Last week, Kim Leadbeater MP introduced a new private members’ bill in the House of Commons seeking to change the law on assisted suicide/dying, with a final vote expected before the end of 2024. The bill is expected to seek a change in the law allowing a person with a terminal illness and life expectancy of less than six months to take their own life, with the assistance of a medical practitioner.  

Advocates have argued that such a change in the law would be humane, compassionate, and would include adequate safeguards to protect the vulnerable from into being coerced into taking their own lives. Many opponents are convinced that changing the law is wrong, unnecessary and dangerous. 
 
Currently assisting a person to end their life is a crime with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, and any change would represent a significant and fundamental change to the way our society cares for those approaching the end of their lives, as well as changing the nature of the relationship between patients and their doctors. 
 
Successive attempts to change the law in England and Wales have failed over the past 16 years from 2009 to 2018 in both houses of parliament. On every occasion the proposals were heavily defeated (most recently by MPs by 330 votes to 118). But it is possible that the mood of MPs has changed, and the current parliament has hundreds of new MPs who will be voting on this issue for the first time, many supportive of a Prime Minister who is eager for the law to be changed. 
 
Unless Jesus returns, none of us will escape physical death. Exactly what it means to experience a ‘good death’ (perhaps surrounded by loved ones, in a place of your choosing) however, is a topic of real controversy. There are tragic examples of ‘mercy killings’ by loving relatives, or those who feel their only option is to travel to another country where the law has already been changed. Others believe that there are huge shortcomings in the quality of palliative/ end-of-life care that is available in this country, and our focus should be on caring for and alleviating the suffering of the dying better, rather than enabling them to end their lives.
 
We’re not just talking about abstract concepts, but about real people, worried either about themselves or their loved ones.  And it is important to stress that those in favour of assisted suicide, and those against it, both want the best for individuals, and society as a whole and are motivated by compassion rather than more sinister purposes. 
 
As Christians, we should “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” and “love our neighbour as ourselves” as we seek to love God wholeheartedly. So how then should we consider assisted suicide? There is not space here for an exhaustive look at every argument, but here are a few ideas to consider:
 

1. As Christians we believe that we are made in the image of God, that he is our creator and is the sustainer of life. It is God who has numbered the days of our life (Psalm 139:16) and he ultimately gives and takes life away (Job 1:20).
2. As Christians seeking to love our neighbours, it is right and good that that at times we will be a 'burden' to one another. Nearly half of those choosing assisted suicide in Oregon (USA) cited feelings of being or becoming a burden as a part of their decision.  
3. Many people state that they are fearful of losing their dignity or control as the approach the end of their lives. As Christians we believe that our inviolable dignity comes from being made in God’s image, and adopted as children into his kingdom. We already know we are never really in control of our lives, but rather accept that we are sustained and held all our days in the hands of a loving saviour. 
4. Any safeguards written into the new law will not in reality be able to protect vulnerable people from being coerced into ending their lives for fear of being a burden. The current law is the safeguard for the vulnerable, whilst providing prosecutors with means for discretion in hard cases. 
5. Individual autonomy is not absolute. There are times when a person will ask for something and the loving response is to say no. We must be careful that providing what seems like a right choice for a few people initially, doesn’t have unintended negative consequences across society. 
6. The slippery slope argument holds true. Although Kim Leadbeater has signalled that she intends the new law to only apply to those with a terminal illness and six months to live, over 50 other MPs are already calling for it to apply more widely to those facing ‘intolerable suffering’ irrespective of life expectancy. It is important to note that in other countries where assisted suicide was initially introduced, the law has soon been expanded beyond its original aim, including allowing assisted suicide for those with disabilities or mental illness (e.g. Canada). 
7. There is a contradiction between efforts to prevent suicide across society more widely, but to actively facilitate it in one particular group. 
8. Palliative care is not universally high quality across this country. In fact, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has indicated that he does not believe that palliative care is of sufficient quality in the UK to give patients a genuine choice at the end of their lives and that much more needs to be done to improve end-of-life care before the government considers changing the law. 
9. Requests for euthanasia and assisted suicide are extremely rare when patients' needs, including physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs, are properly met.
10. The majority of UK doctors and disability rights groups oppose any change in the law. 

