wfn.org | Lutheran bishops in Michigan oppose physician-assisted death

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

"Right to die" vs potential for abuse

CHICAGO, Illinois, U.S.A./GENEVA, 2 November 1998 (elca/lwi) - "We Lutheran
Christians believe that life is a gift from God, temporarily entrusted to
us as faithful guardians of a sacred trust," declared recently three
bishops of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) synods in Michigan
in a public statement. They were writing in response to Proposal B on
Michigan's November 3 ballot "to legalize the prescription of a lethal dose
of medication to terminally ill, competent, informed adults in order to
commit suicide."

"The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has spoken against the use of
physician-assisted suicide as an acceptable means for making end-of-life
decisions," said Bishops Gary L. Hansen of the ELCA's North/West Lower
Michigan Synod, Robert A. Rimbo of the Southeast Michigan Synod and Dale R.
Skogman of the Northern Great Lakes Synod.

"Those who promote this last, fatal escape as a right should remember that
such a right may evolve some day into an expectation and, finally, a
mandate to die. This may lead to the situation where some individuals and
families will be forced to put financial concerns above loved ones' needs,"
they said.

"The dignity of the human person is of inestimable value in our faith," the
statement continues. "This is at the heart of the current discussion on
self-determination with regard to the time and place of one's death.
Knowing that people of good will disagree on these serious matters, we call
upon all parties to conduct public deliberation with respect, and to
refrain from personal attacks and ridicule."

Calling for reflection and prayer, they added, "We need to know ... how we
are to become better stewards, rather than 'owners' of human life." A 1992
ELCA message on end-of-life decisions had already stated: "We oppose the
legalization of physician-assisted death, which would allow the private
killing of one person by another. Public control and regulation of such
actions would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The potential for
abuse, especially of people who are most vulnerable, would be substantially
increased."

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/