The SA Lower House passed an assisted suicide Bill on 9 June 2021. As Paul Kelly said in an article in The Australian, such a Bill, in a time of extensive societal disruption to save lives from Covid-19, reveals the West’s – and our state’s – moral bankruptcy.
We upend a society to save lives, while at the same time, we authorise the state to kill. But there was a beam of light led by Liberal MP Stephen Murray, the member for Davenport.
For the first time in Australia, the SA Lower House legislated for institutional conscientious objection rights.
Hospitals, rehabilitation and palliative care centres have the right to refuse to provide assisted suicide services. That is a win!
Regrettably, the trade-off was that aged care institutions are required to allow permanent residents to access assisted suicide.
The fact that institutional conscientious objection rights were legislated for, was largely due to the stand taken by Calvary Hospitals and its chairman, Jim Birch. He said publicly that Calvary could not – and would not – be part of an assisted suicide scheme.
ACL helped organise a parliamentary forum before the vote at which Mr Birch spoke and reiterated and emphasised his public comments. They were heard and acted on. Calvary Hospitals stood tall for life.
The fundamental falsity in the argument for those who seek assisted suicide is that death is an end of suffering. But that is not always so.
At a rally on the steps of Parliament House on the day of the vote, I pointed people to the truth that the only person who knows what is on the other side of death is the Lord Jesus Christ. He says there is eternal joy for those who trust Him, but eternal torment for those who don’t. You can view my speech here:
Sadly, SA has voted to legalise the killing of fellow travellers on the journey of life. But for many who take that option, it may not be the end of suffering; it may only be the beginning.
So, let’s use every opportunity to point people to the Cross of Calvary as the only way to eternal life over death.
“He that has the Son has life and he that has not the Son of God has not life”
– 1 John 5:12
