---

Confusion about Euthanasia Must be Dispelled Says Prominent Anti-Euthanasia Activist

By Patrick B. Craine

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, November 5, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-lifers must be clear about the nature of euthanasia and assisted suicide, insisted Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, during an address at the Canadian National Pro-Life Conference last weekend in Saskatoon.  "If we allow confusion about what euthanasia or assisted suicide is then we lose!"

The pro-life conference was held as the Canadian Parliament considers Bill C-384, which seeks to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Schadenberg stressed the importance of properly defining euthanasia and assisted suicide, which he said are commonly misunderstood.  Contrary to the popular understanding, they are not about "aid in dying," he explained, which is rather the domain of palliative care.

He emphasized that they are "about the direct and intentional cause of death," and not "about withholding or withdrawing aggressive medical treatment."  They are not, further, "about unintentional overdoses or unintentional deaths."

One is guilty of "euthanasia by omission," he continued, for killing someone who would not otherwise have died by deliberately withdrawing basic medical treatment.  But, he said, "this is different than accepting the limits of life and withdrawing hydration and nutrition from a person who is actually dying and nearing death / actively dying."

He went on, however, to counter the assertion that artificial feeding and hydration is 'medical treatment' which can be withdrawn even when it still benefits the patient, as happened in the case of Terri Schiavo.  "Assisted fluids and food are not a type of medical treatment," he said. "Other than the treatment of eating disorders, they are not aimed at treating a condition or curing an illness.  They simply provide a necessity of life, to eat and drink."

"We are not opposed to natural death," he stressed.  "We are not opposed to ending medical treatment that lacks benefit, is overly aggressive, [or] burdensome. We believe in caring [for] not killing people."

Canadian euthanasia proponent Jocelyn Downie maintains, he said, that "removing life-sustaining medical treatment" is "morally equivalent" to euthanasia or assisted suicide, and that "there is no difference between killing and letting die."  "This is a lie," Schadenberg stated simply.

While euthanasia advocates attempt to champion 'choice', Schadenberg insists that such choice "is a lie."

"The statutes that have legalized assisted suicide are not about choice, but rather they are about the rules that a physician must follow to directly and intentionally cause the death of another person," he explained.  "If we allow the euthanasia lobby to be the side of choice, then we lose."

He used Bill C-384 as an example of how choice would, in fact, be undermined by legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide.  "The bill allows euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with chronic physical or mental pain," he explained.  "The bill allows euthanasia and assisted suicide for someone who requested it, while 'appearing to be lucid.' Appearing to be lucid does not mean the person is lucid.  How can a person who lives with chronic depression who 'appears to be lucid' make a free choice?"

Bill C-384, proposed by Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde, is currently undergoing second reading, and is tentatively scheduled to be debated on December 2nd, with a vote the next day.  The first hour of debate, held October 2nd, indicated strong opposition in Parliament, and Schadenberg told LifeSiteNews.com yesterday that he believes the bill will not pass.

"Without a question, it will be defeated," he said.

In his talk, Schadenberg asserted that the bill "is not about a right to die with dignity," despite its claim. "The bill does not create greater access to excellent end-of-life care and it does not create a 'right to die'," he said.

"C-384 is not about creating end-of-life choices for the terminally ill," he continued.  "C-384 gives medical practitioners the right to directly and intentionally cause the death of another person."

He ended his talk by calling for unity among all those who oppose legalization.  "We need to work in coalitions," he said.  "The only way to build an effective coalition is to accept our diversity but remain unified on a single issue basis.  We need unity that is based on every organization that is specifically concerned about euthanasia and assisted suicide to be willing to effectively work together."

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

'Is the Quebec College of Physicians Deliberately Confusing Canadians on Euthanasia?' Asks Anti-Euthanasia Leader

New Poll Reveals that Canadians are Conflicted About Legal Euthanasia 

Canadian Parliament Debates Euthanasia Bill 

 Back to Top

---

MORE NEWS: LifeSiteNews.com Home Page  Last 10 Days   Archives   Special Reports

Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.