Trust, fear and betrayal at the heart of the assisted dying debate
The decision by MPs to approve the Assisted Dying bill, followed a Commons debate of high emotion, but the implications, questions and concerns are continuing to be aired and a panel at a Religion Media Centre briefing gave some idea of where the debate will go next. Catholic Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues said there were many practical considerations such as coercion, the safety of people, the danger of the slippery slope, conscientious objection and protecting the ethos of institutions such as a Catholic hospice. The Rev Prof Douglas Davies, Director of the Centre for Death and Life Studies at Durham university, indicated the reputation of the NHS is on the line. Emotion was at the heart of the issue, with feelings of trust, fear and even the potential of betrayal by the NHS, which cares from birth to old age but at some point will now say ‘No’. In the Commons, there were multiple stories told of terrible suffering at the end of life. But more public information is needed on the end of life. Dr Matthew Dore, hon secretary of the Association of Palliative Care Medicine for Great Britain and Ireland, said that painful and suffering deaths are extremely rare and he simply didn’t recognise the many scenarios mentioned by MPs, from his clinical practice. There are major issues for Muslim medical staff, with Dr Mansur Ali explaining that for Muslim medics, assisted dying is a “no-go area”. All agreed that society now needs to talk more about death. Hospice chaplain the Rev Karen Murphy described the common emotion of fear as patients near the end, fearing being alone and stepping into nothingness with an intensity that is painful. She described how she heard of a patient who watched the whole debate last Friday and at the end said he would choose to die if he could. His family was distraught. He died that weekend. View the discussion again on our YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, via links on our website here
Bishop says assisted dying law is “devastating shift” for sick and vulnerable
Another Catholic bishop has spoken out against the passing of the Assisted Dying Bill. Bishop Patrick McKinney, of Nottingham, said it would be a devastating law, especially for the sick and vulnerable of society and “it marks a very bleak day in our country’s history”. He had no doubt that this was “not merely about changing the law; we are about to witness a devastating shift in our culture and society. The fundamental principle that we do not involve ourselves in bringing about the deaths of others will be reserved for those who are strong and healthy, while people who are seriously ill and vulnerable will no longer be afforded such protection”. Catholic Herald report here
Bishop of Norwich says passing the bill is “a bleak day”
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, said he was saddened that the Assisted Dying bill had passed. “This is a bleak day for all whom I have spoken with who feared such a result, including the vulnerable, those at risk of coercion, disability groups and those working in palliative care… I believe that a wiser path would be to provide more palliative and hospice care so that the terminally ill and their families are supported and cared for with the utmost dignity. We must not give up on that aspiration”.
Bishop Jo Bailey Wells steps back over handling of John Smyth abuse allegations
Bishop Jo Bailey Wells, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s former chaplain, has become the first serving bishop to step back from her role in the handling of allegations of abuse by the Christian barrister John Smyth. Her place in the story was outlined in The Makin Review, which described how she told Justin Welby in 2013, when she was his chaplain, that the police were investigating the Smyth abuse story. But this information was not followed up and Makin said there was “a distinct lack of curiosity shown by these senior figures and a tendency towards minimisation of the matter”. Jo Bailey Wells was made a bishop in 2016 and is currently Deputy Secretary General of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and Bishop of Episcopal Ministry in the Anglican Communion. She has been asked to step away from ministry pending a “safeguarding risk assessment”, which will be completed by the Diocese of London safeguarding team and the church’s national team. Telegraph report here
CofE statement on response to Makin review
The Church of England has issued a statement on how it is progressing its response to the Makin review, after criticism that the reaction has been too slow. There have been calls for all clergy at every rank, named in the review, to stand aside while investigations take place. So far one retired bishop, Paul Butler, and one serving Jo Bailey Wells, have stood back. The statement says a large number of safeguarding assessments have already taken place and the process is expected to be completed by the General Synod meeting in February. There is a four-stage process: assessing immediate risk which could lead to disciplinary measures; in-depth assessments; reviewing in depth assessments in case disciplinary action is needed; and external scrutiny of those decisions by an independent barrister. Full statement here
Nigerian pastor deported after financial irregularities at his church
The Telegraph reports an immigration tribunal decision that the Nigerian pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, must be deported after the church he led was wound up following stories of financial irregularities. Mr Adegboyega was head of Salvation Proclaimer Ministries Limited, also known as SPAC Nation, based in south London. There were various media reports of lavish lifestyles and exploited young people in a church with a prosperity gospel at its heart. The Insolvency Service investigated the church and found it could not provide full data to support claimed donations, nor accounting records in support of £1.87m of expenditure. A police investigation was dropped and there have been no convictions. Mr Adegboyega claimed deportation would breach his right to a fmaily life, under the European Convention of Human Rights – he has married a British woman. But the tribunal said: “[Mr Adegboyega] seeks to rely on family and private life relationships, all of which have been established whilst he was in the UK unlawfully, and which would survive his return to Nigeria”. Deportation would, it said, be lawful in all the circumstances.
Community Security Trust reflects on 30 years of keeping the Jewish community safe
The Community Security Trust has been assessing its 30-year history logging antisemitism, providing security at Jewish events, bolstering security at buildings used by Jewish organisations, helping students feel safe and offering self-defence training. It says that it has logged more than 30,000 reports of antisemitic incidents, hostile behaviour, and suspicious activity. CEO Mark Gardner told the Jewish Chronicle that challenges are increasingly digital, with “hatred in the palm of your hand” and he sees their job as finding individuals such as Nazi-sympathising teenagers, before they act. Another change is the way antisemitism is talked about openly. He said: “Antisemitism is not going to disappear magically in our lifetimes. Our job is to keep the community as safe as possible, no matter the circumstances.”
Exhibition of men’s fashion at Friday prayers
Remona Aly reports on an exhibition of men’s fashion at Friday prayers in east London, which is on display in Bethnal Green. “Jummah Aesthetics: British Muslim Men and Their Sartorial Choices” was produced from photographing men going to prayer over a period of eight months. The pictures published in The Guardian show photographer Rehan Jamil wearing Nehru-collar shirts in the summer and Oliver Spencer wool polo tops in the winter, paired with Nudie jeans made from recycled fibres. Another fine example is Imam Maruf, 33, dressed in a grey blazer and pristine white cotton thobe in his photograph. While a 22-year-old half-Yemeni, half-Kenyan Sufi keeps it simple with smart-casual shirt and trousers from Uniqlo. In general, the photographers found older men wore more bright colours, while young men went monochrome. But all the men pictured paid attention to good grooming. Dr Fatima Rajina, a sociologist behind the exhibition said: “So much of research is oversaturated with Muslim men in relation to radicalisation and the Prevent strategy, which you see in the dominant mainstream discourse too. No one is looking at Muslim men from this lens.”
