Medical killing in U.S. and Europe

Excerpted from "Expanding euthanasia," One News Now, by Charlie Butts. December 28, 2012--Belgium is on the brink of expanding its euthanasia program with a new proposal that will allow minors to commit suicide with medical assistance. Socialist party leaders are also hoping to permit people with Alzheimer's and dementia to do the same. Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition says the situation in Belgium is indeed deteriorating.

"Recent studies have shown that 32 percent of the euthanasia deaths are done without requests, that only 52 percent of the euthanasia deaths are actually reported, [and] they found that nurses are doing euthanasia, even though the law specifically prohibits it," he reports. Furthermore, couples are permitted to kill themselves when one has a terminal illness and the mate wants to die with him or her. But Schadenberg is especially disturbed by the reasoning behind allowing children to gain medical assistance to die. "It's basically because some children who are born with disabilities … they would say that these children are better off dead. So, what we'll do is since some cases are probably already doing this already anyway … we might as well just legalize this or allow that within the law officially," the pro-lifer relays. "In the case of dementia and Alzheimer's -- well, the fact of it is these people are expensive, and it's much cheaper just to kill them."

While he recognizes that may seem crass, Schadenberg laments it is reality in Belgium. Meanwhile, not one physician has been prosecuted, "although authorities know the law is being violated." Click here to read full article.

Commentary

CMDA Lifetime Member and State Representative Susan Rutherford, MD: “As an obstetrician without end-of-life care expertise or ethics training, I began learning in 2008 about the dangers of euthanasia and suicide when Washington state legalized physician-assisted suicide.

"The 'option' morphs into an obligation, a recipe for elder abuse. Our law, like Oregon’s, hides actual practice, but in Europe where laws permit euthanasia, extralegal non-voluntary euthanasia is well documented. There is also constant pressure to expand the laws, justified by 'it is done anyway.' That gave the Netherlands the pediatric euthanasia Groningen Protocol for 'severely ill newborns.'

"News of a proposal in Belgium to institute a legal process for euthanizing certain children and people with dementia and to force nonparticipating doctors to find and refer to prescribers of death is another stanza in the constant advocacy clamor for death on demand and death for the 'non-productive.' Note that lip service to 'children who want this' quickly changes to 'or the parents.'

"Considering the global context of sin, the Bible clearly describes the truth that people whose behavior is depraved want company in their practices and affirmation of such choices (Romans 1:28-32). In a more narrow application to medicine, induced death runs contrary to the currents of patient safety and quality care of the whole person. Cutting corners (justified by expense and manpower demands) results in the normalization of deviance.

"As Christian physicians, let us be faithful to our patients and their families and put forth the effort to truly care for them. Let us work to protect each fragile and vulnerable person from coercion unto death and thus glorify God, who created every one of us in His image."

CMDA Ethics Statement: Euthanasia
Assisted Suicide/Ethanasia Resources Pages