Page 4383 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991
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different from suicide. Euthanasia refers to the practice where life is terminated in patients with incurable terminal diseases and usually suffering great pain.
I refer to an article in the Canberra Times of 27 June 1991 on the church speaking against the policy. The article states:
Writing in the July edition of the diocesan newspaper Catholic Voice, Archbishop Carroll said the policy was to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
"If implemented, it not only legalises suicide but also gives doctors a licence to kill", he said.
To take one's own life or to take the life of another contradicted the basic moral law which safeguarded human life.
I find it a great irony that a church that has supported war after war should come out with a statement such as that. It is, to me, the height of hypocrisy. If the church wishes to make a statement such as that, I advocate that they should also be consistent and ensure that whenever there is a war on the horizon - I cite the Gulf war and the Vietnam war as examples; I think most of us remember the Catholic Church's stance on the Vietnam war - they should value human life in that circumstance as much as they value it in this circumstance.
The archbishop referred to the basic moral law which safeguards human life. There is no such basic moral law as the church refers to. Those of us who recently watched Brides of Christ - I caught up with the final episode only last night on my video - would also be aware that it is similar to referring to what some call the natural law. Once again, it is an entirely untenable position in logical terms to hold anything as a natural law.
In stark contrast, I had discussions with the Anglican bishop and, although I am not at liberty to put his position on the issue, I found that it is more thoughtful, more caring, more compassionate, more understanding and more tolerant. That is what we are talking about when we talk about euthanasia. We are talking about those very issues. We are talking about compassion and understanding and tolerance.
Under Australian common law a doctor must never do anything actively to kill his patient, but he is not bound to fight for the patient's life forever. Suicide and attempted suicide are no longer offences at law. However, to aid and abet suicide is an offence. To legalise euthanasia is to avoid inflicting needless pain on the loved ones of patients and on the patients themselves, who can decide to end their lives without a doctor's help.
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