes,
I’d not want to cling on seeking every medical intervention when it was time to go…
…but I’d not want to be despatched more quickly so the will can be read!
I’d not want to be pressurised to die to save the State money,
nor be seen as dispensable.
I’m confused Lord and don’t know what to say,
disabled friends are frightened – fearing their lives will be seen as less worthwhile,
doctors and nurses are trained to save life not to kill …
…but saying “thou shalt not kill” seems judgy,
to urge for better palliative care seems unrealistic,
and to oppose social trends seems hard.
So, help me Lord, in my confusion,
and give me ears to hear and the words to say.
Amen.
A Fuller Life Awaits
Eternal One,
we pray for our legislators,
faced with complex lives, situations, and finances,
and trying to discern right from wrong,
in the face of high-powered campaigns.
Suffering Lord,
You walk with us in our pain, bewilderment, and grief,
give grace to those who approach the end of life,
wisdom to clinical staff who care for them,
and time for loving farewells.
Renewing Spirit,
remind us that death is not the end,
that a new, fuller, life awaits us,
where there will be no more death, sorrow,
mourning or crying. Amen
Perfect Love
Gracious God,
help us to hold Your truth gracefully,
proclaim Your love with humility,
and serve Your people faithfully.
Dying God,
drive out our fear of death with Your perfect love;
banish our meanness with a generosity
which funds proper care for the dying, the ill, and the disabled.
Energising God,
transform our ideologies,
that we face both life and death,
in the safety of Your love
and the promise of resurrection.
Amen
For more on the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (Assisted Dying) Bill through the Houses of Parliament see here.
Image: Alexander Grey/Unsplash.