Physician-assisted suicide: An issue that will affect you & your loved ones

Friends in Christ, 

Blessings as we continue our celebration of the Incarnation and as we welcome the new year.

Sunday, January 19, our Synod will again observe Life Sunday, calling attention to the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Historically, this has meant expressing our opposition to the abortion of life at its beginning. Recent years, however, have seen an equally militant assault on life nearer its ending. Through the legalization of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), 10 states have already taken this fateful step, and many more (including Minnesota) will be considering it this year. 

As yet another dimension of our culture’s well-documented rebellion against God’s created order seeks public endorsement and given the inevitable suffering that will be visited on individuals and families as a result of it, it is incumbent on us, as the Church, to be active in informing ourselves and our neighbors about the specific and significant dangers inherent in PAS.

To that end, the Public Policy Committee of the Minnesota North and South Districts has prepared a bulletin insert / flyer to educate ourselves and the community at large about this threat. It is our hope that you will distribute it as broadly as possible and that you’ll look for opportunities to follow up with discussions on the topic in the weeks and months ahead.

Additional resources to help facilitate these discussions can be found at lcms.org (CTCR, LCMS Life Ministry, and LCMS Life Library) as well as at the websites provided in the flyer itself. 

At present, polling seems to indicate a roughly equal split between those who approve of PAS and those who do not. While it is sad that such a high percentage approves of it, the good news is that many of those who do approve hold their opinion “loosely” and are open to change when provided with reliable information and when they hear the encouraging stories of people living meaningful and joyful lives despite the challenges that are inevitably part of life.

This is an area of public life that the Church is more than qualified to speak to. Indeed, our culture desperately needs to hear the word of hope that is ours in Christ so that we can turn from being the society obsessed with death that we are today and become one that truly celebrates life!

Blessings as you serve your congregation and your community with the Word of life! 

In Christ,

Rev. Fredric Hinz

fred.hinz@mnsdistrict.org
Public Policy Advocate
Minnesota South and North Districts
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod