What can Christians say against euthanasia?

If a law that allows euthanasia or assisted suicide is passed, it will make the situation of the most vulnerable even more fragile, Le Gall writes in an opinion article in La Croix. “It would lead to the questioning of the principle of solidarity and the relationship to society.”

According to Le Gall, it is more important to “facilitate access to palliative care for those who need it because of geographical inequality. He sees how both caregivers and patients are pressured by the idea that “health should be profitable” and therefore fears that “euthanasia will replace palliative care in the short term.”

The danger of abuse is real, Le Gall writes. Especially when economic interests are at stake, there might be the risk that the option of euthanasia is chosen quickly. “Some might be tempted to use the new law as an inheritance accelerator when a parent with property is slow to leave the land of the living”, he states.

Furthermore, Le Gall asks what will happen to people with intellectual disabilities who cannot decide for themselves. He is afraid that healthcare executives will be pushed into the role of decisionmaker about life and death. “They risk finding themselves more frequently in the delicate position of magistrates deciding the final fate of the people entrusted to them.”

In his work as a pastor, Le Gall regularly hears from sick, lonely or very old people that they think they have become a burden to society. “They say that the thought of leaving to make room for the healthy dwelt in them.” The death wish of these people is not per se permanent, Le Gall thinks. “Benevolence, love, psychological and spiritual support often drive these people away from any desire for suicide or early death”, he explains.

Lastly, assisted suicide or euthanasia violates the Hippocratic oath that healthcare professionals have to swear, Le Galll says. The oath states that a doctor will not give “anyone poison if they ask for it nor initiate such a suggestion.”

In any case, the euthanasia law is something Christians should seriously question, Le Gall writes. “The sanctity of life and the centrality of human dignity that permeate Christian ethics lead us to question health professionals and elected officials of the Republic about this ethical rupture that a right to suicide would cause in France.”