BISHOP Timothy Harris continues to speak out publicly to persuade Queensland politicians supporting euthanasia they are making a grave mistake.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
I say to members of parliament advocating for voluntary assisted suicide STOP and think again, Bishop Harris wrote.<\/p>\n
Let us have a good long, hard look at ourselves before we go to where we have not gone before.<\/p>\n
He said he continued to hold the strong view that no good whatsoever will come if these laws are passed.<\/p>\n
Indeed, society will never be the same again, he said.<\/p>\n
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced a bill to Parliament on May 25 to legalise euthanasia.<\/p>\n
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was referred to the Health and Safety Committee for a 12-week consultation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But no, it seems we wish to offer people the option of taking their precious lives, he wrote.<\/p>\n
We can do better than this race to the bottom.<\/p>\n
We can create an environment of accompaniment from the beginning of a terminal illness to the end.<\/p>\n
Society must not abandon anyone, especially the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
Palliative care creates an environment conducive to caring and compassionate actions that can lead to someone dying well.<\/p>\n
Bishop Harris said some of the horror stories offered by euthanasia advocates about people dying in terrible pain were years old.<\/p>\n
Palliative care has advanced in its effectiveness and will do so even more if adequate funding from governments can be achieved, he said.<\/p>\n
People are frightened into supporting voluntary assisted dying because they are led to believe they have no other alternative.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Bishop Harris said legalising euthanasia would be a step too far.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Suicide is suicide and it is a tragic consequence of a society that has failed its people.<\/p>\n
It leaves in its wake a kind of individual and community paralysis that seems to be placed in the too-hard basket.<\/p>\n
How have we got to this stage?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Follow this link: <\/p>\n
'Society will never be the same' Queensland bishop warns against abandoning vulnerable people to euthanasia - Catholic Leader<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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. Continue reading