The influence of church or state

Today in the UK House of Commons our MPs voted in favour, by a margin of 330 to 275, of a bill calling for assisted dying. This free vote, meaning an MP was not obliged to vote a particular way by their party’s whip, means that the first steps in changing the law have passed. It now need to go through the rest of the parliamentary process, including a vote in the House of Lords, before it can become a reality. 

I’m unsure which way I’d have voted given the chance. I’ve watched relatives and friends with serious illness suffer towards the end of their life, so I understand why this debate happened. However, I’d want to ensure that the appropriate safeguards were in place to prevent people being forced or coerced into accepted their fate. There seems to be sufficient thought made to this. For example, it will only be available to those who are terminally ill and must be approved by two doctors and a judge.
 
The issue for me is that I can’t be sure what I’d want until faced with the reality of a terminal diagnosis. It’s all right saying I’m in favour of having the option of an assisted death, but I may think differently when faced with making the choice. Having the option is very different from saying you want it, so that’s OK, and you can always change your mind. That’s why I’m sympathetic.
 
As someone brought up in religious household, what is interesting is the disconnect between the church and state. In the UK the monarch is head of the Church of England, but thanks to Oliver Cromwell, no longer has control over their government’s policies. That said, I doubt this vote would have even taken place, let alone pass, 50 years ago. Attitudes have changed, and so has the power of the religious bodies to influence how we think. 
 
We’ve seen religious influence wain in other countries also. In my homeland Ireland, the pull of the Catholic churches influence is nothing like it was when I was growing up. Recent years have seen votes pass there on same sex marriage and abortion. My aunt, a missionary nun, would be proud of her church if she’d have lived to see the law pass! She was an educated lady, who saw firsthand what the absence of choice did to people. In her own way she was able to voice her thoughts within the confines of her role.
 
Whatever your thoughts on assisted dying, remember that people are coming from the right place. It’s a complicated topic, with different experiences and emotions. Whatever the result of this vote, let’s remember that this is about peace and dignity at the end of a person’s life.