The Medical Council’s poor defence of its decision to remove ban on doctors killing patients

 

Dr Suzanne Crowe, President of the Irish Medical Council (IMC), appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying on Tuesday and defended their extremely controversial decision to remove the prohibition on doctors deliberately ending a patient’s life from the Council’s ethical code.

She denied the charge that the move helps pave the way for euthanasia and asserted that the organisation has no position on the committee’s work as it falls outside the Council’s direct remit. But a body like the IMC ought to have a position on the deliberate killing of patients, surely? Why is the old prohibition no longer in the ethics code? Certanly the IMC agrees that the law can be unethical and can’t blindly follow it in all cases?  She also admitted that the Council had not widely consulted doctors before it made the huge changes.

In the 2024 revision of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics, the Medical Council made several alterations from the previous edition, including the removal of the phrase: “You must not take part in the deliberate killing of a patient.” Dr. Crowe explained that this change has misinterpreted, emphasising that the guide still mandates doctors to comply and operate within the law. But is this sufficient?

This decision has attracted criticism from several hundred doctors and also from Bishop Kevin Doran.

Senator Ronan Mullen queried Dr. Crowe about the rationale and process behind this significant change. She responded that the Council’s aim is to provide principles-based guidance rather than a legal code, suggesting that the specific line about not participating in deliberate killing was inconsistent with this approach. She also noted that references to specific treatments, such as assisted reproduction and ionising radiation, were removed to align more with conceptual rather than case-based guidance.

However, the removal of the prohibition on killing patients is not about specific treatments but relates to a fundamental principle of medical ethics that dates back to Hippocrates’ obligation “First, do no harm.” This foundational ethical tenet, emphasising healing over harming, has been a consistent feature in previous editions of the Medical Council’s code.

The deletion of such a significant ethical principle seemed to lack substantial justification, which Dr. Crowe appeared unable to provide. She admitted that while there was no specific consultation on this particular issue, there was a broader consultation on the overall content of the guide, although many doctors appear to have been unaware it was even taking place.

British ethicist David Albert Jones has observed that the new guide contains eight paragraphs on patient privacy protection, highlighting the depth of consideration given to certain aspects of medical ethics while seemingly overlooking the profound implications of removing a long-standing ethical principle from the Medical Council guide.

You would have to assume that if the law told doctors to violate patient privacy, the Council would object and denounce the law as unethical. This makes the removal of the prohibition on doctors killing patients all the more disturbing.

Disability rights groups concerned euthanasia will eventually target their members

 

The Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying continues to hold hearings. On Tuesday it heard from representatives of disability groups.

Peter Kearns (pictured), the representative from the Independent Living Movement observed that debates about euthanasia and assisted suicide can easily “trigger commentary with eugenic overtones”. He said that lack of necessary resources and of societal acceptance will make disabled people feel like a burden.

Mr Kearns acknowledged that there is a variety of opinions on end of life issues among the members of his group and disabled people should not be used as “pawns” in this debate. Nonetheless, he stressed the negative impact that the introduction of assisted suicide or euthanasia would have on people with disabilities.

“In other jurisdictions where assisted suicide has been legislated for, disabled people frequently speak about feeling hopeless, ‘having nothing to live for’ or feeling they would be ‘better off dead’ and take the State’s only clear support ‘option’ to cross the Rubicon to ‘clinical assisted suicide’”, he told the Committee.

Many members of Independent Living Movement Ireland believe that the offer of assisted suicide would result in disabled individuals feeling like they are a ‘burden’ on their families, the State, and Irish society, primarily due to a lack of necessary support, according to Mr Kearns.

“We need to be mindful of any discourse in relation to assisted dying that can trigger commentary with eugenic overtones about who is ‘worthy’ of supports to live”, he said.

The Independent Living Movement says that many disabled individuals fear a slippery slope where the concept of ‘dying with dignity’ evolves from euthanising terminally ill people to encompassing those who might end their lives due to societal pressures or the perceived inferiority associated with disabilities.

This concern was confirmed by John Dolan, CEO of the Disability Federation of Ireland.

