The Euthanasia Cancer Spreads | Wesley J. Smith – First Things

The West is tearing itself apart. The symptoms are evident in our bitterly divided politics and the attempts to punish those with heterodox views. But they are particularly evident in the ongoing collapse of the sanctity of human life ethic, which holds that each of our lives are immeasurably precious regardless of our personal circumstances.

Alas, the sanctity of life ethic has been abandoned in whole or in part throughout the West. Instead, many now adhere to the quality of life ethic, which holds that the value of one's life is relative to ones abilities, capacities, and state of health.

Unlike the sanctity of life ethic, the quality of life ethic does not abhor the taking of innocent human life. Rather, it perceives killing as an acceptable means of ameliorating human suffering, particularly if the afflicted person wants to die.

These attitudes have led to radical legal changes throughout the West. Alas, the culture of death is on a roll. Just this year, several countries legalized euthanasia, expanded existing euthanasia laws, or prepared to open that lethal door in the near future.

When I entered the fray as an anti-euthanasia activist in 1993, only Switzerland had explicitly legalized assisted suicide. Since then, in addition to the above, lethal injection euthanasia has been legalized in Luxembourg, Colombia, the Australian state of West Australia, and Belgium. Switzerlands once sleepy assisted suicide law has been deployed to allow suicide tourism, that is, people traveling to the country to pay a suicide clinic to help them kill themselves. Assisted suicide for the terminally ill is also legal in the Australian state of Victoria and eight U.S. states have passed laws permitting physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill: California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, Vermont, Maine, and New Jersey. It is also legal in the District of Columbia. A murky court ruling in Montana also may permit legal assisted suicide.

In the face of this discouraging news, I am often asked whether opponents of euthanasia can win. I think that question misses the point. Resisting assisted suicide and euthanasia isnt about winning, but saving lives. So regardless of how things ultimately turn out, those of us who understand that hastening death corrupts medicine and abandons the vulnerable have no choice but to continue resisting the toxic tide for as long as we can, understanding that caring rather than killing is the way to show true compassion to all suicidal peopleregardless of the reasons they may have for wanting to die.

Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. His latest book isCulture of Death: The Age of Do Harm Medicine.

First Thingsdepends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.

Our year-end campaign is underway. Please show your supporttoday!

Clickhereto subscribe toFirst Things.

See the rest here:

The Euthanasia Cancer Spreads | Wesley J. Smith - First Things