When assisted suicide/euthanasia is legalized, people who are eligible to be killed because they are seriously ill may become objectified by their societies. For example, they may be thought of as so many organ farms to be harvested after their lives are ended. Such objectification of the sick can be infectious. In California, there is a new research program called Last Gift that seeks people with “life-shortening” conditions who also have HIV to be experimented on — not to find cures or ways to extend their lives, but to better understand the virus. From the Last Gift research subject solicit
An article in the Daily Mail sounds the alarm that permitting infant euthanasia — i.e., infanticide — is under serious consideration in Canada: Canada‘s assisted suicide laws have continued rapidly expanding in recent years, with a group of doctors now pushing for disabled newborn babies to be euthanized.…As assisted deaths have become a major part of Canada’s health care system, the Quebec College of Physicians suggested legalizing euthanasia for infants born severely ill. Canada has jumped so enthusiastically into the euthanasia abyss that I have little doubt that infanticide will eventually
Wesley J. Smith joined George Noory on Best of Coast to Coast AM to discuss human exceptionalism and euthanasia. He defines human exceptionalism for listeners and explains why it’s such an essential concept for medicine and ethics. He also discusses how euthanasia has taken the world by storm, how it’s a betrayal of Hippocratic principles, and why he’s against euthanasia in any and all circumstances.
Wesley J. Smith joined Todd Wilken on Issues, Etc. to discuss euthanasia around the world. Smith discusses how various countries around the world, like Canada, New Zealand, and multiple nations in Europe, have embraced euthanasia. He also explains why this is dangerous to the societal value of human life. We’ve changed the purpose of society from protecting innocent life, for many people, to eliminating suffering. And if eliminating suffering becomes the prime purpose, that quickly mutates into eliminating the sufferer. Wesley J. Smith
For decades, pro-life activists have warned lawmakers that if they legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, they would be opening Pandora’s box. In no time at all, killing would become the preferred method of solving complex healthcare problems. Healing people is costly. And comforting those who are sick, destitute, or lonely in a way that respects… The post The Rise of Assisted Suicide in Canada appeared first on Human Life International .
Opponents of euthanasia have been screaming about Canada’s god-awful euthanasia machine for years. And it keeps getting worse. Now, the mainstream media — usually in the tank for assisted suicide — has finally noticed, as demonstrated by a thoroughly researched and objectively presented story by Elaina Plott Calabro. It’s a long piece, but it’s well worth everyone’s time. Calabro discusses examples of doctors who have killed hundreds of patients, people who have had themselves killed because they couldn’t access proper support services, and many other cases. Euthanasia is Canada’s fifth-leadin
How is the culture of death impacting the United Kingdom? On this episode, Fr. Boquet breaks down the worrying spread of assisted dying and euthanasia in the UK and Ireland. Earlier this year, the UK House of Commons passed the “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill”, moving the country one step closer to legalizing assisted… The post Inside the Push for Assisted Suicide: Lessons from the UK & Ireland appeared first on Human Life International .
Legalizing euthanasia/assisted suicide, abortion, and transgender interventions for dysphoric children is only the beginning of the ongoing destruction of Hippocratic moral values in medicine. Once such interventions are legal, activists next insist that they become readily available. But many (and I hope most) doctors want nothing to do with causing death or interfering with the normal functioning of healthy bodies. Indeed, many assisted suicide, abortion, and gender ideologues complain that too few doctors willingly participate in these procedures, as is sometimes protected by the law. These
The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have warned that the future of Catholic care homes and hospices is in doubt if the assisted suicide legislation currently before parliament is passed because they may be forced to comply with its provisions, thereby totally violating their own ethos. The warning came following the recent passage of […] The post English hospices may soon be forced to close before of euthanasia law first appeared on The Iona Institute .
Dovie Eisner, a 34-year-old disabled New Yorker with nemaline myopathy, is currently hospitalized and urges Governor Hochul to veto New York's medical aid in dying law, which he and others consider the worst of its kind. Eisner initially urged the New York Senate to reject Senate Bill 138 and continues to advocate against assisted suicide laws through the disability rights organization Not Dead Yet.
In this episode, Fr. Boquet explores the growing crisis of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada—and what it means for the elderly and vulnerable people everywhere. We unpack the shocking true story of Marge, a woman with ADHD and autism recently approved for MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) in Canada. Her case, first reported by… The post MAiD for Autism? The Slippery Slope of Legal Euthanasia in Canada appeared first on Human Life International .
Wesley J. Smith appeared on the Ann and Phelim Scoop, hosted by Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, to discuss the spread of euthanasia through the West. Comparing it to a metastasizing cancer, Wesley casts light on why euthanasia has become so popular, the state of euthanasia in Canada, the real reasons people seek euthanasia, and its devastating effects on human life.
