Rector's Reflections - 22 November

Rector’s Reflections  

Friday 22nd November 2024

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill

I have reached the end of the current series of reflections, in which we have been considering the provisions of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults bill, which is shortly to be debated by MPs. Some Christians are very much in favour of the bill; others are very much against it. It has not been my aim to argue for or against the bill, but rather to explain why Christians and non-Christians take different positions. There are strong arguments for and against the bill, and I think this should be recognised. We are not dealing with a black and white situation,  in which there is only one right answer. Christians will take different positions on the issues involved.

So what might one say by way of conclusion?  Much could be said, but I will limit myself to three reflections.

To start with, I would encourage us to recognise that there are some issues and questions over which Christians may legitimately disagree. We may believe passionately that our own particular belief is right, but this does not necessarily mean that someone else’s belief is therefore wrong.  In such situations, we should learn to live with a variety of opinions.  I would even go further. We should remain open to learning from those with whom we disagree. After all, there is always the possibility that we might be wrong ourselves. I would also add that I think the fact that there can be a variety of opinion on issues makes life so much more interesting. How boring life would be if everyone thought the same.

Secondly, I would encourage us to remember the importance of compassion. The Assisted Dying bill tries to deal with issues which are quite literally issues of life and death.  They can touch upon intensely personal situations- situations affecting the lives of our own loved ones, indeed questions which we might be facing in our own lives.  The debates around the Assisted Dying bill cry out for an approach which is gentle and compassionate, and this means we must treat everyone involved with compassion and respect – including the people with whom we might disagree.  I think our world is sorely lacking in compassion, and the same can often be true of the Church.  Of course we still need our rules and procedures and a sense of what is right and what is wrong.  But I think the Church would do far more good in the world if it spent more of its energy and resources focussing on mirroring the compassion of God.  Our world is crying out for the compassion of God,  shared in and through the life and teachings of Jesus.  It is not crying out for another Mission Action Plan.

Finally,  I think there is a much bigger issue which is there in the background. When it comes down to it, the Assted Dying bill is basically about trying to provide an answer to the following question:  what might a good death look like?  I think it is rare that we talk about such a thing in our modern world. And yet we are all going to die at some time.  We might well look to the Church to help to provide us with some support and guidance on the issues surrounding dying and a “good  death”. But I think it is fairly rare that the Church provides this support, although I think there is an increasing desire to make this support available.

I wonder what the Church might do to help Christians prepare for the inevitability of death?  Back in the middle of the 17th Century, an Anglican priest called Jeremy Taylor wrote a book on the subject:  The Rule and Exercise of Holy Dying  .  This book definitely met a need, and it became a best-seller.  I wonder if there is scope for a similar book today, written in such a way as to address the needs and concerns of our modern world?

I would also add that I think there might be a mission opportunity here.  Because the Christian faith is focussed on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians have profound spiritual resources to share with all who are facing the big questions of life and death.  Christianity has some answers to offer to one of the perennial questions facing human beings: what happens when we die? Is death the end? Is this life all there is? Of course people don’t have to agree with what Christians might have to say. But at least Christians can speak words of hope. 

Perhaps this is what is most important. All us have to face the reality of death, a reality which is often frightening and painful.  We need to hear words of hope, and Christianity is all about hope.  I wonder: how might you and I  speak some words of hope into the complex issues around Assisted Dying?  And how might we do so with compassion and gentleness?

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