In 1997, only Switzerland allowed their residents to decide if they wanted to end their life, but “compassion for end-of-life sensibilities” (quotes added) has seen that number rise dramatically across the West.

Since 2015, ten countries (including Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Germany), ten American states, and D.C. have legalized assisted dying. Countries that are largely Catholic, such as Ireland and Italy, are currently crafting legislation to follow suit.

More and more people who have seen their relatives suffer through chronic or incurable illnesses—and who may be worried they might face the same fate—are on a wave of activism to return the right to die to the individual and families, rather than the state.

In 2015, the state of Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, which was copied internationally in places like New Zealand and all but one of the states of Australia.

One of the founding principles of classical liberalism was the right to self-ownership: one owns the rights and fates of one’s person. It’s the ultimate vote of confidence in not only the sovereignty of the individual, but in the principles which many of our Western countries were found upon.

Possible Preaching Angle:

One of the clear principles of the Word of God is “you shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13). As difficult as the end of life may be for a loved one or for yourself, we do not “own ourselves” (1 Cor 6:12). It is God’s expressed will that we entrust ourselves to him so that we pray “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).