The Hermeneutic of Continuity

The Journal of Medical Ethics recently published research by Clive Searle: "The role of doctors’ religious faith and ethnicity in taking ethically controversial decisions during end-of-life care." The full paper is only available to subscribers. (A doctor kindly forwarded me a copy to read but obviously I can't put it on the internet myself.) There is an abstract freely available online. One of the findings of the research summarised in the abstract is that: Independently of speciality, doctors who described themselves as non-religious were more likely than others to report having given continuous deep sedation until death, having taken decisions they expected or partly intended to end life, and to have discussed these decisions with patients judged to have the capacity to participate in discussions. The reporting of this research has been subject to spin that Private Baldrick might describe as "like a very spinning thing." So the BBC reports: Religion may i...

This coming Wednesday (30 June) there will be a conference/debate on assisted suicide at the Royal Society of Medicine. See: The ethics of assisted suicide for details. The following day, Thursday 1 July, the British Medical Association will be discussing ethics at their AGM. The pro-euthanasia lobby are trying to stack the Wednesday debate and generate publicity on Thursday morning ahead of the BMA discussion. It would help if some well-informed pro-lifers were at the RSM on Wednesday to ensure that there is some balance in the discussion. You have to register at the website and the cost is £10. (Medical professionals can get 5 CPD credits for attending.)

The Resistance Campaign has a petition against euthanasia and assisted suicide. As well as signing it yourself, please check whether your MP has signed it (or refused to do so) by using the MP database . If neither, do use the email form to urge them to sign the petition. Here is the text of the petition: We the undersigned fear that calls to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia are likely to intensify. Our concerns are heightened by the current economic climate and calls from politicians from all parties for cuts in public services. We believe that people who are disabled or terminally ill (and their families) rely upon such services to live with dignity and that quality services make the difference between a fruitful life, led independently, and mere survival. We support Not Dead Yet’s call to all MPs to sign up to the ‘Resistance’ Charter 2010 (full text here ) declaring that they will support palliative care and independent living services and maintain legal protection...

Instances of legal euthanasia in Belgium have risen from 235 in 2003 to 705 in 2008. Of these, most are young, and 94% are suffering from pain as a result of cancer. Only a minority (18%) of the 1,917 people killed are over 80, and euthanasia is more widespread (83% of cases) in the Flemish part of Belgium than in the French part (17% of cases). Dr. Bernard Devalois, a French specialist in palliative care, said: This study shows that the majority of requests for euthanasia in Belgium are linked to unbearable physical pain and therefore to medical malpractice in the treatment of pain: cases of genuinely untreatable suffering - which we treat in France with sedation - are very rare. Dr Devalois continued: Upon reading this study, it seems that Belgium chooses to focus on general training in the use of products that cause the rapid death of the patient (barbiturates and muscle relaxants). The patient therefore has the choice between suffering or asking for euthanasia. I much prefer th...

Photo: Daily Mail The Daily Mail the other day reported on the story of James Shepherd and his mother, Elisabeth. At the age of eight, James was knocked over by a car which had mounted the pavement; he was left in a coma from which doctors advised that he had virtually no chance of recovery. He did recover consciousness and some use of speech but has no controlled use of his limbs. Elisabeth Sheppard contacted the Daily Mail in order to provide an alternative to the widespread support for Kay Gilderdale who helped her daughter Lynn, who suffered from ME, to commit suicide. The story of the Sheppards is all the more powerful because of the genuine difficulties and temptations that Mrs Sheppard admits to facing. Her marriage broke up, she was in mental chaos for some time and did herself consider helping her son to die. From these experiences, she draws the conclusion that she was at times an unreliable carer in need of effective support, and that: It's this close involvement in h...

The euphemistically named "Dignity in Dying" (formerly the Voluntary Euthanasia Society) has responded to John Smeaton's post on the recent UCL debate on assisted suicide. Here's the core of Dignity in Dying's case for the prosecution: SPUC are a pro-life organisation who have a lot to say about assisted dying, abortion and sex education (they are in need of a name change, perhaps the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, Hormonal Teenagers, and Terminally Ill People who are Unaware that Suffering brings you closer to your Maker: SPUCHTTIPUS. Summary: "A bizarre attack" (That's SPUC, apparently) They also accuse SPUC of selective quotation, misprepresentation, seeing shadows and conspiracy theory. They follow this up by examples of the fuller context of the quotations, the true representation of their position, the reality that belies the shadows, and the wacky statements that constitute "conspiracy theory." Actually, no they don...

