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TORONTO, Ontario, January 11, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Wednesday is the deadline for taking a stand against the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons’ draft ethics policy forcing doctors to act against their consciences by referring patients desiring euthanasia or assistance committing suicide to other doctors. The Christian Medical and Dental Society is urging Ontario doctors and members of the public to make their opposition known.

“There’s more at stake than the consciences of Christian doctors,” the group’s executive director Larry Worthen told LifeSiteNews. “Doctors of other faiths and with no faith will be faced with a very real moral dilemma by the College’s draft guideline if they don’t believe they should be killing patients.”

“A few doctors believe patients’ autonomy trumps all other considerations,” Worthen admitted. “But most would believe that there are circumstances, for example when the patient is very depressed, is very lonely and isolated and doesn’t want to deal with the suffering, then that patient would be eligible for physician-assisted death. But a doctor, in his professional judgement, may believe the patient can enjoy many more years of life if he gets proper help and treatment.”

The College’s draft Professional Obligations and Human Rights policy “requires physicians to provide their patients with an effective referral to another health-care provider for those services the physician chooses not to provide for reasons of conscience or religion.”

The CMDS says a referral is not a case of pass the buck. In the medical profession it is a recommendation for a specific treatment or procedure the referring doctor believes is necessary but is not professionally qualified to provide. CMDS members do not believe death is ever medically required.

Dr. Will Johnston, head of the British Columbia branch of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told LifeSiteNews that euthanasia and assisted suicide have nothing to do with medicine or health at all, so doctors shouldn’t be required to provide it. “The only profession that comes close to providing something like this that of the hangman.”

But some argue the Ontario College goes even further than requiring referrals, to actually requiring them to provide the fatal injection if needed to alleviate “suffering.” The policy states: “Physicians must provide care that is urgent or otherwise necessary to prevent imminent harm, suffering, and/or deterioration, even where that care conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs.”

Worthen told LifeSite that doctors and members of the public opposing such policies could find a quick link to the Ontario College’s online consultation and a draft protest letter on the CMDS website at www.moralconvictions.ca. There are links to the consultation processes of all the provincial colleges.

“Doctors will have to leave the profession or get out of part of their practice if these guidelines are enforced,” said Worthen.