The United Reformed Church has issued a statement after today’s debate in the UK Parliament about the Terminally Ill Adults Bill for England and Wales.
The United Reformed Church believes all human life is God given and precious, and each person, made in the image of God, is of inherent worth and value.
We have prayed for wisdom for our MPs as they wrestle with the complex issue of assisted dying for terminally ill adults, and are thankful where they have reached out to and listened to members of our churches for support and guidance.
Parliamentary debate
We note the debate in the UK Parliament today (November 29, 2024) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, applying to England and Wales, and the vote of MPs to support further work on the Bill, which would still need Parliamentary approval before it could enter into law. The strength and depth of feeling was evident, and the discussion was gracious and sensitive.
Compelling arguments included personal stories from MPs and from their constituents, statistics from other states and countries where assisted dying has been adopted, as well as representations from those with professional experience as medical practitioners.
Comments were framed positively around dignity in dying and rights around bodily autonomy, around ‘shortening death’ rather than ‘shortening life’, while others countered that improving the quality of life, rather than hastening death, should be a priority. Members mentioned hope and life and being a society that values people and values life. The convictions of people of faith were referred to occasionally. Common themes of liberty, social responsibility, compassion, ethics and morality were expounded.
Great concerns were expressed around protection for vulnerable people, the possibility of coercion and shortcomings in the palliative care system.
There were objections around the limitations of the Private Members Bill process compared with Government Bills which would have received more much detailed preparation and allocated time on the Parliamentary agenda.
A response from the United Reformed Church
Acknowledging a range of views on the issue within the Church and in society, the URC General Assembly in 2007 opposed any change in the law to permit voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide, in line with the position of many Christian Churches and other faiths.
The vote today in Parliament will have far-reaching impact on our society. Many will be troubled at the result of the vote, and perhaps feel that the will of lawmakers or wider society is profoundly out of step with their own personal convictions. Others will be relieved by the result, believing it will offer some hope and choice to them (or loved ones) as they approach the end of life.
The URC is unchanging in its commitment to support vulnerable people and to offer spiritual counsel and Christian love to all who seek it. Visiting – and endeavouring to meet the needs of – people who are sick is enshrined in our practice, following the example and instruction of Jesus, as well as supporting those who care for them or are bereaved.
We continue to call for the improved provision of palliative care, and note the persistent lack of universal access to good quality hospices and home-based support for people nearing the end of life.
We are concerned for medical staff, already under constant pressure in trying to deliver services to patients, who may face increased demands, and may face difficult moral choices.
Key to our response is our belief of the inherent worth and value of every human being, made in the image of God. The Bill, if enacted without sufficient safeguards, risks devaluing the lives of people who have often been marginalised by society.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill therefore requires much work. There will be continuing scrutiny and debate as the Bill proceeds through the UK Parliament. Within the URC, the Worship, Faith and Order Committee will be listening to our congregations and ministers and considering carefully the implications of the developing Bill for us all.
Through all these things, we look to Jesus, the originator and finisher of our faith, and the one in whom all things hold together, as the source of our belief, our well-being and our hope. We will continue to encourage people at all stages of life to seek him, and experience his comforting presence found in his body, the Church.
Written by Roo Stewart, URC Head of Public Issues