There is much at stake in this election season. We have an opportunity to chart the course of our nation for the next four years. In Massachusetts we will be asked to vote for a law that will allow physicians in Massachusetts to end the life of their patients.
As Orthodox Christians, we believe that life is a gift from God. The All-Holy and Life-Giving Trinity created all things and granted life to all living creatures. Out of His love, God made us, human beings, in His own divine image and likeness, entrusting us as stewards—not owners—of our lives, blessing us with the capacity of freedom, and calling us to a life of loving communion.
Orthodox Pastoral Letter on Suicide
Life is precious. Every hour, every minute lived is an opportunity to spend time with a loved one, reconcile with an estranged friend, accomplish something new or prepare for the end that eventually comes to everyone without any artificial hastening. That’s one of the reasons MCFL is firmly opposed to the “Massachusetts Death with Dignity Act.” The “Death with Dignity” Initiative would legalize Doctor Prescribed Suicide and make it legal for doctors to prescribe a lethal substance to any patient who has been diagnosed with a “terminal” illness. In places which have adopted such laws, evidence suggests that the elderly, disabled and infirm are often pressured to kill themselves rather than become a “burden” on relatives, insurance companies or the state. Will vulnerable patients be encouraged to commit suicide as a means of keeping inheritances intact or containing healthcare costs? It has also been shown that a significant number of the people who avail themselves of this option in states and countries where assisted suicide is legal suffer from severe, but entirely treatable, depression. Will suicide become a recommended “treatment” for mental illness? And what happens to medical ethics and the relationship between doctor and patient? Do we really want our healers mixed up in the business of causing death? The many questions posed by this measure make it poor public policy which should be opposed by all citizens of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Citizens for Life
There are several resources that you can consult to educate yourself on this issue. I ask that each voter in Massachusetts spend sometime and really study this issue. As an Orthodox Christian I am opposed to this idea because we believe that every life is sacred and should be protected.
dying with dignity should not have to mean assissted suicide,it should mean a loving family,or friends,near by,and pain medicine to help take away the edge.
why are we always willing to destroy what makes us uncomfortable,like people dying?