Want to know more?

Here are some websites you might find helpful:
 
www.carenotkilling.org.uk
https://righttolife.org.uk/knowledgebase/assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia
https://ourdutyofcare.org.uk (for healthcare professionals) 
 
You might like to watch Liz Carr’s BBC documentary ‘Better Off Dead” about these issues, available on iPlayer. It doesn’t approach the topic with a Christian worldview but it does explore some of the concerns people may have.  
 
 
Want to do something?
 

1. Pray to our sovereign and loving heavenly Father
2. Write to your MP to explain your concerns 

You can write to your MP directly, or via https://www.writetothem.com, or by signing the letter via this link that Dave provided in the weekly email.
 
If you are a healthcare professional, you may also wish to consider signing this letter to the Prime Minister.  
 


Glossary:
 
Euthanasia can be defined as the intentional killing by act or omission of a person whose life is felt not to be worth living.
 
Assisted suicide is generally understood to involve 'an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person'. 
 
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is where a doctor prescribes lethal drugs for the patient to take themselves. (The bill seeks to make this legal)
 
Assisted dying is a more ‘socially acceptable’ term which is often used by campaigners as an alternative to euthanasia and assisted suicide. 
 
Palliative care is specialised care (physical, psychological, social or spiritual) that helps people with terminal illnesses or chronic conditions to improve their quality of life. 
 
 

In the coming weeks, it is expected that MPs in parliament will debate and vote on several amendments to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill, including one that seeks to decriminalise abortion, and one that seeks to lower the upper legal limit from twenty-four to twenty-two weeks.

For many women, making a decision about having an abortion is one of the most emotionally traumatic events of their lives. There are sharp divisions between those with ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ convictions, and it can be hard to talk about the issue without provoking bitter disagreement and strong emotions. As Christians we are called to love God and our neighbours, so we need to think about the right way to respond to this sensitive and emotive issue as followers of Jesus, balancing compassion with justice, for both pregnant women and their unborn children. 

What is the situation now?

The Abortion Act was passed in the UK in 1967.  In his book Matters of Life and Death, John Wyatt notes that the motivation of the original authors was a genuinely humanitarian one, seeking to protect women from the dangers of illegal and dangerous abortions, and to provide a legal remedy for those found to be carrying severely malformed infants. There was also an argument that by preventing unwanted children from being born, they would be protected from a childhood of abuse, and that it would allow doctors to carry out abortions in ‘hard cases’ without fear of prosecution. 

In 2021 there were 214,869 (medical and surgical) abortions recorded in England and Wales, a rate that has been increasing over the last 10 years. At present, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks provided that two doctors agree that one of the conditions of the abortion act is met [i]. In 2021, 209,939 abortions were carried out (98% of all abortions) under the grounds that continuing with the pregnancy would pose greater risk to the mother’s physical or mental health, and 99.9% of these were specifically due to the deemed risk to the mother’s mental health. In reality the mental health provision is applied on request and the level of evidence required to demonstrate the risk of poor mental health if the pregnancy continued is extremely low. 

There were 3,370 abortions carried out (1.6% of all abortions) due to a high likelihood that the child would suffer from serious mental or physical handicap if it were to be born. This figure has been rising due to increased availability of early pregnancy prenatal testing for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome. There were also 276 abortions recorded over 24 weeks gestation, generally if the mother’s life was at risk or if a serious disability was identified.

It is estimated that approximately one third of women will have an abortion in their lifetime, and in 2021 43% of women undergoing an abortion had had one or more abortions previously. This is undoubtedly an issue that directly impacts some brothers and sisters in our church, or their close friends and family. 

