Not dead yet, indeed

Last Tuesday, members of the Scottish Parliament voted 69-57 against a bill that would legalize so-called “assisted dying” for terminally ill patients with six months or less to live. It was a surprising upset for bill sponsor Liam McArthur, who saw a 70-56 vote in his favor in the stage one vote last May. But as the debate progressed and consciences grew uneasy, the balance slowly tilted towards life.

This didn’t come as a surprise to Dr. Gordon Macdonald, CEO of the anti-euthanasia group Care Not Killing. Interviewed by Julia Hartley-Brewer, he reflected that while a lot of people vaguely like the idea of “assisted dying” in principle, they grow more uncomfortable the more carefully they think about it. You could see this process happening in real time with the members who switched their votes, waffling and struggling and finally casting their lot in with the angels. Macdonald also pointed out that while supporters of the bill framed their arguments in terms of what relieves suffering for the ill person, in practice it’s often the ill person’s family whose emotional interests are prioritized in such a choice. A person with dementia might not have gotten the memo that his life is “not worth living,” while his relatives are desperately trying to pull the plug.

There was certainly no shortage of high emotional drama on the debate floor, as both sides wielded the power of personal narrative to make their case. A woman favoring the bill tearfully recalled her father’s decision to take his own life in Canada, painting his deathbed as a peaceful scene where he was able to say goodbye to his family while still in his right mind. Why, she demanded to know, did the bill’s opponents want to insist that they wait until he could no longer control the circumstances of that death? Buoyed by tearful testimonies like this, McArthur urged the wavering members (MSPs) to “have the courage of your convictions.”

But McArthur faced stiff opposition, including people who showed true courage by putting their own physical disability on display for the cause of life. MSP Jeremy Balfour, born missing all of one arm and most of the other, powerfully warned against the “Pandora’s box” the bill would open for disabled people like him, creating the social conditions for coercion. Disability rights activist Pam Duncan-Glancy spoke loud and clear from her wheelchair: “In a world where so many have little or no choices, we cannot risk making death the only choice they ever have.”

Other activists have made similar appeals as similar bills are debated around the United Kingdom, like the disabled British actress Liz Carr. They’re backed by the organization Not Dead Yet UK, a sister spinoff of a group with the same name here in the states. Notably, these activists stress that they are not arguing from Christian principles. Not Dead Yet UK explicitly advertises itself as a secular organization. Sadly, not all professing Scottish Christians joined secular opponents of the bill. Professor Gareth Morgan, convenor of the Scottish Christian Forum on Assisted Dying, tried to argue that assisted death was perfectly compatible with Christian ethics. Former Archbishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway has made similar general arguments in the past.

Thankfully, a clear biblical view was presented by voices like MSP John Mason, who pointed back to the fall of creation as the source of human suffering and said God alone “gives life and decides when life should end.” Mason also pointed to Christians’ resurrection hope that no matter how difficult a life and death on earth might be, “there is something better available to look forward to.” Free Church of Scotland Moderator Alasdair Mcleod also pointed clearly to the Christian life ethic as he welcomed the result: “This decision affirms that every human life is precious and worthy of protection. As Christians we believe that human life is a gift from God, and that our calling as a society is to care for one another, especially in times of weakness, illness, and suffering.”

What does the future hold for such bills across the United Kingdom? Similar bills have already passed in the British Isles, including Jersey and the Isle of Man. In Wales and England, they are currently stalled in the House of Lords. General public support tends to be high (60-80%, depending on how polling questions are framed), and yet people also tend to balk at the idea of ramming such a bill through without debate. Polling data from Not Dead Yet showed that ordinary Scots resoundingly felt the government was shirking its duty to offer better end-of-life care before offering a lethal injection. As former First Minister Humza Yousaf forcefully articulated in his speech from the floor, the people believe they have been failed. They are not wrong.

Life won the battle on Tuesday, but time will tell whether it will win the war. If the precipitous decline of Europe is any bellwether, Scottish pro-lifers are more likely than not facing a long defeat. For now, we can be glad that Scottish courage is not dead yet.