Most senior Church of England official in Lancashire speaks out against assisted dying bill

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The most senior Church of England official in Lancashire has said that assisted dying legislation must be resisted strongly.

The Rt Revd Philip North, the Bishop of Blackburn, has called on people of faith to actively resist the proposed legislation coming before parliament which would legalise assisted dying. 

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In an impassioned speech to the Diocesan Synod, Bishop Philip said: “It is my strongly held conviction that the legislation currently before Parliament must be resisted and resisted strongly by people of faith.”

The Bishop, who oversees 272 Church of England parishes across Lancashire, acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and the difficult memories and experiences it would bring back for many people before going on to give three reasons for his objection. 

The Rt Revd Philip North, the Bishop of Blackburn, has spoken out against the assisted dying bill. Credit: submit and Nani Chavez on UnsplashThe Rt Revd Philip North, the Bishop of Blackburn, has spoken out against the assisted dying bill. Credit: submit and Nani Chavez on Unsplash
The Rt Revd Philip North, the Bishop of Blackburn, has spoken out against the assisted dying bill. Credit: submit and Nani Chavez on Unsplash | submit and Nani Chavez on Unsplash

First he warned of a slippery slope in which the safeguards in the legislation are dropped such that assisted dying becomes more and more the norm.

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Bishop Philip said: “Once the precedent has been set that medical staff are permitted to administer life-ending drugs, there can be no doubt at all that the range of cases in which this is permitted will increase. Safeguards will be dropped and medical killing will become more and more the norm with the number of assisted suicides increasingly exponentially.”

As his second point, he warned of the impact of the Bill on the vulnerable, adding: “The availability of assisted dying will inevitably put pressure on elderly people and those who are near to death to put an end to their lives. Those who believe themselves to be a financial burden on their families will be in an invidious and intolerable position. How can we conceive of a legislative change that puts the most vulnerable people in the country in that sort of situation? Much is being made about choice in this debate. But by giving choice to one group of people, we will be taking it away from another. To relieve some people of physical pain, we will subject countless more to intolerable mental pain and torment.” 

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Finally, Bishop Philip spoke of the Christian belief in the dignity of every human life as he said: “Human life is God’s gift. It is precious and beautiful. When God looked upon the man and woman that he had made, he saw that it was good. Our life flows from God and will find its fulfilment in God. Our life is not our own possession.” 

Instead of legalising assisted dying, Bishop Philip called for improved palliative care and for bold solutions to the crisis in social care “such that people can have a dignified death according to God’s timing.” 

He went on to say: “I believe that this issue takes us right to the very heart of the purpose, meaning and dignity of our humanity. And once a decision has been taken, there will be no way back.”

Finally the Bishop urged Christians in Lancashire to take action by inviting them to write to their MPs, talk about the issue locally and to pray, especially for those who are dying or near to death. 

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