Categories
Europe Euthanasia

Euthanasia rates rise in Belgium and other statistics

LifeSiteNews.com reports that euthanasia has increased in Belgium 26.8% in 2013.  This is after a 25% increase in 2012.  The article also includes statistics about unreported euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia.

Categories
Death and dying Europe Euthanasia infanticide International

American College of Pediatrics responds to Belgium’s child euthanasia

Lifenews.com reports, in “American College of Pediatricians Blasts Belgium for Legalizing Child Euthanasia,” on and posts the statement by the ACP critical of Belgium’s new euthanasia law which puts no lower limit on the age of euthanasia. The Netherland’s law allowing infant euthanasia is also considered. Physicians are healers not killers. An individual’s future quality of […]

Categories
Abortion Assisted suicide Death and dying Europe Europe Euthanasia International International Legislation Legislation

Belgium’s euthanasia law and European pro-life movement

Belgium’s new law is most distressing not only because of the lost lives of the innocent children, but also, as Richard Stith points out, marks a new low in our devaluing the intrinsic life of each individual person.  As Archbishop Leonard, the primate of the Catholic Church in Belgium is quoted as warning in this […]

Categories
Abortion Assisted suicide Euthanasia

Fr. James Schall, S.J., on the 15 lies at the basis of our culture

Long-time UFL member Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. explains 15 destructive lies that dominate our culture. The first on the list: ….that abortion does not kill a specific, actual human being. All evidence shows that this killing is true. To hold the lie in our souls, we must and do call it a “right” or […]

Categories
Assisted suicide Philosophy

Wesley Smith Presentation on “The Danger of an Undignified Bioethics”

Wesley Smith, a plenary speaker at the 2013 Life and Learning Conference, opened with the question, “Why, when medical science has gone so far to limit and eliminate pain, are we considering ‘the right to die,’ ‘death with dignity,’ and ‘assisted suicide’?” He believes that the answer lies in Yuval Levin’s explanation that “health” has become a […]

Categories
Death and dying Europe Euthanasia International

Wesley Smith on the expansion of euthanasia in Europe

Here is link to an item in the National Right to Life News by Wesley Smith in which he discusses his article in the May 2013 First Things (“Medicinal Murder”) on the expansion of euthanasia in Europe.  Here’s the conclusion of the National Right to Life post–“The collapse of morality in Belgium, the Netherlands, and […]

Categories
Assisted suicide Euthanasia Legislation

opposition to Connecticut’s assisted suicide bill

Here is a link to a LifeNews story on the very strong opposition to Connecticut’s assisted suicide bill. The article notes the effective testimony of my colleague Professor Stephen Mikochik (who is a visiting professor at Ave Maria School of Law).  http://www.lifenews.com/2013/03/21/connecticut-residents-stand-strong-against-bill-for-assisted-suicide/ Richard M.

Categories
Assisted suicide Death and dying Euthanasia

“Dutch Doctors Use ‘Deep Sedation’ to Hide Assisted Suicides”

Here is a link to a good piece by Dr. Peter Saunders addressing this issue.  http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/11/dutch-doctors-use-deep-sedation-to-hide-assisted-suicides/ The use of “terminal sedation” to advance the euthanasia movement is worth careful attention. The use of “deep sedation” or “terminal sedation” needs to be distinguished from a legitimate technique–the use of sedation for symptom relief (so-called “palliative sedation”).     There is a careful treatment of […]

Categories
Assisted suicide Europe Euthanasia International

dangerous developments with regard to the Swiss law on assisted suicide

Here is a link to a good post by Wesley Smith noting that the Swiss law allowing assisted suicide is being extended to an increasingly larger number of “target groups.” Here’s the opening of the post: “Once a society accepts the fundamental premises of assisted suicide–e.g., radical individualism and killing as an acceptable answer to suffering–there really are […]

Categories
Assisted suicide Canada Constitutionality Court Cases Euthanasia International

Canadian decision invalidating a ban on assisted suicide

Here is a LifeNews.com story about a decision from the British Columbia Supreme Court holding a ban on assisted suicide unconstitutional. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/06/15/canadas-assisted-suicide-ban-struck-down-in-court/ Here’s critical commentary from Wesley Smith. http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2012/06/15/bc-judge-creates-right-to-suicide/ Richard M.