The Meat of the Matter

Assisted Faithicide

California is now looking to pass an assisted suicide law. Yeah us. It actually made allowances for assisted suicide for people with only 6 months to live. Naturally there are many opponents. For some reason, some people don’t want other people ending their own lives even if that is their choice. Even if they are miserable and in extreme pain. Even if their families don’t want to see them suffer anymore. The arguments given are usually people who were once given a 6-month sentence, but outlived it and now live happy, vibrant lives. Well, okay. Diagnoses can sometimes be wrong, but that is the risk we as individuals will always take. The bottom line argument for people who want to keep assisted suicide illegal—-when you get right down to it—-is faith. FAITH. Their faith says it’s not right to end your own life. According to them, it’s our job to cling to life, and God’s job to end it. These people of faith want the government to reflect their world view by keeping assisted suicide illegal. It seems to me that many people want the American government to be a proponent of their world view. This is wrong thinking. Our government is meant to allow room for all world views, and limit the rights of individuals only insofar as it impacts other citizens to enjoy their own freedom. There should not be any laws against assisted suicide. We are granted the “Right to Life” by the Declaration of Independence. This would imply (to me) that we have all the freedoms associated with what to do with that life—including end it. People of Faith would be wise to pipe down. After all, if the government becomes a tool of their world view, what's to prevent the government from becoming the tool of some other fool who wants to put all Christians in with the Lions at the LA Zoo? I suppose if that happens you're going to want me to protest. Well, okay, I will, but I won't be very happy about it. This is an issue of the separation of church and state. If someone wants assistance in their suicide, they might simply say that their faith requires that they end their own life.