And please, whatever you do, don\u2019t try to argue against assisted dying on religious grounds. Dignity in Dying has been scathing of religious opposition, treating it as irrational and irrelevant in a predominantly secular society. \u201cLook!\u201d\u009d they say, \u201cWe have Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, fighting our corner, as well as Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham, and his chaplain, Canon Rosie Harper, and..\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
And who? Well, that\u2019s pretty much it. It doesn\u2019t seem to matter that last year more than 20 senior faith leaders, including Justin Welby, all signed a letter opposing the previous version of the Bill. Trying to find a Christian who will publicly support their objectives is like finding a turkey who looks forward to Christmas. \u201cNo, no, you\u2019re all wrong and our tiny band of Christian friends are absolutely right,\u201d\u009d Dignity in Dying insists. \u201cCan\u2019t you see how wise Lord Carey is when he describes the proposed law as \u201d\u02dca profoundly Christian and moral thing\u2019?\u201d\u009d He wrote a piece for the Mail on Sunday last month, in which he said: \u201cI often find myself asking: \u201d\u02dcWhat would Jesus do?\u2019 I think I know what he wouldn\u2019t do. He wouldn\u2019t say: \u201d\u02dcThere, there. Pain is good for you. Take it like a man or a woman.’\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a deep breath and think about this for a moment. If assisted dying is Christian and moral, we must believe that Jesus would encourage it. Can you really imagine a woman coming to him with a malignant cancerous growth, and Jesus looking at her with compassion but offering some poisonous berries? Or, if none was available, handing her a knife, telling her that there is nothing left in her life worth living for and that it would be better if she slit her wrists?<\/p>\n