Christian churches speak out against assisted dying bill in Isle of Man

Christian churches on the Isle of Man, a British entity in the British Isles, are urging members of parliament to reject legislation that would legalize assisted dying on the island.

Key Takeaways:

• Lawmakers in the Isle of Man approved an assisted dying bill last year. After some amendments were made, that bill has now been sent to the United Kingdom (UK), where it needs to receive Royal Assent.

• A coalition of Christian churches called Churches Alive in Mann has spoken out against the bill.

• The coalition warns that there are no sufficient safeguards in place, and that vulnerable people will be increasingly at risk, should the bill become law.

The Background:

Members of the island's legislature initially approved a bill to legalize assisted suicide last year. However, because the island is a British entity, all new laws must receive formal approval in the form of Royal Assent in order to proceed.

Earlier this year, the UK’s Ministry of Justice said it was unable to recommend the bill for Royal Assent, as it didn't fully comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.

At issue was the lack of protections such as:

• independent oversight

• safeguards against coercion

• clear assessments of mental capacity

None were clearly spelled out in the legislation.

According to Christian Daily, amendments were made to the legislation in June, and the bill has been re-submitted for Royal Assent. That assent must be granted by August 13, or the bill will automatically fail.

The Details:

Christian churches are continuing to speak out against the legislation, as Rev. Bill Leishman, minister of Broadway Baptist Church, told Christian Daily that it is "not a done deal."

"In reality, there is still a slim chance that it will fall," said Leishman. "Lots of Christians on this Island are praying for this."

Leishman is a spokesperson for Churches Alive in Mann, an ecumenical coalition of Christian denominations and churches on the island, with members including the Church of England, Methodist Church, Catholic Church, United Reformed Church, Living Hope, Elim Onchan, Salvation Army, and Broadway Baptist.

The group is staunchly opposed to assisted dying; last month, it issued a statement, "Response to Assisted Dying Bill Amendments," calling out many of the problems with the legislation.

According to Manx Daily, the group said "several major issues remain unaddressed, including:

• the attending doctor not needing specialist experience in terminal illness

• only one medical professional required to be present when life‑ending medication is taken

• the attending professional not necessarily needing to be a doctor

• safeguarding and psychiatric referrals that can be disregarded

• no protection for job applicants who conscientiously object.

The group also noted that the legalization of assisted suicide will place vulnerable people at risk of coercion.

"The very existence of this legislation will inevitably cause some of our elderly, disabled or vulnerable people to feel more of a burden," the churches said in their joint statement, as they continued:

More worrying still, we believe the proposed amendments don't go far enough in guarding against coercion. As churches, we are often there to support people experiencing pain and difficulty, and we speak up now out of deep concern and compassion for all who would be impacted by this legislation.

The Bottom Line:

In their statement, Churches Alive in Mann pointed out that legalized suicide is an affront to the dignity of the human person.

"For thousands of years, 'Do not kill' has been an ethical foundation for many civilisations. We believe that all human life is a sacred gift from God," they said. "The value of any member of our society is not determined by variable measures of the quality of life. The premature ending of individual lives will inevitably diminish the high value we place on all lives."