Coming on top of supporting abortion to birth, the Government is taking South Australia down a dark road of supporting death. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill passed the Upper House last week, 14 votes to 7.
I was in the gallery during the Upper House debate. The determined attitude of many members to vote for death was disturbing, as was their reluctance or inability to consider real issues like organisational conscientious objection provisions.
The next day, the Premier announced that the bill would be given Government time in the Lower House this week. Though it is a conscience vote, the resources of the Government would have been used to support it.
However, it appears the Premier thought better of it and now the bill is unlikely to be debated this week.
It is still likely the bill will pass the Lower House. On the current state of the bill, there are no organisational conscientious objection rights.
The mover of the bill, the Hon Kyam Maher, made it clear that he thought organisations like Calvary Hospital should be required to provide assisted suicide – even though it has a missional objection to do so.
This is an attempt to coerce Christian pro-life health care providers to submit to the self-first death agenda of the anti-lifers. What can we do?
What the church has always done… pray and speak!
Pray that the assisted suicide bill would be defeated, delayed or significantly amended when it is debated in the Lower House. Pray that people will follow God’s command – “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) – even if the law allows it.
And speak to your local MP and to the Premier. Ask them to oppose this bill! Speak to your Christian family and friends and encourage them to join you in taking a stand on this important issue.