“It is important that the State does not unduly have an ‘invisible’ hand, or influence, in the decision of someone to end their life because it has not supported disabled people to have a life of independence equal to everyone else”, he said.

Both witnesses were careful to represent the variety of views held by the members of their organisations, but it was clear that both very much fear the “slippery slope” and that the grounds for assisted suicide and euthanasia will swiftly more from the terminally ill to those considered to have a poor quality of life such as people with severe disabilities.

My 2023 articles

Tutti i miei articoli non accademici pubblicati nel 2023

“Guidami, Luce gentile”, Il Timone, vol. XXV, pp. 38-39

https://www.iltimone.org/articoli-riviste/il-mistero-della-luce/

 

‘How parents of DS children are subtly directed toward abortion’

https://ionainstitute.ie/how-parents-of-ds-children-are-subtly-directed-toward-abortion/

 

‘Yet another study links religious practice and wellbeing’

https://ionainstitute.ie/yet-another-study-links-religious-practice-and-well-being/

 

‘NCCA confirms worst suspicions of parents about gender ideology’

https://ionainstitute.ie/ncca-confirms-worst-suspicions-of-parents-about-gender-ideology/

‘A new organ donor Bill is ethically questionable’

https://ionainstitute.ie/a-new-organ-donor-bill-is-ethically-questionable/

 

‘Children are left unprotected against extreme pornography’

https://ionainstitute.ie/children-are-left-unprotected-against-extreme-pornography/

 

‘Another UN committee pushes a radical agenda in Ireland’

https://ionainstitute.ie/another-un-committee-pushes-a-radical-agenda-on-ireland/

 

‘The West is sinking deeper into moral individualism’

https://ionainstitute.ie/the-west-is-sinking-deeper-into-moral-individualism/

 

‘A surprising reason why fertility rates have fallen so much’

https://ionainstitute.ie/a-surprising-reason-why-fertility-rates-have-fallen-so-much/

 

‘Married women account for only 16pc of abortions in England’

https://ionainstitute.ie/married-women-account-for-only-16pc-of-abortions-in-england/

 

‘President Biden invokes the very Christian concept of dignity in address’

https://ionainstitute.ie/president-biden-invokes-the-very-christian-concept-of-dignity-in-address/

 

‘Abortion pill risks not being properly explained to women’

https://ionainstitute.ie/abortion-pill-risks-not-being-properly-explained-to-women/

 

‘Sex abuse of young women seems to be on the increase’

https://ionainstitute.ie/sex-abuse-of-young-women-seems-to-be-on-the-increase/

 

‘Marriage in Ireland still declining despite a bumper 2022’

https://ionainstitute.ie/marriage-in-ireland-still-declining-despite-a-bumper-2022/

 

‘Extend assisted suicide to the poor argue Canadian ethicists’

https://ionainstitute.ie/extend-assisted-suicide-to-the-poor-argue-canadian-ethicists/

 

‘New sex education programme all about gender ideology’

https://ionainstitute.ie/new-sex-education-programme-all-about-gender-ideology-2/

 

‘What Census 2022 tells us about religion in Ireland’

https://ionainstitute.ie/what-census-2022-tells-us-about-religion-in-ireland/

 

‘Palliative care doctors warn against permitting assisted suicide’

https://ionainstitute.ie/palliative-care-doctors-warn-against-permitting-assisted-suicide/

 

‘Dr Peter Boylan proven wrong as abortion number rises’

https://ionainstitute.ie/dr-peter-boylan-proven-wrong-as-abortion-number-rises/

 

Pro-life activist tells meeting about being arrested praying near abortion clinic

https://ionainstitute.ie/pro-life-activist-tells-meeting-about-being-arrested-praying-near-abortion-clinic/

 

‘Committee hears assisted dying should be available to the mentally ill’

https://ionainstitute.ie/committee-hears-assisted-dying-should-be-available-to-the-mentally-ill/

 

‘How family breakdown is contributing to homelessness’

https://ionainstitute.ie/how-family-breakdown-is-contributing-to-homelessness/

 

‘More Americans are unhappy because fewer are married’

https://ionainstitute.ie/more-americans-are-unhappy-because-fewer-are-married/

 

‘Why men stay at home to mind children’

https://ionainstitute.ie/why-men-stay-at-home-to-mind-children/

 

