Dear John,

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

That about sums up Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS), which is back before the Minnesota legislature this year, with a better chance of being passed than ever before.

That’s because our current leaders are obsessed with death – from womb to tomb, nobody is safe. The far left repeatedly and unabashedly cheapens life. For them, there is no intrinsic value to a human life. A human being only has dignity to the extent he or she contributes to society – in short, only if it makes life better for those in power. This is dressed up to look like compassion, but there is nothing compassionate about reducing life to a mere commodity whose value is arbitrary. There is a better way.

You and I believe that life is worth fighting for – whether it’s in the womb or in an assisted-living facility. As another contentious legislative session begins, will you help us speak up for those who have little or no voice, by making a generous contribution to Minnesota Family Council or Institute of $25, $50, $100, or even more, to treasure life at all stages!

John,  to see the slippery slope between physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, one need only look at the provisions of the bills (House File 1930 and Senate File 1813) being debated in Saint Paul this month. They are full of loopholes and bereft of common-sense safeguards. Here are just a few examples:

• Problem #1 – The legislation permits doctors to prescribe a lethal drug overdose when an adult patient has received a diagnosis of a terminal illness with less than six months expected survival. But who decides when an illness is terminal or if six months is an accurate prediction? Doctors have been wrong before, and will be again!
• Problem #2 – No mental illness evaluation is required by a licensed mental health professional prior to prescribing the lethal dose. How do we guard against someone making a permanent decision when they are going through treatable depression?
• Problem #3 – There is no requirement that family members be notified, but families are best positioned to know when a beloved relative is in a sound state of mind or not. They can reason with their family member in a way that a stranger cannot, and appeal to how this decision will affect the people that most care about him or her.
• Problem #4 – There is no requirement that a witness be present when the drugs are taken, but such a presence is vitally important to ensure that the patient isn’t being pressured or coerced into taking the lethal cocktail. Why do the bill’s authors want to avoid this kind of accountability?
• Problem #5 – There are no protections for vulnerable adults such as elderly patients or those with intellectual or physical disabilities, but these populations are the most likely to be hurt by this legislation. The pro-death left believes that life only has value when it makes a material contribution, and that anything that inconveniences you or threatens your personal happiness and self-fulfillment should be reimagined or discarded. In the progressive utopia, there’s no room for the old or infirm.

John, you and I believe that God gives value to all human life, and that all human life is worth protecting. In this time when life is threatened more than ever, will you help us defend the defenseless by making a generous contribution to Minnesota Family Council or Institute of $25, $50, $100, or even more, to treasure life at all stages!

Conversations about who decides and how they decide has invariably led to “Death Panels" discussions. Bill Gates brought this up in a recorded session at The Aspen Institute, in which he imagined groups that would decide which ill patients with very expensive future medical bills should die so that the money could be used for other purposes. In his example, expensive care could be denied so that 10 teachers wouldn’t lose their jobs.

In Bill Gates’ economy, a teacher is worth more than one sick person because they are much cheaper and add more value to the community.

There it is again: humans have no intrinsic worth, only value as a commodity.

John, when we start to attach dollar signs to human beings we will be in a very dark and dangerous place. And physician-assisted suicide is leading us there.

After all, public and private insurers have a financial incentive to steer patients toward suicide rather than expensive life-extending treatments. We’ve already seen this happen in Washington and other states which have already legalized PAS. Some patients have been denied treatment and offered assisted suicide instead.

How long will it be until that isn’t just a suggestion?

Physician-assisted suicide is pitched as compassion, but it’s a gateway to abuse, euthanasia and the further erosion of the sanctity and profound value of human life.

It reminds me of another saying: “The mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Proverbs 12:10).

The gospel shows us a better way.

We believe that the Lord has numbered our days and has a plan for each of us (Psalm 139:16), that we can have confidence in the Lord’s presence with us and sustaining power through the toughest trials (Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Isaiah 46:4), and that we should esteem the elderly, not only for their wisdom and experience, but because they have a special calling to teach and lead the next generation (Leviticus 19:32 and Psalm 71:17-18).

If you agree, we humbly ask you to boldly support our advocacy and education efforts with a generous giftof $25, $50, $100, or even more, as the Lord leads. Thank you, and God bless you!

Jeff Evans, CEO

Minnesota Family Council

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Support our grassroots policy and elections efforts through Minnesota Family Council (MFC). Support our education and outreach efforts with a tax-deductible contribution to Minnesota Family Institute (MFI).

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