Sydney
17 August 2003
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Dr Pell
reinforces Vatican call
Nauru withdraws Jesuit activist’s visa
Students breathe easily
‘Involuntary euthanasia’ fear
Bigger role for lay leaders
Concern at axing of show
L’Arche - a sign of hope to the world
Community crisis for Merrylands
Caritas Australia backs island leaders’ talks with our PM
Catholic Mission helps with new hospital
Editorial: End of abortion
Letters: On the rite
Conversation: Sr Helen Prejean, author, death-row spiritual adviser and death penalty opponent - There but for the grace of God ...
People dancing ‘on the margins’
Church growth in Africa ‘phenomenal’
‘Clash of civilisations’ not inevitable
Five in search for the ‘real’ Fiji
Poverty: Ireland is winning the war
Obituary: Mass for former Franciscan missionary
Obituary: Mercy sister brought laughter and hope
Obituary: Papal knight who just liked to help
Muslims and Jews ‘feel under threat’
Floral feast for St Mary's
‘Involuntary euthanasia’ fear
By Marilyn Rodrigues
Debate about euthanasia is not happening in a vacuum, says US pro-life advocate Brian Johnston (pictured).
“It’s going to be impossible to prevent voluntary euthanasia becoming involuntary,” he says, “simply because that is what happens where it is practised.
“The Dutch Government has documented in the Remmelink report in 1991 (on the use of euthanasia) that more than half of those killed by their doctor never asked to be ... euthanasia activists say that this is supposedly for patient’s rights.”
Mr Johnston, California’s commissioner for the ageing and western regional director of California’s Pro-Life Council, is the author of Death of a Salesman: What’s Wrong with Assisted Suicide.
He was in Sydney briefly after addressing the New Zealand Parliament on the Death with Dignity legislation an assisted suicide bill. The bill was defeated 60-58 in a conscience vote.
Mr Johnston was interested to learn that the author of the bill, Peter Brown, is against abortion.
“This is a problem in the US,” he said. “We have a whole army of pro-lifers who are emotionally connected to the image of the baby, much more than thinking about things.
“They say ‘oh, we’re killing babies; abortion’s wrong,’ but that’s not why abortion is wrong. It is wrong because we’re killing innocent human beings.
“Because their commitment is an emotional one to this image of the lovable child on the screen, at the other end of the spectrum, when someone is getting older, they find it easy to disregard them.”
Mr Johnston said technology can now deal with the most difficult cancers.
“So if you have a loved one in pain the answer is not to kill the patient but to get another doctor,” he said.
Elderly people who are neglected by their families are vulnerable to euthanasia advocates, he said.
“Cicero said that when an elderly person dies a library is lost,” Mr Johnston said. “But we as a culture don’t read anymore.”