Netherlands (MNN) — Netherlands’ government will allow terminally-ill children between the ages of 1 and 12 years old to be euthanized, CNA reports. Officials expect this legislation will affect 5 to 10 children per year.
Under current laws, Dutch doctors can euthanize children older than 12 and younger than 1 with parental consent. “This is just closing the gap that was left,” Michel Shoun of Life Matters Worldwide says.
Lawmakers in the Netherlands aren’t the only European leaders loosening euthanasia norms.
“Belgium, their next-door neighbor, has very liberal euthanasia laws,” Shoun notes. Great Britain could see legislation by 2025 – a move discouraged by a former euthanasia advocate Dr. Bert Keizer.
(Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels)
“Thankfully, I don’t believe there’s any movement here [in the U.S.] to do similar things with minors and young people because we have pretty strong informed consent laws,” Shoun says.
“Whether it’s sexual activity and minors, or a kid being able to get an aspirin at school, they have to have a note from home. It’s assumed that young people can’t give consent for certain things.”
Christians serve a Lord that has risen from the dead, and this high regard for life has often led them to oppose euthanasia legislation. Pray many would see the love of Christians and seek the living hope of Jesus.
Life matters
Saving humanity is the heartbeat of the Gospel. It’s why Life Matters Worldwide partners with pro-life ministries around the world to establish and sustain them as effective Gospel outreaches.
Through its LIFT program, Life Matters equips church partners to come alongside families caring for elderly, terminally, or chronically ill people. As described here, LIFT divides needs and tasks into manageable chores that can be shared by several volunteers. No single individual, pastor, or deacon has to meet needs alone.
In the header image, two young girls with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) receiving chemotherapy. The girl on the left has an IV tube in the neck, the other girl’s IV is in her arm. They are sitting on a bed and are demonstrating some of the procedures and techniques used with chemotherapy. (Photo, caption courtesy of National Cancer Institute via Unsplash)
