Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Pointing and laughing at religious lunacy for more than half-a-century

‘A black Friday!’ Christian Voice’s CEO reacts to the passing of an assisted dying bill in England and Wales

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WILLIAMS, inset above, was quoted by LBC Radio earlier today as saying that MPs who took a historic step toward legalising assisted dying in England and Wales was a “black Friday” for those who oppose people’s right to die with dignity.

The Commons today (Friday) backed the bill by 330 votes in favour to 275 against, a majority of 55. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves both voted in favour.

The private member’s bill, brought by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, gives terminally ill adults with less than six months to live the right to die once the request has been signed off by two doctors and a high court judge.

Kim Leadbetter discusses her bill ahead of the vote

The change is unlikely to occur for three years as the bill must pass several more hurdles in parliament and will not be brought before MPs again until April. The government is likely to assign a minister to help work on the bill, without formally giving its support.

Christianity Today reported that Christian Concern and Distant Voices organised a protest outside Parliament as MPs debated the bill.

Williams bleated:

This bill contains no meaningful safeguards that would hold up in real life. They seem to be designed to give the appearance of rigour, but to fail in practice and immediately be jettisoned.

Requiring a judge to approve a request for assisted suicide is unworkable in practice. The thousands of cases flooding into the legal system would render any serious attempt at oversight impractical.

It is deeply shocking that this bill specifically allows doctors to raise the option of assisted suicide with vulnerable patients at their sole discretion. Doctors should not be allowed to suggest suicide to any patient.

As we have seen around the world where assisted suicide is available, people are made to feel like a burden and numbers skyrocket. Death is offered as if it is a treatment option and in time, pressures on NHS funding would inevitably mean that the choice to live is taken away from those who want it.

A caring and compassionate society would never offer to facilitate suicide. That is the very opposite of caring and compassionate. Vulnerable people should not be offered suicide as an option.

No, no NO, you silly cow. A caring and compassionate society clearly recognises and respects bodily autonomy, and the right of people to choose the manner in which they live or die. If you don’t get that you’re more stupid and demented than you look.

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10 responses to “‘A black Friday!’ Christian Voice’s CEO reacts to the passing of an assisted dying bill in England and Wales”

  1. Broga Avatar
    Broga

    I was convinced that the Christian groups getting together would with their lying, deceitful, nefarious ways scuttle the bill. So much so I kept clear of the news as I didn’t want to hear of their claims about God answering their prayers. Mid afternoon my wife announced she had “some good news” and it was better than I could have hoped. Both of us had mothers of great age dying slowly in severe pain and pleading for relief.

    Neither of us could understand why people who want to die should not have access to it. Those who don’t need not and all that stuff about “palliative care” is a mere deflection. You may be sure that the Christian antis will do all they can to delay and kill the law which is too weak anyway.

    The antis just can’t resist forcing their superstitions on others and claiming the utter nonsense that this is God’s wish and every human life – Trump? Hitler? Stalin? and lots more – is precious. If God wanted the bill to become law why didn’t he arrange it. Isn’t he omnipotent? Or is this evidence that he does not exist.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. barriejohn Avatar
      barriejohn

      I watched much of the proceedings on the Parliament Channel. “Father of the House”, Sir Edward Leigh, actually claimed that the bill would turn doctors into ” bringers of death, agents of a state which counts its weakest members as expendable and worthy of nothing but an early grave”. I thought this was outrageous, and was willing someone to ask him whether he would make that same claim about veterinary surgeons, who spend much of their time putting dumb animals out of their misery, but he was not accepting interventions!

      He also quoted someone who wrote to him on the subject saying this: “My argument is that, instead of assisted dying, we should be spending much more money on end-of-life care and funding the wonderful Hospice movement.” 

      Others also used the same argument, but while the hospice movement does a wonderful job, and should be properly funded, this is not a question of what is affordable, but what is right.

      https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/mp/edward-leigh/debate/2024-11-29/commons/commons-chamber/terminally-ill-adults-end-of-life-bill

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. stephenharvie Avatar
        stephenharvie

        There is a long and dishonourable tradition of honourable members lying in the house and they have continually resisted legislation to make it an offence.

        Liked by 1 person

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  2. Vanity Unfair Avatar
    Vanity Unfair

    The latest version of the Bill on the Parliament website is at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/55997/documents/4980. I do not see any section that could be interpreted as “this bill specifically allows doctors to raise the option of assisted suicide with vulnerable patients at their sole discretion.” Indeed it seems to make the system as difficult as possible. In particular there is no provision for a general preference toward euthanasia more than six months before a fatal diagnosis.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. stephenharvie Avatar
      stephenharvie

      If only Williams had some sort of book which told her that lying was wrong…

      Commandment No.9: Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness (Exodus 20:16)

      Liked by 2 people

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    2. Broga Avatar
      Broga

      I agree with your comment about the difficulty. However, when it comes to sending young soldiers into battle they get killed with no reluctance. Bomber Command in WW2 had 50,000 of the best and the brightest killed. The man who planned the Dam Busters was so upset by the slaughter he regretted inventing and planning the attack.

      And these were attacks to defeat a monster. Now the reluctance is on ending long, and painful suffering.

      Liked by 2 people

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    3. malcolmjdodd Avatar
      malcolmjdodd

      I want the exit-pill on-demand; it is the only solution to a rapidly rising life-expectancy and the exponentially increasing impossible-to-meet demands on the National Ill-Health Service.

      Like

      Reply
  3. stephenharvie Avatar
    stephenharvie

    Good news for Old Leather Face as she won’t have to suffer from Mad Cow Disease for much longer.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. malcolmjdodd Avatar
      malcolmjdodd

      I wouldn’t bank on it, the disease has just been discovered in Scotland and the government has stated that there is no need for concern – meaning, another pandemic for xmas.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. malcolmjdodd Avatar
    malcolmjdodd

    My tory MP is a pretend xtian believer and voted against the will of the majority of his constituents; his attempt to keep sweet the 300 idiots who visit the 30 churches in his consituency each Sunday is wasted, at least 150 of them will have gone to hell before 2029.

    Liked by 1 person

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