John Smeaton has an important post today: University debate exposed the euthanasia lobby's duplicity . He reports on the debate that was held on Monday evening at University College, London on the motion "That this House would legalise assisted dying." Speaking in favour were Sarah Wootton, head of " Dignity in Dying " (the even more euphemistic new name for the former "Voluntary Euthanasia Society") and Dr Simon Kenwright, a gastroenterologist. Speaking against were Anthony Ozimic of SPUC, and Dr Peter Saunders, Director of the Care Not Killing Alliance . It is worth reading John's post in full to see the way in which the euthanasia advocates will disguise their policies, and the excellent information which Anthony has to hand as a seasoned campaigner on these issues.

Lord Joffe, who has campaigned strenuously for the legalisation of assisted suicide, is giving a public lecture at Bath University to promote his views. The University wishes the public to have their say in a poll on their website. It is a good, straightforward question "Should assisted dying be legalised for the terminally ill?" Currently there is a massive majority of "No" votes - go over to help keep it that way. Cast your vote here.

Today Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions published his interim policy on assisted suicide which further muddies the waters on the question of whether anyone will be prosecuted for helping someone to kill themselves. This is a significant step in the creeping legalisation of euthanasia in Britain. There is a twelve week consultation period and I would encourage you to download and complete the consultation document . The "Public interest factors against a prosecution" essentially provide a guide for people involved in assisted suicide so that they can work out whether they will probably get away with it. I expect that guidance might also be forthcoming in due course for medical professionals. After all, travelling to Switzerland could be a bit expensive and we don't want people messing things up at home, do we? John Smeaton also points out that the policy represents a legal downgrade of disabled people .

I roared with laughter at this photo which Laurence "Bones" England published yesterday. You should also read his post which makes a serious point: New Guidelines on Assisted Suicide?

Vera's story in the Catholic Herald this week shows what is going on in hospitals up and down Britain every day. An ordinary member of the public, concerned at the way in which an elderly person is treated, faces the determinedly soothing assurances of the medical professionals as her friend is dehydrated to death. The family are frightened and defensive because they have accepted the assurances of the medical professionals and would be horrified to think that they had been complicit in Vera's death. We should understand the pressure that they have been subjected to. After all, whose advice should they trust? The doctor and the nurses are telling them what is "best". We need to hear the stories of those who are closely affected by the euthanasia that is now practised in Britain. These stories need to be archived, put on record, so that future generations can say "Never Again!"

Tony Delamoth, the Deputy Editor of the British Medical Journal has asked Assisted dying: what’s disability got to do with it? , saying that "the debate on assisted dying has been hijacked by disabled people who want to live". There are some very good " Rapid Responses " including one from Alison Davis.

A Catholic member of SOGAT got a proposal opposing euthanasia carried at either the 1972 or 1974 conference of the union (which is now part of the print section of UNITE). Unfortunately he has lost his copy of the proceedings. He has asked me to enquire here whether anyone knows where it might be possible to retrieve the proceedings of the 1972 and 1974 conferences. If you want me to put you in touch with him by email, feel free to post a comment marked "Not for publication" or to email me at rosary@freeuk.com.

Anthony Bennett has organised a petition to the Prime Minister which reads: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to retain the law that makes it a criminal offence to assist another person to commit suicide. Further details: The law currently makes it a criminal offence to assist another person to commit suicide. There has been a stream of media stories about British people travelling to Dignitas in Switzerland to be killed because they wish to end their lives. These are all very tragic stories. However, it is important to note that in recent years no-one in Britain has been prosecuted for taking their relatives to Switzerland to die, nor in respect of other cases of assisted suicide in the U.K. But to decriminalise assisted suicide would - as many commentators have observed - make many elderly people vulnerable to relatives who may have ulterior motives for wishing them to die early. The law as it is acts as a deterrent to those wishing to assist a relative to die early. Th...

One accessory I must get for my car is a lead to plug into the radio so that I can play mp3s through it and listen to talks on my way round the M25 and resist the temptation to listen to the news on Radio 4. On the way back from Parkminster after Vespers, this evening's 5 o'clock news was particularly nauseating as it was announced in tones rather like announcing the freeing of the Birmingham Six, that Debbie Purdy has won her appeal to the Law Lords. They found that according to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, a person has the right to choose how they die, because that is a part of their private life which must be respected. They have ordered the Director of Public Prosecutions to set out a policy statement which will make it clear to the public under what circumstances anyone will be prosecuted for assisting another person to commit suicide. Since there have been over 115 cases of people committing suicide at the Swiss Dignitas clinic and nobody has yet ...

