Friday, January 1, 2016

Declaration of Hope





We believe that legalizing euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is bad public policy.

To legalize euthanasia and/or assisted suicide enables one person to directly and intentionally cause the death or to be involved with causing the death of another person. It is not safe to allow anyone to be involved with causing death of other people. We understand that the most tragic cases will dominate the public discussion, but the issues must be considered based on how it will affect society as a whole.


Euthanasia and assisted suicide is not an acceptable response to terminal or incurable illness or chronic conditions. Changing the law may result in some people feeling pressured and thereby consider themselves or their loved ones as ‘better-off-dead’.  Some people will feel obliged to justify why they want to continue treatment. For many, including attending physicians, euthanasia and assisted suicide would become the unspoken, but ever present, question resulting in a subtle, negative change to the doctor-patient relationship. Will this result in a “duty to die” or even a "duty to kill"?


Euthanasia and assisted suicide pose a threat to the equality of every person. The lives of some in people will be considered — “not worth living”. Among those at greatest risk are the elderly, the lonely, those living with disabilities, those experiencing chronic illness and those with limited access to good medical care. Maintaining laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide provide equal protection.


Older people are not a problem to be rid of — they’re a generation to be honored and cared for. Elder Abuse has become a significant societal scourge. We cannot ignore the possibility that dependent elderly people may be coerced into euthanasia or assisted suicide. We cannot put older people at risk by creating new paths to elder abuse.


We must not place the lives of people at risk. Legislators need to apply the precautionary principle: the higher the risk – the higher the burden of proof on those proposing legislation. The risk of abuse cannot be eliminated.

Legalizing euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is a recipe for abuse. So-called ‘safeguards’ are an illusion because they are unable to prevent the potential for coercion and abuse.


All people should have access to quality pain control — no matter where they live. Pain control and palliative medicine should be given a higher priority in medical training so that everyone can benefit.


Being involved in one’s health care plan and making informed choices are vitally important to a patient’s sense of well being. Euthanasia and assisted suicide weakens the autonomy of patients, reducing their choices about their care and symptom management. Euthanasia and assisted suicide may be increasingly adopted as the easier option to the exclusion of genuine patient centered care.


We firmly oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.


(Sign the Declaration of Hope)


The Declaration of Hope video message.


The American Declaration of Hope.

20 comments:

needleartist said...

I copied this article into an email that I sent to my Member of Parliament. Hopefully, if will be read and make an impression.

Winston said...

False hope is worse than no hope. It only prolongs suffering and eviscerates trust in others.

Dolce said...

Good doctors don't give their patients false hope, but they also don't imply that their patients are better off dead. There are other ways of helping those who are dying that do not involve causing their deaths.

Anonymous said...

I am the full time caregiver for my wife who has dementia. I often have to feed her. She has a masters degree and was a school teacher and principal before she had her brain injury . She has contributed mightily to Canadian society . She needs our Canada to treasure her .If I am unable to care for her I do not want the Canadian medical system to execute her.

Anonymous said...

Winston J.
My brother was dying with an infection of the pancreas. His doctor put him down with a lethal injection. His five children were devastated by that decision and are now disfunctional adults.

Laurence Coventry said...

This topic is always being revived for dramatic cases heedless of the blackmail the large number of ordinarily vulnerable elderly may suffer. It needs eternal vigilance.

The UK parliament has recently rejected assisted suicide by a large majority which is an excellent example.

Anonymous said...

I am 95 years of age. I have had a stroke and am confined to a wheel chair. In the Catholic Assisted Living Home where I reside, I receive excellent care from the caring (in all senses) staff. I see my doctor once a week. She also is caring and concerned about any slight or major health concerns I may have.
I read books and magazines.I keep in touch with family by phone and e mail. I have lately bought new dentures and prescription eye glasses. I do not have to fear to see my doctor in case she might come to deliver a lethal shot, thank God.God will take me in His own good time. Meanwhile I am enjoying life and offering my sufferings to the Lord, in reparation for my sins and the sins of others. my family still enjoys visiting me - reading old letters, playing scrabble and bridge, often winning. Who has the right to take my life? Only God. MaryJo

Spurgeon Linda said...