What are the proposed changes?

The amendment is being brought by Dame Diana Johnson MP, and intends to change the law to ensure the “removal of women from the criminal law related to abortion”, so that “no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy”. The explanatory notes state that “no woman would be liable for a prison sentence as a result of seeking to end her own pregnancy”[ii].

One of the key arguments driving this campaign is the rise in the number of women who have faced prosecution for late-term (i.e. after 24 weeks) abortion. Some have been wrongly investigated after a natural stillbirth, further traumatising women who are grieving the death of their unborn child.  Since 2022 at least 6 women have been taken to court for ending their late-term pregnancies [iii] usually after buying tablets online to induce abortion, which is both illegal and potentially unsafe. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) supports decriminalisation, stating that instead of prosecution, these women should be treated with care and compassion. They have also issued guidance that doctors should no longer inform the police when they suspect that an illegal abortion has taken place [iv].

Another MP, Caroline Ansell is tabling an amendment that seeks to reduce the normal upper time limit for abortion from 24 to 22 weeks. This is to reflect the huge increase in survival rates for babies born at 23 weeks over the past decade (some will remember the answered prayers for Lucy in the early days of our congregation) . This amendment would follow the same reasoning that led to a reduction in the upper limit from 28 to 24 weeks in 1990, also due to increased survival rates for those born between 24 and 28 weeks.

A debate full of contradictions

The debate on attitudes towards unborn human beings is full of inconsistencies and contradictions. For example, as a doctor I have worked to save the life of premature babies born at 23 weeks, whilst in the same building colleagues are performing surgical terminations on fetuses of the same gestation. At the same time, the government has introduced baby loss certificates for those who experience the unexpected loss of a pregnancy (miscarriage) before 24 weeks. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who has indicated she will vote this month to decriminalise abortion, also said that “losing a baby can be a hugely traumatic event and the introduction of certificates to formally acknowledge the loss of life is a positive step towards better supporting women and parents affected.”[v]

Our laws rightly seek equal opportunity for the disabled and mentally ill, whist at the same time allowing us to ensure that babies with disabilities can be screened out before birth. Technology such as 3D ultrasound gives us a fascinating insight into the development of babies in the womb, leaving us in no doubt that these developing organisms are human beings, whilst failing to afford them the rights that they will attain immediately after birth. 

We must ask then, what is the significance of the umbilical cord, or the short journey from inside the womb into the world undertaken at birth. On what basis does society only bestow the full rights of personhood after birth rather than before?

The answer to this question is almost always that the autonomy of the pregnant woman over her own body is paramount and her rights override those of the unborn child. Over twenty organisations have signed a statement laying out their justification for abortion and future priorities for abortion provision. “We believe in a woman’s right to choose… that abortion is healthcare… like any other medical procedure…” You can read more on the RCOG website here.

A Christian response

This is not the place for an exhaustive treatment of the Christian moral and ethical response to abortion. Hundreds of books have already been written on the topic, and the majority of Christians agree that in most situations, intentionally ending a pregnancy is wrong. I want to give a few guiding principles, and then specifically address the upcoming debate and vote in parliament. 

Love God
Jesus tells us to love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matt 22:27). In part, loving God means caring about the things he cares about, and following his commands in gratitude for the love that he has shown us. We don’t find the word abortion in the Bible, but we do see lots of principles and instructions that are relevant. We read in Genesis 1:27 that we are made in God’s image, and this forms the bedrock of our understanding of humanity, including the understanding that we should have the highest regard for human life. Our value as human beings comes from him, not ourselves. 

Love our neighbours 
We are told not only to love God, but to love our neighbours too. Our pregnant neighbours who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy; our neighbours who have previously had an abortion; those who campaign for more progressive abortion rights. As stated before, women who are seeking or who have had an abortion are often doing so in the midst of much distress and heartache. We must show them Jesus’ compassion, mindful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, as well as theirs. This means that when we talk about abortion, we should do so gently, wanting the best for others and not just wanting to win an argument. 