‘The key facts of life left out of new RSE courses’

https://gript.ie/the-key-facts-of-life-left-out-of-new-rse-courses/

https://ionainstitute.ie/the-key-facts-of-life-left-out-of-new-rse-courses/

 

‘A report from a meeting of pro-‘assisted-dying’ leaders’

https://ionainstitute.ie/a-report-from-a-meeting-of-pro-assisted-dying-leaders/

 

‘Sensationalist claims about Canadian mass graves prove unfounded’

https://ionainstitute.ie/sensationalist-claims-about-canadian-mass-graves-prove-unfounded/

 

‘MEPs launch another attack on the right to life’

https://ionainstitute.ie/meps-launch-another-attack-on-the-right-to-life/

https://bottone.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-european-parliament-launches-new.html (revised version)

 

‘The liberal prejudice against marriage revealed’

https://ionainstitute.ie/the-liberal-prejudice-against-marriage-revealed/

Alive magazine, n. 302 January 2024, p. 13

 

‘Insurance companies could easily offer euthanasia in the future’

https://ionainstitute.ie/insurance-companies-could-easily-offer-euthanasia-in-the-future/

 

‘A clash of worldview at the ‘assisted dying’ hearings’

https://ionainstitute.ie/a-clash-of-worldview-at-the-assisted-dying-hearings/

 

‘Oireachtas committee hears about Canada’s extreme euthanasia regime’

https://ionainstitute.ie/oireachtas-committee-hears-about-canadas-extreme-euthanasia-regime/

 

‘Assisted dying’ against best medical practice leading doctor tells committee’

https://ionainstitute.ie/assisted-dying-against-best-medical-practice-leading-doctor-tells-committee/

 

‘Make euthanasia available to dementia patients committee told’

https://ionainstitute.ie/make-euthanasia-available-to-dementia-patients-committee-told/

 

‘The convicted murderer who helps run Exit International‘

https://ionainstitute.ie/the-convicted-murderer-who-helped-an-irishman-die-by-assisted-suicide/

 

‘The convicted murderer who helped an Irishman dying by assisted suicide’

https://bottone.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-convicted-murderer-who-helped.html

 

‘Committee hears the most extreme pro-‘assisted dying’ view yet’

https://ionainstitute.ie/committee-hears-the-most-extreme-pro-assisted-dying-view-yet/

 

‘How family breakdown perpetuates social disadvantage’

https://ionainstitute.ie/how-family-breakdown-perpetuates-social-disadvantage/

 

‘Palliative care doctors spell out the case against euthanasia’

https://ionainstitute.ie/palliative-care-doctors-spell-out-the-case-against-euthanasia/

The growing problem of anti-Christian persecution in Europe

 

Anti-Christian crimes in Europe are increasing, according to a recent report by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC). For example, it says that arson attacks on churches increased by 75pc in 2022 compared with 2021.

In 2022, OIDAC recorded 749 anti-Christian hate crimes across 30 European countries. Notably, there were 38 physical assaults and three murders. Religious services were disrupted at least 19 times.

These numbers might be just the tip of the iceberg due to underreporting and lack of media attention.

Between 2021 and 2022, there has been a worrying increase in these crimes, especially arson attacks, which rose from 60 to 105. Many of these incidents are linked to radicalised groups, sometimes Islamist in nature, with anti-Christian sentiments.

The report highlights the ongoing debate about freedom of speech. New laws are emerging that regulate and limit speech, sometimes even extending to private conversations.

Ireland’s hate speech Bill was presented as a case in the report. The Bill is quite extreme as it criminalises possessing material deemed ‘hateful’ against certain groups, but ‘hate’ is not defined.

Another example is the creation of “buffer zones” around abortion clinics in the UK and Ireland, leading to the criminalisation of Christians for activities like silent prayer in public areas.

There are moves to eliminate conscience clauses from medical laws. This puts Christian medical professionals who refuse to participate in certain practices, like abortions, due to their religious beliefs, in difficult positions.

The report mentions concerns about vaguely formulated and expansive laws that could criminalise parents, pastors, and teachers for expressing dissenting opinions on certain controversial topics.

