Opinions Sought on Euthanasia

Blair, Kathy, Anglican Journal

Was Robert Latimer justified in killing his severely disabled daughter, Tracy, in order to end her suffering?

Twelve-year-old Tracy had cerebral palsy which left her unable to walk, talk or feed herself. She had endured a number of operations in her life.

Some Canadians say Mr. Latimer acted with the best of intentions and ought not to be treated like a murderer. Others, notably representatives for people with disabilities, say allowing Mr. Latimer to serve a shorter sentence than other killers would lead to open season on people who are less than perfect.

The Latimer case is one of the real-life situations raised in a study guide, Care in Dying: A Consideration of the Practices of Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide, newly released by the Anglican Church of Canada for reflection and comment.

A task group of the church's Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee prepared the study guide for use by Anglicans in response to a General Synod request in 1998. The group had presented a draft statement that opposed legalizing …

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Publication information: Article title: Opinions Sought on Euthanasia. Contributors: Blair, Kathy - Author. Magazine title: Anglican Journal. Volume: 126. Issue: 3 Publication date: March 2000. Page number: Not available. © Anglican Church of Canada Feb 2009. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group.

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