Jesus’ command means that we should love our unborn neighbours too. Psalm 139 shows us how God is intimately involved in forming our bodies, even in the womb (see also Job 31, Is 49). In Luke 1 we read of the unborn John the Baptist leaping for joy at the arrival of Mary. The same Greek word for unborn John is used for infant Jesus after he was born. Unborn children should be seen as actors with parts to play in God’s biblical drama. 

Christians do have different opinions about the status of early embryos (up to a few weeks) and exactly when they become a human being made in God’s image – is it at the moment of conception, implantation, when there is a heartbeat, when they start to move, when they can feel pain, or when they can survive outside the womb without support? Personally I think it is difficult to identify a specific moment at which an embryo intrinsically changes and becomes a ‘person’. There isn’t time here to go through all the reasons for this, but as a Christian, where there is uncertainty, I believe it is appropriate to lean in favour of protection rather than destruction. Whilst I hold my own convictions, I believe that Christians who have read their Bibles can hold different opinions in good conscience specifically about early embryos. (I don’t think there is room for disagreement about the moral status of the unborn at later stages of development). These convictions regarding the early embryo will also inform our opinions about treatments such as IVF for those struggling with fertility, or embryonic stem cell therapies for those with degenerative health conditions. 

Central to biblical morality is the concept that the strong care for the weak and should bear one another’s burdens (Acts 20:35, Galatians 6:2). We care for our infant children when they are totally dependent on us, we care for ageing parents, and we care for those in our church family with particular needs. That means as Christians we should not only show care for the unborn, but also resist the idea that disabled babies are too much of a burden on society. Iceland celebrates the fact that virtually no babies with Down’s Syndrome are born there due to the ‘success’ of antenatal screening and abortion. As a church we can bear witness to the love and joy that people with Down’s Syndrome can provide, so this feels particularly troubling. 

There are of course hard and rare examples where Christians may agree that ending a pregnancy is the right course of action. For example, if the life of the mother is genuinely at risk by continuing the pregnancy (for example an ectopic pregnancy or some maternal cardiac conditions) it can be argued that death has already entered the pregnancy, and that saving the life of the mother is better than both the mother and child dying. There is much more that could be said, and I encourage you to read John Wyatt’s book (above) to help you address these issues further.

What can I do?

Here are three simple things that you could consider in light of the upcoming votes in parliament:

1. Pray for our MPs that God would direct them to value unborn lives and to genuinely care for women in difficult situations (1 Tim 1:1-2). Pray that MPs would listen to the concerns of those who contact them. Pray that women would be protected from the dangers of self-administered late term abortions that could result from decriminalisation.  

2. Write to your MP asking them to reject the decriminalisation amendment and to vote in favour of a lower upper limit (22 weeks). You can do this by writing your own letter and emailing it directly to your MP, or more easily by using the letter template available at https://righttolife.org.uk/littlefighters.

3. Remember that God is sovereign. Our government exists because God allows it to (Romans 13:1, Daniel 2:20-21) and he is in control.  
 

[i] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2021/abortion-statistics-england-and-wales-2021
[ii] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-04/0010/amend/criminal_rm_pbc_1207.pdf
[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/23/mps-to-get-free-vote-on-decriminalising-abortion-in-england-and-wales
[iv] https://www.rcog.org.uk/news/rcog-issues-guidance-for-healthcare-professionals-on-involving-the-police-following-abortion-and-pregnancy-loss/
[v] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baby-loss-certificate-launchedto-recognise-parents-grief#:~:text=Baby%20loss%20certificates%20for%20parents,today%20(22%20February%202024).&text=Parents%20who%20have%20experienced%20the,their%20grief%20recognised%20from%20today.

