State laws to allow terminally ill patients to obtain medication to hasten their deaths are opposed by the Anglican, Southern Baptist, Catholic, Christian Reformed, Christian Science, Disciples of Christ, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical, Jehovah Witness, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, Mormon, Orthodox, and Russian Othodox churches, and by Islam and Orthodox Judaism. The reasoning for this opposition varies, but it is usually rooted in a belief that humans have a special connection to a god and acting to hasten one's death is contrary to what this god wants. Nevertheless, several states have passed such laws. Oregon enacted a death with dignity law in 1997. This year, a bill modeled after Oregon's law is being considered in Maryland.
Oregon's law has proven to be successful. Few people avail themselves of this option in practice. The most common primary motive cited by the people that opted to hasten their death is loss of autonomy. The availability of this option provides peace of mind to people who never qualify to hasten their deaths under the law, or who qualify but do not opt to hasten their deaths. It is more ethical to allow people to obtain an aid in dying prescription from a physician after they have been diagnosed to have a remaining life span of six months or less, with procedural safeguards, than to deny everyone this option.
Complete the HTML forms to send an email to your Senator and Delegate(s) requesting that this law be passed in Maryland: http://secular.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9241bef44976519ab9f9dff94&id=389b463027&e=9f6f3f2c59. The Secular Coalition for Maryland is currently tracking 27 Senate and House bills. In addition to the physician aid in dying bill, we are supporting several equal employment opportunity bills, opposing several bills to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, opposing several bond bills, and supporting some Sunday hunting and alcohol sales bills. To send emails to (or telephone or mail) your lawmakers about these bills please visit the lobbying actions page.
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