General Synod XXVI Proposed Resolution

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A Proposed Resolution to United Church of Christ General Synod XXVI - 2007

Advocating Legalization of Physician Aid in Dying in Limited Circumstances

WHEREAS life is both a sacred gift from God (Genesis 1:27, 31; Psalm 8:4-5) and a perishable gift, since mortality is universal (Ecclesiastes 3:2);

AND WHEREAS God intends that created life be more than simply the existence of a human organism (John 10:10);

AND WHEREAS faith sees death as a door into another room in God's house (John 14:2,3,19);

AND WHEREAS compassion - love acted out- flows from the heart of God to and through God's children (Luke 10:25-37);

AND WHEREAS from the beginning of our lives to life everlasting, God leads us, sustains us and is always with us (Psalm 139:7-12);

AND WHEREAS medical technology, pain management and palliative care have made great advances, yet some persons still face intolerable suffering during a terminal illness;

AND WHEREAS when mortal life on earth is inevitably ebbing and death is imminent, some persons will choose to draw the last possible breath, while others, when end-of-life suffering becomes unbearable, will decide that continued existence on earth without hope or meaning is no longer "life in all its fullness" and may choose to ask for a peaceful release;

AND WHEREAS General Synod 9 and General Synod 18 both passed end-of-life choice resolutions entitled "Rights and Responsibilities of Christians Regarding Human Death," neither of which dealt with the issue of physician aid in dying;

AND WHEREAS other faith communities have addressed end-of-life issues over the past 20 years;

AND WHEREAS Oregon in 1997 passed a "Death with Dignity Act" permitting a mentally capable, dying adult to request and receive from a physician a prescription to hasten death if the patient finds his or her suffering to be unbearable, but only if strict and specific safeguards are followed;

AND WHEREAS in Oregon since 1997 there have been no incidents of abuse of this law, and its use has been a rare choice, since the will to live is the greatest safeguard there is, yet thousands who will never use the law to hasten their own death are comforted to know that this choice is legally available if they should be among the few who need it and choose it;

AND WHEREAS the Supreme Court has affirmed Oregon's right to have such a law;

AND WHEREAS many physicians, religious leaders - Protestant, Catholic and Jewish, ethicists, dying patients and family members strongly support physician aid in dying with strong safeguards to prevent abuse;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT on the grounds of compassion and choice, if strict safeguards to prevent abuse are followed, a terminally ill, mentally competent adult should have a legal right to request and receive medication from a physician to hasten death if the patient finds his or her suffering to be unbearable;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this resolution be shared with the wider United Church of Christ, with other faith communities, with the electronic and print media, and with legislators and other leaders in the several States.