MP behind assisted dying bill asks to meet Archbishop to avoid “discord and division” in the debate
from Religion Media Centre:
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP introducing the assisted dying bill into the House of Commons, has written to the Archbishop of Canterbury after he came out against the bill, saying it would be a dangerous slippery slope, widening the criteria of people opting to die.
His views are shared by other bishops, Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Muslim leaders for whom assisted dying is “absolutely prohibited”. The Guardian says Ms Leadbeater stressed the need to avoid “discord and division” in the debate and said she does not accept “that a decision about how to reduce suffering at the end of life should sow discord and division”.
The paper quotes extensively from her letter, which takes issue with the Archbishop on several points. She said there will not be a slippery slope because “parliament will have drawn a very clear and settled line that should not be crossed”. She said it is entirely possible to value life while taking different views on whether dying people had a choice over how their lives end.
The Guardian reports that she proposed a meeting to discuss the issues and Lambeth Palace said it was trying to find a mutually convenient date.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