This weekend we're having a special offering to support Christian leaders in Pakistan - those known to Roger Pomeroy who face significant hardship following the devastating floods

Here's some information from Roger:

Following our missionary involvement in Pakistan since 1968 we have many contacts in the lower Punjab and Sindh provinces.  Many of these contacts are Christian Marwari people. There are also other Hindu oriented people known as Sansi and some Muslim converts who are now our brothers in Christ.

Apart from these there are millions of suffering people who have lost homes, possessions and is some instances their own loved ones. Over 1200 have already perished in the floods.

The people we have contact with are sending reports, video clips and pictures of the desolation. Through a WhatsApp group called PREM MINISTRY I have been updating friends of the present situation and any who request can be added to this. Previous details can be circulated. 

The map shows the worst flooded areas of the country (in red). The black circle just shows where the person who sent this is living. The people we have contact with are from just north of the black circle, South almost to the coast. See the faint line that marks the south east province of SINDH. The people we have contact with are in this badly affected area. 

In these badly affected areas Christian friends as well as many many Hindus and Muslims are in great need. We cannot but touch the surface of what is needed. In some instances help to rebuild simple mud brick brick homes may be provided. In some communities money to buy emergency food and medical aid might be sent. For others the need is for string beds and bedding.



Please pray for these two families in particular that we have heard from recently:

1. Arbelo Arif, a Marwari evangelist who with his wife Haseena and 5 children. He has been instrumental in leading many from various communities to Christ. Here are his family and his introduction of them:

"My name is Arbelo Arif and my wife's name is Haseena Maseeh and I have five sons and one smallest daughter. Their names are Kamran Arbelo, Imran Arbelo, Farman Arbelo, Irfan Arbelo, Noman Arbelo, Neelam Arbelo. We are eight persons in our family. Rain in our country is running from a month and will continue to 15 September. Our conditions are bad. Please pray for us."

They lost their newly constructed home in the floods and presently are camping in a Government School. You can see them 'rescuing' some bedding to sleep on in the school. .

2. Rustam, a Marwari evangelist lives some 25 miles from Arbelo. He has a similar family and there are some 20 or so families professing faith in Christ. A week ago he had to wake up the community in the middle of the night as a local canal burst its banks and floodwater poured into the homes of the community.


3. Rajan Victor tells of his situation:"In these days Situation of Dist Mirpurkhas Sindh Pakistan, it is so hard to tell that the Terrible Disaster we are facing right now in our region Mirpurkhas City and Surrounded Cities. People are homeless, hundreds of thousands seeking help to survive in this situation. Flood damages everything of villages, even cities are full of water. Heavy rains stop for now, but we are facing a big famine, starvation is here, no clean water, thousands of villagers are homeless, fields of crops almost finished, thousands animals dead, prices of groceries Increasing as we were already facing economy issues. Words can't explain what condition are going through, keep us in your prayers." 

4. Raju Rahool (pictured with his family) He is a leading Christian and one of very few Sansi believers living in outside the North Sindh city of Shikarpur. 





As far as I know this is the only church building where Sansi people worship. Now badly damaged in the flood. I worked here in this community for several years from 2002-6. Homes here have also been damaged.





 

***Donations are now closed***

 

17 June 2020

5 June 2020

30 April 2020

On Sunday 22nd March, and every Sunday for the time being, we’ll meet together as The Bridge Church with one big difference.  

Due to the restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 we won’t be meeting at Pontprennau Primary School, instead we’ll be meeting online using an application called ZOOM. Lots of what we do this week will be the same as we often do... We will be reading the bible, praying and singing together as church family.  Matt will share a talk from the bible and we’ll have the chance to catch up with, encourage and share life with one another.

In these challenging times we want to work hard to ensure that we continue to meet together. Hebrews 10 says…

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

As the format of our meeting over the coming weeks will be quite different we thought it would be helpful to some share ways that you might prepare yourself and/or your families in advance!
 

Let’s Spend Time Together

We’ll be using ‘breakout rooms’ at the start and end of our times together to give people the opportunity to chat and catch up with one another. As you join the meeting you’ll be welcomed by a host and put into a small group meeting space with others. We’ll all come back together after a little while. You’ll also have the opportunity to stay around after for coffee and church family time in break out rooms as the youth meet together.
 

