23 February 2008
Legalized Euthanasia in Luxembourg
Posted by Terrie Soberg under: Judaeo-Christian Values Under Attack .
A disturbing email from the World Congress of Families:
WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES SHOCKED BY VOTE TO LEGALIZE EUTHANASIA IN LUXEMBOURG
World Congress of Families Global Coordinator Larry Jacobs expressed “shock and dismay” over Tuesday’s vote to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Luxembourg. Euthanasia is currently legal only in the Netherlands and Belgium.
“Europe is quickly slipping into a new Dark Age, in the words of Winston Churchill, ‘made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science,’” Jacobs observed.
The Luxembourg parliament voted 30 to 28 to allow so-called consensual euthanasia, over the objections of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and his Christian Social Party.
Proponents are in the process of establishing “guidelines” for euthanasia in Luxembourg. While news sources have reported that the law would apply to the terminally ill, Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition says the bill would also allow individuals with “grave and incurable” conditions to be euthanized.
Obviously, a person can have a condition that’s “grave and incurable,” but not life-threatening.
“Euthanasia proponents always assure us that the act will be voluntary,” Jacobs observed. “But the devil is in the details. Frequently, if a patient is unable to indicate consent, this life-or-death decision is made for them by a relative or a physician.”
A 2005 report by the Dutch government concluded that in 2004 there were an estimated 550 killings of individuals who were comatose or otherwise unresponsive in the country.
The Luxembourg bill has gone through first reading. A final vote will come after procedures to implement the measure are devised.
“We hope parliamentarians will have second thoughts about unleashing this lethal measure on the people they serve,” Jacobs declared.
The World Congress of Families supports the sanctity of human life, “from conception to natural death.” This support is emphasized in the Warsaw Declaration adopted by over 3,000 delegates at World Congress of Families IV. “We call for all governing and political bodies… to protect every human being from conception to natural death, to stress the upbringing of children as the fundamental right of parents, to protect young people against demoralization, and to promote economic solutions that provide dignified living conditions to all families.”
5 Comments so far...
Carrie Says:
23 February 2008 at 9:19 am.
It’s so sad to see the sanctity of life thrown away. Euthanasia and abortion are horrible yet they are more and more accepted.
Roy Bischoff Says:
23 February 2008 at 9:33 am.
Life used to be different. The elderly were honored members of society and were cared for in their later years by family members. Now they are put in institutions because their families cannot take care of them. That is interesting that with all of our modern conveniences and technology we can no longer take care of our elderly ourselves. Definitely a reflection on our times. I had an ethics professor explain how the elderly in our time are feeling that they are a burden on society. (I think a natural consequence that flows from the lack of respect or honor that they are accorded.) He said that this puts pressure on them and they don’t want to continue living. Under this law, they have a terminal condition (old age if nothing else) and they may begin to consider euthanasia as the right alternative. Many of the rising generation will at least feel if not be outspoken about the elderly needing to make use of this option. What a sad world this would be were euthanasia to become widespread.
Cavetrollhead Says:
23 February 2008 at 11:57 am.
Another case of liberty vs life
T. Fan Says:
23 February 2008 at 12:38 pm.
This is very frightening. I seem to remember Oregon trying to pass a euthanasia law a few years back. Things like this tend to slowly spread.
Stumpy Says:
23 February 2008 at 3:34 pm.
Glad I got Cat to protect me from them folks who want to take out troublesome old men.
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