BISHOP Timothy Harris continues to speak out publicly to persuade Queensland politicians supporting euthanasia they are making a grave mistake.
In a Letter to the Editor published by the Townsville Bulletin, the Bishop of Townsville pleaded with Queensland MPs supporting the move to legalise euthanasia to reconsider.
“I say to members of parliament advocating for voluntary assisted suicide – ‘STOP and think again’,” Bishop Harris wrote.
“Let us have a good long, hard look at ourselves before we go to where we have not gone before.”
He said he continued “to hold the strong view that no good whatsoever will come if these laws are passed”.
“Indeed, society will never be the same again,” he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced a bill to Parliament on May 25 to legalise euthanasia.
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was referred to the Health and Safety Committee for a 12-week consultation.
In his letter to the Townsville Bulletin, Bishop Harris said he thought “a civilised society was against suicide and wished to do everything possible to eradicate it”.
“But no, it seems we wish to offer people the option of taking their precious lives,” he wrote.
“We can do better than this race to the bottom.
“We can create an environment of accompaniment from the beginning of a terminal illness to the end.
“Society must not abandon anyone, especially the most vulnerable.
“Palliative care creates an environment conducive to caring and compassionate actions that can lead to someone dying well.”
Bishop Harris said some of the “horror stories” offered by euthanasia advocates about people dying in terrible pain were years old.
“Palliative care has advanced in its effectiveness and will do so even more if adequate funding from governments can be achieved,” he said.
“People are frightened into supporting voluntary assisted dying because they are led to believe they have no other alternative.
“Proponents of VAD should therefore hang their heads in shame and demand of their governments a standard of palliative care that mitigates against a rush to a regime that sanctions death.”
Bishop Harris said legalising euthanasia would be “a step too far”.
“No one needs to suffer unbearably, but a concerted effort to ease this suffering with a world-class palliative care system will at least challenge the view that VAD is the answer,” he said.
“Suicide is suicide and it is a tragic consequence of a society that has failed its people.
“It leaves in its wake a kind of individual and community paralysis that seems to be placed in the too-hard basket.
“How have we got to this stage?”