Let’s be Family Together

Don’t think that you need to have a wonderfully clean living room and perfectly behaved children. Don’t worry if the lighting is all wrong or you haven’t done your hair… the important thing is that we meet together! Meeting in this way will not be always be easy - at times it may be frustrating, at times hilarious, at times you will love it and I have no doubt that it will feed a longing for ‘normal’ church which in turn feeds our longing to be together in worship with Jesus in heaven one day. Let’s remember that we are church family together now the same as always… “living stones being built together into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2)

We will be building time into our meeting for the children and providing resources for parents to print in advance that the kids can work through. The youth will continue to meet after the service in their own ZOOM meeting space.
 

Let’s Sing Together

Lines will be muted throughout the meeting including during the singing because the natural telecoms delay will make it very hard for us all to hear each other when we sing together. Colossians 3 vs 16  teaches us the value of corporate worship as “...the message of Christ dwell(s) among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

So week by week we’ll be asking members of the church family to lead us in singing.  We will all hear them so that we can join with them, singing the words that are on the screen. We won’t all hear each other but we can be encouraged in seeing each other as we worship together in our homes. I would encourage you to do the following:

Embrace the weird! Weird very quickly becomes wonderful! If you’re a musician you can play along in your own home too… no one else will hear you except those in your home with you but it will add to our corporate worship! Involve your family if you have one - find some shakers or tambourines for your kids… lay out some saucepans with a wooden spoon as a drum kit or maybe...dance! Let’s make a joyful noise together!

I’m sure there are other things that we’ll learn as we meet together in this way but let’s get started and see how God will bless us and help us to continue to belong, serve and grow together through this challenging time.

Steve Smith

A message from Matt... 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

In my journaling Bible, I have these scrawled words – written in 2012 - next to Romans 12:11: “this would make a great motto verse”!

But as I read and re-read Romans chapter 12 during the Christmas break, I couldn’t resist the pull of the very next verse: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). Of all the verses I was reading, this little triad of imperatives - like mutually reinforcing points of a triangle - seemed to sum up what it has means for us members of The Bridge Church family to live the gospel-transformed lives that Paul urges in Romans 12:1.

Being joyful in hope is not the same as being happy in circumstances. Now, who wouldn’t want to be happy in their circumstances, right? But joy in hope is something deeper and better and stronger. It’s experiencing something now of the overwhelming wholeness and sweetness that we will one day perfectly know. Jesus-followers have a hope (a sure expectation) of seeing Jesus in all his glory and being like him in that glory (see Romans 5:2), which is what causes joy to spring up – by the Spirit - from deep within us. But we aren’t passive in this. We are urged by Paul to be joyful in our hope. Meditate on what lies in store and let it transform the now. The circumstantial happinesses of life are just pale reflections of what this joy is and what it will one day blossom into.

And joy in hope is what helps us to be patient (steadfast, trusting God, waiting on him) in affliction. Afflictions are as inevitable for Christians as they are for anyone else, but the believer is constantly pointed and projected past the current hardships by thinking much about his or her future prospects. And so suffering is not made easy but is transformed by grace into something which actually reinforces – not reduces - the joy we have because of our assurance of being with Jesus.

And if these truths don’t make us want to be faithful in prayer, what will!? As my joy grows because I am meditating on my hope, my trials are illuminated by heaven’s light and I feel the breeze of heaven, even in tribulations. And all this makes me want to communicate more constantly, talking to and praising my Saviour. In turn those prayers are heard and used by the Lord to strengthen me, sweeten the hard things and fuel the joy that is rooted in heaven’s hope.

What a trio of encouragements! These will be amongst my resolutions for 2020. I wonder if you’ll join me in them?   

Matt Bownds

Download this verse as a phone wallpaper image here.

Meet Clive