“Helping a suffering person to die shouldn’t be accepted in the modern world.” How far do you
agree? (20 marks)
Assisted dying is when a person request someone to aid them in ending their own life. It is different
to euthanasia because it is not requesting someone else to end your life – you end it yourself, but
you are assisted to end it by someone else. There are a few places in the world where assisted dying
is legal. The Suicide Act 1961 makes it illegal to encourage or assist a suicide in England and Wales.
Those found guilty of the offence could face up to 14 years in prison. There is no specific crime of
assisting a suicide in Scotland. But it is possible that helping a person to die could to prosecution for
general offences such as murder, culpable homicide or reckless endangerment. For this essay, I am to
look at the sanctity of life, how it is wrong to commit suicide, right to die and Humanists perspectives
about assisted dying.
The Church of Scotland has consistently opposed any legislation which would allow the deliberate
ending of a human life. They argue that such legislation would violate that sanctity of life. The
sanctity of human lives derives from the fact that God created them; therefore human life should be
protected and preserved, whatever happens, and we shouldn’t interfere with God’s plans by
shortening human lives. The Church fundamentally disagrees with any legislation:
“Legislation of the type of proposed in the End of Life (Assistance) Scotland Bill,
represents much more than simply a tinkering with the law.”
Rev Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland
Furthermore, the Church believes that human beings are made in God’s image, therefore they have a
special value and dignity. This value does not depend on the quality of a particular life, and taking a
life violates that special value and dignity, even if that life is full of pain and suffering. The command
from God which says ‘you must not kill’ is usually interpreted as meaning ‘you must not murder’.
However, a broader interpretation is that you must not take human life, this rules out euthanasia
(and assisted suicide), as carrying these out would be against God’s commandments, and would be
am attack on the sovereignty of God. The Church of Scotland believes in caring for the most
vulnerable in society. Part of its work involves ensuring that as far as possible all have access to good
palliative care – which, in the widest sense, involves caring not just for the physical but also the
emotional and spiritual needs of people coming towards the end of their lives. I agree with the
Christian view that “Humans are created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). The image of God is
not dependent on how old, young, healthy or sick the person is. It is not that some humans are more
valuable than others – all are equally valuable in God’s image. Because humans are in the image of
God, human life is not to be taken. In fact, the death penalty is proposed for unauthorised intentional
killing of people. Therefore, helping a suffering person to die shouldn’t be accepted in the modern
world.
agree? (20 marks)
Assisted dying is when a person request someone to aid them in ending their own life. It is different
to euthanasia because it is not requesting someone else to end your life – you end it yourself, but
you are assisted to end it by someone else. There are a few places in the world where assisted dying
is legal. The Suicide Act 1961 makes it illegal to encourage or assist a suicide in England and Wales.
Those found guilty of the offence could face up to 14 years in prison. There is no specific crime of
assisting a suicide in Scotland. But it is possible that helping a person to die could to prosecution for
general offences such as murder, culpable homicide or reckless endangerment. For this essay, I am to
look at the sanctity of life, how it is wrong to commit suicide, right to die and Humanists perspectives
about assisted dying.
The Church of Scotland has consistently opposed any legislation which would allow the deliberate
ending of a human life. They argue that such legislation would violate that sanctity of life. The
sanctity of human lives derives from the fact that God created them; therefore human life should be
protected and preserved, whatever happens, and we shouldn’t interfere with God’s plans by
shortening human lives. The Church fundamentally disagrees with any legislation:
“Legislation of the type of proposed in the End of Life (Assistance) Scotland Bill,
represents much more than simply a tinkering with the law.”
Rev Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland
Furthermore, the Church believes that human beings are made in God’s image, therefore they have a
special value and dignity. This value does not depend on the quality of a particular life, and taking a
life violates that special value and dignity, even if that life is full of pain and suffering. The command
from God which says ‘you must not kill’ is usually interpreted as meaning ‘you must not murder’.
However, a broader interpretation is that you must not take human life, this rules out euthanasia
(and assisted suicide), as carrying these out would be against God’s commandments, and would be
am attack on the sovereignty of God. The Church of Scotland believes in caring for the most
vulnerable in society. Part of its work involves ensuring that as far as possible all have access to good
palliative care – which, in the widest sense, involves caring not just for the physical but also the
emotional and spiritual needs of people coming towards the end of their lives. I agree with the
Christian view that “Humans are created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). The image of God is
not dependent on how old, young, healthy or sick the person is. It is not that some humans are more
valuable than others – all are equally valuable in God’s image. Because humans are in the image of
God, human life is not to be taken. In fact, the death penalty is proposed for unauthorised intentional
killing of people. Therefore, helping a suffering person to die shouldn’t be accepted in the modern
world.
