(WND) – The Dutch psychiatrist whose lawsuit opened the door to allowing assisted suicide in the Netherlands for people suffering depression is now having second thoughts.
Boudewijn Chabot, in an article titled “Worrisome Culture Shift in the Context of Self-Selected Death,” decries the new practice of allowing psychiatrists without a therapeutic relationship with a patient to determine whether assisted suicide is permissible under the law.
Wesley Smith, a leading bioethics expert and opponent of assisted suicide and euthanasia, writes in a column for National Review that he predicted the development.
“Euthanasia consciousness changes mindsets. It alters societal morality,” he said. “It distorts our views of the importance of vulnerable lives. It leads to abandonment and various forms of subtle and blatant coercion. Over time, it can’t be controlled.” CONTINUE