Nearly 20 States Are Weighing Legislation That Would Make Assisted Suicide Legal

Lawmakers in 19 states are debating legislation this year that would make it legal for a doctor to provide life-ending treatment for patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

Currently, assisted suicide is legal in the United States in Oregon, Washington state, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, New Jersey, Vermont, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Bills to expand access to the procedure have been proposed in 19 states this year, showing a growing interest in the debate of a doctor’s role in helping a patient end their life.

Assisted suicide was first made legal in Oregon in 1997 with Vermont, Washington State, Montana and California following soon after. New Mexico was the most recent state to adopt the measure in 2021, allowing patients with six months to live or less to take their life after going through a mental competency screening process and, if they pass that, a 48-hour waiting period, according to KQRE News, a local media outlet.

Assisted suicide was first made legal in Oregon in 1997 with Vermont, Washington State, Montana and California following soon after. New Mexico was the most recent state to adopt the measure in 2021, allowing patients with six months to live or less to take their life after going through a mental competency screening process and, if they pass that, a 48-hour waiting period, according to KQRE News, a local media outlet.

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Nearly 20 States Are Weighing Legislation That Would Make Assisted Suicide Legal

Lawmakers in 20 states are debating legislation that would make it legal for a doctor to provide life-ending treatment for patients with terminal illnesses.

dailycaller.com

 

[1LoverofGod]

 

[Tall Timbers]

Sad. A lot of people will be hastening their trip to Sheol where they will await judgment prior to getting tossed into the Lake of Fire.

 

[Baby Yoda]

 

[Tall Timbers]

Once it's legal I wonder if it will become illegal to try and convince someone pondering suicide to choose life. Just as some are facing long prison terms for exercising free speech near abortion clinics in an attempt to influence a person into not murdering their baby, will those who counsel or otherwise exercise free speech where assisted suicides (murder) is taking place also ultimately face prison terms?

 

[Andy C]

I always feel sorry for those who are dying with an extremely painful terminal disease, and no possible relief from pain. Id like to think I would never even consider assited suicicde, but can someone really know how they would respond when their not in that situation?

Thankfully, its not a salvation issue, though clearly a sin.

 

[Hol]

can someone really know how they would respond when their not in that situation?

Thanks for the reminder Andy!

My gut reactions was shock followed by anger, but you're right.

Once it's legal I wonder if it will become illegal to try and convince someone pondering suicide to choose life.

I hadn't considered that, but we've seen this over and over. Counseling gender confused individuals is an early example.

The world is heading toward loving death and violence, following their father Satan, who hates all of them.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Id like to think I would never even consider assited suicicde, but can someone really know how they would respond when their not in that situation?

I've had a couple of times where I would have welcomed death to end the pain, but never considered hurrying that eventuality along. I agree that you don't really know until you're in that situation.

I could imagine people in extreme pain that seems as if it will have no end who have never considered suicide might just say yes when/if offered that end as an option.

 

[1LoverofGod]

Related:

Democrat states are nationalizing euthanasia in America


— Wesley J. Smith wrote an excellent article that was published by the Epoch Times on February 5, 2024 on how states that have legalized assisted suicide have almost universally passed new expansive legislation, including the removal of state residency requirements that permit suicide tourism.

For instance, Oregon and Vermont have removed their state assisted suicide residency requirement, permitting people to travel from anywhere to die by assisted suicide in those states. A recent court case is challenging the New Jersey assisted suicide law residency requirement, and an assisted suicide expansion bill in Colorado seeks to permit suicide tourism in that state.

Wesley Smith explains:

Assisted suicide zealots have long sought to similarly impose their death agenda throughout the nation regardless of state laws to the contrary. Indeed, not long after Oregon voters legalized doctor-prescribed death in 1994, advocates tried to get the Supreme Court to impose a Roe v. Wade-type constitutional right to assisted suicide.

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Democrat states are nationalizing euthanasia in America - LifeSite

Left-wing states like Oregon and Vermont are removing residency requirements for euthanasia, allowing people to travel from anywhere to end their lives within their borders.

www.lifesitenews.com

 

[Baby Yoda]

've had a couple of times where I would have welcomed death to end the pain, but never considered hurrying that eventuality along. I agree that you don't really know until you're in that situation.

Have a friend who makes comments like that now and then, always in pain and not having any quality of life. She's saved though, and hangs on.

 

[Andiamo]

I remember this one young woman who had a brain tumor in Oregon who spoke openly about her upcoming, medically-guided suicide. Joni Eareckson-Tada published a letter urging her to change her mind. She also did a lot of interviews and videos proclaiming the sanctity and gift of life. Even the concept of Assisted suicide is very very dangerous to those who are disabled. Joni is their warrior in that regard.

Joni Eareckson Tada Begs Brittany Maynard to 'Take a Long, Hard Look at Consequences' of Physician-Assisted Suicide Decision

Joni Eareckson Tada, an internationally known advocate for the disability community who has been a quadriplegic more than 47 years and is a breast cancer survivor as well, has made a plea to terminal ...

www.christianpost.com

 

[1LoverofGod]

The problem is that it's gone beyond the use of "assisted suicide" for the terminally I'll or for patients in suffering where there's no hope for medical care to help someone suffering.

Like in some places, for instance Canada, they are using assisted suicide as a remedy for homelessness, or mental illnesses of any kind, etc.

If someone were to tell their doctor that they feel depressed and feel suicidal, to offer euthanasia as the solution is an atrocity.

Some people who feel hopelessness have a good chance of feeling hope just hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus.

What they're doing now is giving suicide as a way out of any problem that is either a burden for the patient and whatever is considered to be a burden to society.

It is nothing more than another form of depopulation and doing away with the "useless eaters" as has been publicly stated by the World Economic forum.

Why would someone see this any different for someone who takes it upon themselves to commit suicide without the assistance from the medical system, or to let someone else do it for you?

Nowhere in the Bible are we told that God gives us the option to end our own life for any reason. I have yet to see in scripture where someone was suffering under persecution and to take their life to bring relief was an option.

We are to Trust God in all circumstances, and believe when He says that He will not let us suffer anything not common to man, but will always help us find a way out so we can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

It's an atrocity that suicide is being normalized as a solution to hopelessness and suffering.
I'm so thankful Jesus endured his suffering for us to the end for our sake of salvation.