Assisted suicide and euthanasia raises social, moral, legal, theological and philosophical questions, that go to the very core of our understanding of who we are, the meaning of life, and the duty of care we display to each other. The recent Supreme Court of Canada’s decision has brought this topic into public discussion and brings each of us as Canadians to reflect upon our personal and societal response to those who need our compassion and care.

From the basis of our sacred teachings and traditions, we affirm the sanctity of all human life, and the equal dignity of every human being. This is a moral shared by societies and cultures around the world and throughout history. Human dignity is not exclusively a religious belief, although it has a significant religious meaning. We believe that reverence for human life is the basis and reason for our compassion, responsibility and commitment in caring for all humans, our brothers and sisters, when they are suffering and in pain.

We, the undersigned residents of Canada believe that euthanasia and assisted suicide should not be legal within Canada.