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World News

New Christian report points to 'slippery slope' in euthanasia

by Tola Mbakwe

The Christian charity has published a report entitled The Legalization of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.

It details the harmful consequences of existing euthanasia laws and practices and also aims to equip those involved in this debate across the world.

Sophia Kuby, Director of EU Advocacy for ADF International and co-author of the white paper said in countries that legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide, there's been a "slippery slope".

She said: "The space in society for the weak, the old, and the sick shrinks. The possibility to end one's life at the hands of a doctor or a 'helper' quickly turns into a duty to not be a burden on society.

"Once we open the doors to intentional killing, there is no logical stopping point. There is nothing progressive about a society that refuses to care for its most vulnerable members."

Euthanasia was legalized in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002 and Luxembourg in 2009. Assisted suicide was legalized in Germany in 2015.

According to the Belgian Euthanasia Control and Evaluation Commission in 2015, 12,726 people died at the hands of a doctor since the law was adopted.

The ADF International report claimed there's been euthanasia for dementia and psychological suffering such as depression.

Kuby told Premier that was unacceptable and more attention needs to be drawn to the importance and benefits of palliative care.

She said: "Pain treatment has improved significantly. You can still receive the best possible care before you die.

"We need to foster this, more money needs to go into palliative care, and this is the only humane answer.

"End of life can be hard and heavy to carry, but human care and spiritual care is important.

"[There are many] testimonies we get frequently from people who live such precious moments at the end of life.

"They have reconciliation... that none of their family members left behind would ever want to miss.

"To deprive yourself or anyone else of that, from a Christian point of view, is probably not a good idea. "

Listen to Sophia Kuby speaking to Premier's Tola Mbakwe here:

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