A couple of weeks ago there was a report of an Anglican Church of Canada vicar attending a double suicide. His presence gave tacit Anglican approval of their decision.
Now, the Diocese of Huron’s Rev Keith Nethery has provided an Anglican clerical presence as another person is euthanised.
While I can readily understand why a person in pain might be willing to do anything to escape the pain, what puzzles me is the complete absence of guidance provided by the church, in this case in the shape of Nethery, who says:
“I don’t see my role to influence anyone in that situation one way or the other,” he says. “My role, what God has called me to do, is to go and be present… so that people have someone to journey with,” he says.
Since Carolyn’s passing, Nethery says, a small number of other people have asked him if he would provide pastoral care to them if they decided they wanted medically assisted death.
Surely, if any organisation and its representatives should have an opinion about matters of life and death, it is the church. Yet an opinion, strong or otherwise, seems to completely elude Nethery, who is content to go with the flow and just be present.
The Anglican Church of Canada has never had a useful opinion on abortion other than acknowledging that it happens. I suppose it should surprise no one that it is applying this wealth of hard earned indecision garnered over many years to euthanasia.
The ACoC seems to be well on the way to becoming a death cult.
The Anglican Network in Canada has the principle of the sanctity of life in its canons. ITs members are indeed Anglicans who value the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
It comes as no surprise that the AcoC is not actively working against the culture of death that has infected our society. After all the AcoC itself is committing suicide.
A very good post by David. There is a reluctance to do the work of thinking things through in the A C of C and their indecision on these points is an example of that. Of course, when you have no coherent theology, a stuttering indecision is the only strategy left.
Dear, Rev. Keith is coming over for a little visit and a talk. And I want you to listen very carefully to what he has to say…
Most humans have a strong will to live. Very often a dying person would will to live a few more days longer than the doctors have predicted because he or she has decided to wait for a loved one to travel a long distance to the death bed. Unfortunately, some people have given up the will to live before they actually die. If they desire not to live any longer, whether they are alive or dead, in reality, they are the living dead. I believe that Christian believers are those who are spiritually alive.
I bet he has strong views on whether he deserves to be paid!
“‘I don’t see my role to influence anyone in that situation one way or the other,’ he says. ‘My role, what God has called me to do, is to go and be present… so that people have someone to journey with,’ he says.”
If that’s his only job, his presence is entirely unnecessary.
Anyone – a nurse, a floor sweeper, a family member, a complete stranger – is likely just as suitable to “journey” with a person being killed if that’s the only reason for being there.