For instance, the UK government voted to introduce a new mandatory curriculum on sex education in Northern Ireland, which includes lessons in how to access abortion. The legislation will put pro-life parents, or schools in a very difficult position.

The reports says: “The right of parents to educate their children in accordance with their religious beliefs has continuously been threatened through legal provisions, criminalising ‘non affirmative’ communication between parents and children in regard to identity-related issues as well as through obligatory school education on ideological issues contradicting religious or moral beliefs”.

Indeed, there is also worry about potential legal repercussions for parents who, based on their religious beliefs, advise their children against undergoing hormone therapies or other similar interventions​​ in order to ‘transition’ from one ‘gender’ to another.

The OIDAC report also found that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has significantly affected religious freedom. Russian authorities and troops have violated Christian religious freedoms by closing churches and detaining religious leaders.

The report also sheds light on the severe persecution of Christians in other parts of the world, like Nigeria, Armenia, India, and Pakistan.

The organisation calls for greater attention and action from European institutions to these issues of Christian persecution, which are often ignored by the media. But given that governments can sometimes be behind moves to crackdown on dissent from certain liberal orthodoxies, on abortion and gender ideology for instance, this might be a vain hope.

New study confirms pro-social benefits of religion

 

A new report called ‘Faith and Wellness’ confirms that religious people are more positive in their mentality, have more social support and are more involved in their communities.

“An estimated 160 million more adults have positive experiences than would be the case if those adults were not religious.”, says the report, which is based on data collected from 2012 to 2022 by Gallup and also on a review of academic studies.

The study highlights five key factors of spirituality that positively influence wellbeing: 1) positive coping and a sense of purpose in life; 2) faith-based social connections; 3) community and civic engagement; 4) structural stability; and 5) workplace support of holistic wellbeing.

Religion often provides individuals with effective coping mechanisms and a profound sense of purpose in life. This aspect of spirituality can be particularly helpful in managing stress and navigating life’s challenges, contributing to overall mental and emotional well-being, says the report.

(Professor Patricia Casey produced for the Iona Institute a paper on this topic, called “The Psycho-Social Benefits of Religious Practice.)

Moreover, spiritual communities often offer robust social support networks. The sense of belonging and community found in these groups can be a significant source of emotional assistance, helping individuals to feel connected and supported.

“When spiritual life is shared, you’re at an 82pc decreased relative risk of suicide, 80pc decreased risk of addiction, and a 75pc decreased risk of depression … If this was a pill, who wouldn’t take that?”, commented Lisa Miller, Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University.

The ‘Faith and Wellness’ report highlights the positive role of “structural stability”, which refers to the fact that many spiritual traditions offer frameworks for moral and ethical decision-making, aiding individuals in navigating complex life situations and contributing to a sense of clarity and direction.

An analysis of data from the Gallup World Poll found that people of faith scored better than non-religious in five out of nine wellbeing measures. These are: social life (having a support structure and opportunity to make friends), positive experience (self-reported well-being), community basics (everyday life in a community), optimism (positive attitude towards the future) and civic engagement (inclination to volunteer and help others).

This last measure, the relationship between religion and civic engagement, was explored by the ‘Faith and Wellness’ report.

Many religious teachings emphasise the importance of being part of a larger community, which includes caring for those around you, especially those in need. This emphasis on altruism and assisting others not only serves societal functions related to the economy and public service but also creates opportunities for social networking and personal growth. Individuals with connections to religious communities, such as having “church friends”, are found to demonstrate more altruistic behaviours.

“Several studies have found a link between volunteering or membership in a voluntary association and measures of mental health, including depression and distress, especially among older adults. For the most part, these studies indicate that caring for others generates positive emotions, which in turn increases one’s mental health and wellbeing”, says the report.

Finally, the ‘Faith and Wellness’ report addresses a striking paradox: Despite the established positive benefits of spirituality and religion to health and wellbeing, there is a notable decline in these practices in many parts of the world.

“Why are people turning away from a practice that can provide positive benefits to their lives?”, the report asks.

One contributing factor to this trend seems to be a lack of awareness. Many are not well informed about the mental and physical health benefits of a spiritual life.