The New York Times Magazine has a very long article out today highlighting cases of nonterminally ill people being killed by doctors in Canada. It is too long to comment on the whole thing.
A new “soft opt-out” organ donation law will take effect from June 17th. Under this legislation, the State will be allowed to remove your organs upon death without your explicit consent, unless you registered a request to opt out. When the law was still being debated, I argued that donation should arise only from an informed […] The post Introducing organ donation euthanasia first appeared on The Iona Institute .
The assisted suicide movement is slowly metastasizing throughout the West. Delaware just became the twelfth U.S. jurisdiction allowing doctors to intentionally prescribe a lethal overdose of drugs as a supposed “treatment” for a terminal illness. (Why such an event pleases certain politicians and activists is beyond me. We are talking about endorsing suicide.) Now, France is on the verge of legalizing assisted suicide/euthanasia as the General Assembly just passed a bill by a comfortable 305-199 margin. From The Guardian: The legislation would allow a medical team to decide if a patient is eli
“Even when not motivated by a selfish refusal to be burdened with the life of someone who is suffering, euthanasia must be called a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing ‘perversion’ of mercy. True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear. Moreover, the act of euthanasia… The post Canada’s Euthanasia Crisis: A Global Wake-Up Call appeared first on Human Life International .
On April 3, 2025, Wesley J. Smith gave a presentation to Wisconsin Right to Life. After sharing how a friend’s suicide under the influence of the Hemlock Society propelled him into public opposition of the euthanasia movement, Smith explores the personal and societal consequences of embracing assisted suicide.
Schadenberg discusses an inquest involving Normand Meunier and concerns about inadequate hospital care preceding his assisted death. He argues that the case illustrates the need to address neglect rather than treat euthanasia as an answer to preventable suffering.
The organizations announce an Ottawa press conference calling for a review of Canada's euthanasia system. The notice highlights their campaign for access to medical facilities that do not provide medical assistance in dying.
Schadenberg discusses a veteran's reported account of being offered medical assistance in dying during an earlier interaction with veterans' services. He uses the account to argue for stronger access to treatment and reform of how vulnerable veterans are supported.
The Canadian health care system is melting down — and yet the country still embraces radical euthanasia policies. Here’s a current example: A woman injured in an auto accident has waited nearly two years for a consultation with a spinal surgeon — despite now having to use a wheelchair. So, she wants to come to the U.S. for a simple diagnosis, which will cost $40,000! From the CBC story: A London woman injured in a car crash says she’s left with no choice but to pay to see a doctor in the United States after waiting almost two years for a diagnosis from an Ontario spine surgeon. Sydney Gesualdi
A Canadian election pledge not to expand euthanasia eligibility to mental illness alone. Schadenberg also presents disability advocates' calls for broader restrictions on eligibility beyond that campaign commitment.
A new paper from the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford warns against using Australia as a model for UK laws on assisted suicide and euthanasia. Both the UK Parliament at Westminster and the Scottish Parliament are currently considering bills that would legalise what is often called “assisted dying”. In his briefing paper Wrong Side of the […] The post Euthanasia; a warning from Australia first appeared on The Iona Institute .
Kelsi Sheren criticizes a reported contrast between difficulty obtaining surgery and the speed of receiving assisted-death paperwork. The account also clarifies that the patient requested the forms in frustration and did not say that his doctor pressured him to die.
On March 26, 2025, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities called on Canada to repeal Track 2 of its assisted suicide and euthanasia program, which allows people with disabilities whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable to request assisted suicide or euthanasia. The committee criticized the program for basing eligibility on ableist perceptions of disability and suffering, and stated that safeguards do not guarantee support for persons with disabilities, emphasizing that suffering is caused by inequality and discrimination rather than disability itself.
Schadenberg reviews the assisted-dying sections of the United Nations disability committee's concluding observations on Canada. He focuses on the committee's concerns about eligibility where death is not foreseeable and proposed further expansions.
This republished Inclusion Canada statement welcomes a United Nations committee's recommendations on Canadian disability rights. It highlights the recommendation to repeal Track 2 assisted dying alongside calls for stronger income support, inclusion, and community services.
Schadenberg summarizes the Netherlands' reported 2024 euthanasia totals and highlights an increase in cases involving psychiatric conditions. He raises concerns about the implications for younger patients and for countries considering similar laws.
I always enjoy Kathryn Lopez’s ongoing Corner feature in which she posts about news stories that “caught my eye.” So I decided to blatantly steal the concept to discuss euthanasia/assisted suicide stories that have recently been in the news. (When ready to publish full article, combine lists so that number 1 below becomes number 4.)
This advocacy post reports that Delaware's House passed HB 140 and urges readers to oppose the assisted-suicide proposal in the Senate. It contrasts the current legislative effort with the previous governor's veto and the new governor's support.