Dear Anonymous Winston,

Those experiences can make a dramatic impact on our lives as in the case of your brother. How very sad for all of his family.

I had a similar experience with my Dad 3 years ago. I am still recovering and ask God to somehow use my terrible pain (and even some guilt) for a good use. We put trust in our medical staff and they sometimes misuse their promise/oath to "do no harm".

Perhaps his children can use their pain for a fight for life. Since you are on this website it would reason that maybe you wish to speak up against what happened to your brother.

susan said...

Thanking God for His goodness. The Lord has already given us commandments and written them on our hearts. Thank you for speaking out on this topic.
My dad was killed as a pneumonia patient, with a "comfort care" devise. Pain meds left on till dead. This is murder and I have and am trying to get into the courts to stop the murders. Thank you for speaking out of your own experiences. Please pray that God will help me to get into the courts to the trial by jury stage so I can get this before the general public.

susan said...

My dad was given lethal medicine via dnr with "comfort". We weren't told this was a breathing depressant and lethal. This was left on him until dead and he was a pneumonia patient. They put terminal on his papers, though this isn't terminal. He didn't want the breathing tube removed and I made this known to the medical staff, who ignored me and knew the situation.
I believe, through research, this has become commonplace in medical practice and seek to bring this to court.
Please pray for me that God will provide the case for my dad and help me in this legal battle for life of all people who are being targeted by this policy of lethal "comfort" in our nation.
God bless you for speaking out and making known your own cases. This is very encouraging to me and also verifies the facts that have been unknown by the populace in general. The practice of euthanasia has reportedly progressed in the world and I believe we should speak and act on this in our nation.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Please do not agree together to usurp the power of God for your own purposes.
He alone is the author of life and death. If you deem yourselves worthy to remove
from Him the authority that is His alone you will personally have to give an account
to Him one day. You will be held responsible for the deaths of innocents. There is already
that sentence against us via abortion. It is a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of almighty God.
Your personal arguments and thoughts pro euthanasia are irrelevant.
You are not gods. You don't have this kind of authority.

Emme Burnet

Corrina Conlan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Corrina Conlan said...

Exactly!

Corrina Conlan said...

I never ever said my mother was suffering! She was starved! I was going every day to feed her myself! The staff lied and said she couldn't swallow! They starve the seniors to DEATH!

Unknown said...

J.Keir

Twenty some years ago when my 60 year old sister in law had been in a asthmatic coma for a few weeks, the doctor asked her son, if he would agree to take her off life supports. His response was 'Let's give her two more weeks. Two days later she came to and lived on her own for another 10 healthy years. Who are we to play God?

Speighdd said...

If you succeed in deliberately killing yourself, and do not exist after you die, you will not get, and certainly will not enjoy, any benefit from it. If you do exist after you die, you do so in spite of finally having not wanted, and now never wanting, to exist while forever having to do so.

Anonymous said...

I had a friend/client who had this done! I would take her to her doctors appt and after she came out, she would feel hopeless! I said to her after she came out from seeing the doctor, that they are taking your hope away! She did agree with me, but because of the pressure they put on her, she complied! They the medical staff were making her feel this, until finally she agreed to this suicide death! These doctors are committing murder and this needs to end! I don't know how the family is doing with the outcome of this tragedy, but I can only imagine!

Alex Schadenberg said...

Please contact EPC at info@epcc.ca.
We are interested in your story.

HeidiM said...

Euthanasia sounds like another hidden agenda not unlike a bio weapon dressed up as a virus....Thank you for your service to humanity Mr. Schadenberg. Many blessings.

Unknown said...

I really like your response.It demands thought.