Abortion and Assisted Suicide
In recent years, Western societies – once shaped by Christian values – have accelerated their descent into a culture of death. Nowhere is this more evident than in the changing legal situation surrounding abortion and assisted dying. What was once unthinkable in Christian civilisation is now becoming law and the premise that human life is sacred is being dismantled under the guise
of choice, dignity and autonomy. In his vanity, man believes he is being progressive but the recent changes in abortion and assisted suicide laws represent not progress, but spiritual regression, the abandonment of moral truth, and a turning away from the Author of Life.
On June 17 an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, proposed by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, will see abortion up to birth decriminalised in England and Wales for women in relation to their own pregnancies. It was approved by 379 votes to 117, a very large majority. Ms Antoniazzi claimed that the 1967 Abortion Act is unchanged, and the aim of her amendment is to ensure vulnerable women (victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking, women who have given birth prematurely) do not face criminal investigations under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. While it is true that abortions may not legally be carried out any later than previously, the very fact that a woman may take the life of her unborn child up to full term and not now face retribution is appalling. This will now go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before being enacted.
An amendment to stop the “pills by post” abortions was heavily defeated by 379 votes to 117. These temporary measures, put in place during the covid pandemic, were made permanent in 2022. The “pills by post” self-administered medications contribute to 3 in every 10 pregnancies being legally terminated in England and Wales.
The Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was concluded on June 20. It was passed by a majority of 23 votes. All the genuine concerns about safeguarding, and opposition from professional bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatry, were swept aside on the grounds of “compassion”. This too now goes to the House of Lords, where it is hoped it will be stopped in its tracks. This is not a government Bill promised in the Labour manifesto; it is a private member’s Bill and, despite the calls for the Lords not to thwart the will of the Commons, they are under no constitutional constraint to let it pass. While the Bill gained a majority of 23, there were 45 abstentions. 336 out of 650 MPs did not vote for this iniquitous Bill and we must pray that the Most High will use the House of Lords to bring about its demise.
Life is sacred from conception to natural death. To end a life prematurely – even with consent – is a grave moral error. The Christian tradition offers care, compassion and the hope of redemption. Assisted suicide is not mercy. It is a rejection of human worth because of illness and weakness. It sends the message that some lives are no longer worth living. This is not compassion; it is despair.
Elsewhere advocates of such laws often claimed strict safeguards. But the
reality is that, once the sanctity of life is compromised, the slope becomes steep and slippery. What begins as an exception quickly becomes normalised, then expected. What was once rare becomes routine. Indeed, we are already seeing the expansion of criteria, the erosion of conscience protections for doctors, and the social pressure placed on the vulnerable not to be a burden. These laws, while framed as personal choices, have profound consequences for our communities. They reshape our moral standards and devalue those who most need our care. It is strongly argued that inadequate resources are available for palliative care, which is true; but assisted suicide will certainly not help in that most necessary end of life provision.
Every life matters, not because the state says so or because it is wanted, but because God Himself declares it. In a world where death is now a legal solution, Christians must bear witness to the gospel of life with boldness, clarity and compassion. FRD
New Comet
The astronomical world was excited by the detection of a new and unusual comet on July 1. Named 3I/ATLAS, it is travelling very fast (38 miles per second) and nearly in a straight line. Most comets are much slower and have strongly curved orbits. This one is going so fast that it must have come from outside the solar system a few years ago, and it will leave the solar system again in a few years’ time. Presently inside the orbit of Jupiter, it will pass between the orbits of Mars and the Earth, speeding up even more as it gets closer to the sun, and then disappear out into oblivion. It is not expected to get any brighter than eleventh magnitude, which is slightly too faint to be seen with binoculars.
The Apostle Jude speaks of some people who are temporarily connected with the Christian Church as “wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 13). This comet is a literal example of such a thing, but it is not one of the bright comets that attracts everyone’s attention but one that will hardly be noticed by the world. So there may be inconspicuous people who attend church for a short while and then disappear. Their guilt is the greater for the short while that they had in the light. It is a solemn matter to be under the sound of the gospel even once. DWBS