There is a conference to be held at the London Metropolitan University which should be a good opportunity for legal and medical professionals and others interested in the field to speak to advocates of euthanasia in a forum that is not hostile to its opponents. Young pro-life medics should especially consider attending and getting CPD points. Here are the details: Life and Death Matters: Disability Rights and Incapacity Presenters include: • Baroness Jane Campbell, ex-Disability Rights Commissioner • Lord Alex Carlile Q.C., • Baroness Mary Warnock, DBE, FBA • Dr Philip Howard, Consultant Gastroenterologist, St George’s Hospital • Sally Chidzoy, BBC Journalist • Dr Gillian Craig, MD, FRCP. Vice Chairman Medical Ethics Alliance Date: Thursday July 2nd 2009 Venue: London Metropolitan University, 16 Goulston Street, E1 7TP Cost: £65 (includes light lunch and refreshments); Sponsored places available at £25. Legal, medical and other professionals are entitled to claim 6 CPD points for atten...

Pasted from SPUC : URGENT Suicide amendment Monday, contact your MP now Please telephone and/or email your MP and urge him/her to oppose a pro-suicide amendment tabled yesterday by Patricia Hewitt (former health minister) to the Coroners & Justice Bill.  The amendment (which is a new clause in the bill) will be debated on Monday afternoon (23 March) if selected by the Speaker. The amendment's effect would be to make it lawful to help anyone travel to a country where so-called assisted dying is legal so that they can commit suicide. Although this amendment is primarily aimed at those who are disabled or chronically ill, it applies to anyone who may be suicidal - old, young, depressed, in debt, disabled, etc. It will make all those who may be suicidal easy prey to unscrupulous people. Ask MPs to oppose and vote against the amendment. MPs can be contacted by email via  http://www.spuc.org.uk/mps  and/or by telephone through the House of Commons switchboard number 020 7219 3000. Pl...

A correspondent has sent me a link to this excellent 1978 piece by Malcolm Muggeridge on Humanae Vitae . At that time, Mugg had not yet become a Catholic but he was a seasoned media operator and understood how the MSM (then the only medium) slanted coverage of Pope Paul's landmark encyclical. The great Mugg's description of the panel is amusing: The people who are assembled for these discussions or panels on the BBC fall, usually, into various categories which are invariable: you generally have a sociologist from Leeds; you also have a life-purist usually with a mustache; you also have a knockabout clergyman of no particular denomination and enormous muttonchop whiskers; and you have, I regret to say, also, usually, a rather dubious father He describes how he mentioned that contraception would not stop with limiting families but would lead to abortion and euthanasia. And I remember that the panel jeered when I said particularly the last, euthanasia. But it was quite obvious tha...

The other day, John Smeaton had an interesting post about the White Rose Society in Nazi Germany. (See: Join the pro-life resistance by supporting SPUC's White Flower appeal ) This group of patriotic Germans, many of whom had been in the Hitler Youth, came from various religious backgrounds. Increasingly horrified by the policies of the National Socialist Party, they distributed leaflets advocating resistance. The picture above shows Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst, who were executed in 1943.  One influence on them was Bishop August Von Galen whose sermons attacked the Nazi euthanasia policy. The Shoah Education website gives some background on this. the US Holocaust Memorial Museum has more information and references on the non-Jewish resistance to Hitler , mentioning a recent work on Sophie Scholl which may well give more detailed information. The Shoah Education website refers to Von Galen's sermon of 3 August 1941 which is said to have been a major influ...

Here in Blighty we are whooshing down the slippery slope to involuntary euthanasia at quite a pace. We got the crucial legal judgement a few years ago that we can sometimes judge that it is in someone's "best interests" to die. The Mental Capacity Act got food and fluids defined as treatment that can be legitimately witheld on request of the patient or of their representative if they are incapacitated. Moves towards legalising assisted suicide are now coming thick and fast. The Director of Public Prosecutions has broken new ground in a case where he decided not to prosecute because it would not be in the public interest to do so. An assisted suicide was shown on the telly last night providing powerful propaganda in favour of it. Gordon Brown made a cleverly non-committal speech in which he said that he was "personally not in favour... difficult ishoos... difficult choices... He has not committed himself personally - who wants to be the Prime Minister to back assisted...