www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Belgium considers euthanasia for children

Ah, the wisdom of the ages.

Belgium considers euthanasia for children
Wed September 08, 2004 10:08 AM ET


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian lawmakers belonging to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's ruling Flemish Liberal party have introduced a bill seeking to expand the country's controversial euthanasia legislation to include minors.
Senators Jeannine Leduc and Paul Wille said in the bill that terminally ill children and teenagers had as much right to choose when they wanted to die as anyone else.

"Their suffering is as great (and) the situation they face is as intolerable and inhumane," the senators' bill read on Wednesday.

A controversial law decriminalising euthanasia came into force in Belgium in September 2002.

Patients wishing to end their lives must be conscious when the application is made and repeat their request for euthanasia. Their doctor must fill in a form and consult another physician before making a final decision.

Wille and Leduc now also want to include "assisted suicide" in the current legislation as they feel patients often want to end their lives themselves.

JoeS

My Question is: Isnt Belgium a predominately Roman Catholic country? And if so, what the heck is going on there?

JoeS

JoeS:

My question, as an answer to your own, is "does this look like it would come out of a predominately Roman Catholic country"?

Sometimes that label is something that no longer applies. Maybe that's why the Pope has been talking so much about a need for a "new evangelization."

BOB

I remember reading that the former King of Belgium, who was a devout Catholic, would not sign some of the legislation he found offensive. Apparently, it became law anyway after a period of time, but he didn't want to give the impression he consented to it. No, I think most of Western Europe is mission territory now, even more so than North America.

The Father of the present king (I cant recall his name) abdicated rather than sign the bill making abortion legal.

Later on, parliment restored him to his throne.


Michael

How sad to see the nation of Leon Degrelle falling this low!

Europe is joining the death culture faster than us I think, the western civilization is truly dying as well as its Church.

But this crisis will end, and christianity will rise again. The forces of hell shall not prevail!