Yesterday the Canadian government introduced legislation to legalize doctor assisted suicide.  One commentary said, “if passed, this would allow some Canadians to kill others, with support of the state.” Christians are saying we may not cross this sacred line, for human life may not be violated. How alarmed or upset should we be about this development? Are we really crossing a sacred line?

I take it this will be the first time that federal law will support some Canadians killing others,  where the Bible instructs them not to kill. If written law is needed to cross a sacred line, then we a poised to cross one.  But have we not already crossed the sacred line of state sanctioned killing?

Consider our reaction, or lack of reaction, to the January 28, 1988 supreme court Morgentaler decision that declared the abortion section of the Criminal Code unconstitutional.   Since then, we have had no law against killing of people in the first 9 months of their existence.  Around 100,000 of these people are “legally” killed in Canada every year.  We, through our government, have supported this killing by not even attempting to enact new legislation to protect these young lives.  How hard has the church really fought to save the lives of the unborn?  Are we complicit in these killings, having voted for governments who said they would not even try to enact legislation?

What about in vitro fertilization? In my blog posting, IVF – Possible Where Abortion Accepted, I pointed out that IVF could only really be developed in an abortion permissive culture.  In the menu selection of this site, In Vitro Fertilization, a number of postings attempt to  show that IVF involves the killing of many early human lives.  How many of us, having friends who have had children using IVF, have turned a blind eye, not wanting to think about the associated killing?

Consider types of birth control that inhibit the implantation of new human lives into the womb, like the IUD.  Preventing a new human live from implanting in the womb, guarantees his/her death.  Doctors are expected to provide this if requested.  Does this not have some similarity to the expectation of doctor assisted death that is being promoted?

Then there is organ transplantation?  In this blog’s menu selection Organ Donation, a number of my postings attempt to show that many organs are taken from people who are really alive and, thus, bring about the death of the donor.   Most of our country has policies promoting organ donation.  Government associated organizations are trying to promote “buy in” to organ donation.  Although this may seem different, is it really any different in the eyes of the Lord God from other killing?  Are we, in our churches, alarmed about this killing?  Or are we just rejoicing in the results of organ transplantation?

It seems to me that the passing of assisted dying legislation will not result in the crossing of a sacred line.  Considering the killing involved in abortion , IVF and organ donation, have we not already crossed the sacred line, found in the Lord’s command not to kill our fellow humans?

I believe that we should be concerned about the introduction of assisted death, but if we are not reacting to the widespread  killing that is already taking place, should we hope to see any blessing from standing against doctor assisted death?  Should we not also confess our complacency to the killing that is already occurring?

Thank you to those who are already taking a stand against the killing of our fellow human beings!