Killing the human machine?

Yet another Assisted Dying Bill is currently in the House of Lords.

While it is unlikely, although not impossible, that it will become the law of the land, one thing is certain: more attempts will come. In fact, in the last decade, there have been at least ten Bills introduced at Westminster alone, not to mention at least three attempts in Scotland.

Yes, assisted suicide is a controversial, emotive and sensitive issue to talk about and debate. But the church must speak into this debate because it touches on so many things. In the Lords, when the Meacher-sponsored Bill was debated last month, much focus was given to so-called ‘safeguards’. There was an almost dispassionate, mechanical way some discussed how you could improve public safety if any such law was passed.