A Nation's Values On Trial: The Debate Over The U.K.'s Suicide Bill

The day after Thanksgiving, Britain took one step deeper into what some have called the "industry of death." While that title is usually associated with the abortion industry, in this case, it refers to assisted suicide. On November 29, British lawmakers advanced a bill by a 330 to 275 vote in the House of Commons meant to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.

This is the first time in nearly a decade that lawmakers in the U.K. have voted on this matter. Peter McIlvenna, co-founder of Hearts of Oak and advisor in the House of Lords, joined Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on a recent edition of "This Week on the Hill" to further unpack the implications of this pro-suicide bill as it advances in England. "The bill in a nutshell," McIlvenna explained, "will allow a medical professional -- a nurse, a doctor -- to assist an individual to end their life if they have only six months to live" due to terminal illness.

"There is a lot to be discussed," he added, and "a lot to be debated. ... But at the moment, the mood in the House of Commons amongst members of Parliament is to push through this bill. Then, of course, it goes to the House of Lords. So, it's got a while to go, but this is the first big hurdle," McIlvenna emphasized.

And while this proposal has not yet been turned into law, experts say the bill is concerning for many reasons.

First, McIlvenna stated, it is the "call" and "role of every doctor" to "do no harm." And yet, he noted how when the Abortion Act was passed in 1967, largely legalizing abortion in the U.K., it led to the death of nearly "nine million people, all made in the image of God." His concern is that this pro-suicide bill is in a similar vein. 

As he went on to emphasize, it's already a "slippery slope when you allow state-sanctioned murder against those who are completely innocent" in the womb. But now, with this resurfaced interest in assisted suicide, that "state-sanctioned murder" is making its way to those at the end of their life. Instead of giving people who are severely ill the medical treatment they need, McIlvenna warned that the new perspective from alleged health professionals is to think, "We can just end your life."

Perkins asked, "Is this a reflection of the church's lack of influence in the culture?" According to McIlvenna, it is. From his point of view, this conversation ties into the fact that, in many ways, "the church has been silent on the issue of abortion. And if the church is silent on that, how can we call out to God and say, 'Please help us now in our time of need?'"

To pick up where Perkins and McIlvenna left off, Family Research Council's Owen Strachan and FRC Action President Jody Hice discussed this issue on Friday's "Washington Watch." Guest host Hice emphasized that it's important to look at these circumstances from a biblical worldview. And to do that, one must ask: "What does the Bible say about assisted suicide?" Strachan, senior fellow for FRC's Center for Biblical Worldview, observed that "the Greek word for euthanasia means 'good death.' And the Greeks had an understanding of suicide ... that involved it potentially being a good death." However, Strachan underscored, "The Bible leaves no such room for that."

He went on to explain how a good biblical example against assisted suicide is found in the story of King Saul. After the Israelite forces were defeated, he wanted to end his life, and he implored his armor-bearer to kill him. However, the armor-bearer refused. According to Strachan, "That's a great example of an instance when a person feels like they should take their own life" found directly in the Bible. And more than that, it points to a deeper reality in that "people in this fallen world" often feel that way themselves.

Strachan continued, "There is tremendous pain out there. There are illnesses that are awful. There are terminal conditions that can take a long time to wind their way through a person's body." As Christians, "we have great compassion ... for people in hard situations." But also as Christians, he added, "we have to confess ... that it is the Lord ... who shapes our destiny. And it is the Lord, then, who determines -- not only the moment of our birth -- but the moment of our death."

"That is a powerful truth that we need to embrace," Hice remarked. Especially "because so much of this argument [for assisted suicide] comes from the position of compassion." While compassion is important, Hice noted that in this conversation, it is used to ultimately destroy life. He contended, "For us to embrace a biblical understanding of the value of life is an absolute must in this" conversation.

Some leaders, such as the U.K. bill's sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, have claimed that assisted suicide is not "a choice between life or death." However, as both Hice and Strachan agreed, it very much is a choice between life and death. At the heart of this debate, Strachan argued, are people who are deeply struggling. When pain leads someone to think they are better off dead, then a decision between life and death is "exactly what it is." 

Strachan referred to biblical examples as "a framework for people in terrible conditions. Lepers went through terrible pain as their bodies decomposed over time." But in Scripture, Lepers aren't told to end their lives because they're difficult. Instead, Strachan pointed out, "lepers are called to look to God, have their sins forgiven, and know that ... they're not the Creator. Only God is the Creator. We're just creatures."

Ultimately, Strachan stated, "Part of the reality of being a creature is that life and death are not in our hands. It's not for us to determine when our life ends. It's up to the Creator to decide." Hice agreed, remarking that this "back and forth" conversation has been around "for a long, long time." 

But notably, many of the British lawmakers who advanced this pro-suicide bill were the same people who voted against similar legislation several years ago. Considering this shift, Hice asked, "Is this yet another example of the post-Christian era in which we're living now?" Strachan believes it is.

He explained, "If you lose any vestige of a Christian worldview ... one of the effects is going to be that you are going to think that you are not actually a creature made in God's image." As such, "you're going to think in subtle ways that you're really ... your own functional little god. And tragically, in England and beyond, that is the worldview that is now obtaining at the broad level." 

It is this faulty understanding, Strachan argued, that is at the center of this growing demand for people to have what they perceive as bodily autonomy in death. "People are rejecting the view that they are a creature and embracing the idea, even subtly, that they're really the god of their life. They're the one who is in control. And that is not true."

While the circumstances overseas appear bleak, Strachan offered encouragement. There's "a profound opportunity for witness in the U.K.," he urged. Now is the time to "stand up and be counted on this issue. Speak up. Speak against bills like this. Don't let it come to pass, by the grace of God." And for those who personally struggle with this issue, perhaps to those "who are in those difficult, let's say, terminal conditions ... you actually have an opportunity to display the glory of God as you handle suffering not in a creature or self-driven way, but as you embrace God's sovereignty in your life."

"Don't end your life," Strachan concluded, but "entrust your life, even in difficult straits, to God."

Originally published at The Washington Stand