On Sunday, I took a risk. I was preaching to a congregation I didn’t know and I chose to speak on the emotive topic of assisted suicide.
With the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill approaching on 29th November, I felt it was vital to address the issue, even without knowing the congregation’s stories.
The Bill seeks to legalise assisted suicide for adults with terminal illnesses expected to live less than six months. While framed as compassionate and autonomy-focused, it raises profound ethical, social, and theological concerns.
As a Salvation Army Officer, I shared why I’ve written to my MP to oppose it—grounded in my faith that holds life sacred and my experience with the marginalised people most at risk.
‘A blessing not a burden’
At the end of the meeting, I made my way to the foyer to greet people. A man was waiting, eager to speak with me. As I approached, he gripped my hand firmly, his eyes intense.
“Twelve months ago, my wife was given two days to live.”
He paused, holding my hand tighter.
“But those two days turned into two weeks. And then two months. It’s been a year now, and she’s still with us.”
His eyes glistened.
“None of it would’ve happened if someone had said, ‘You don’t have to keep going.’ If that had been an option, I think she might have taken it—not because she wanted to, but because she wouldn’t have wanted to be a burden to us.”
He took a deep breath.
“Hearing you talk about this today… it mattered. You were right—this Bill could hurt the most vulnerable. My wife isn’t a burden. She’s a blessing. And I’m so thankful The Salvation Army is speaking out, because not everyone sees it that way.”
His words reminded me why we must speak about difficult issues—even from the pulpit. They affirmed the importance of amplifying voices often unheard and standing with society’s most vulnerable.
That Sunday left me with a renewed conviction: to speak with courage and trust that God can use those words in ways beyond my understanding.
Compassion or coercion?
While public policy shouldn’t be shaped by one person’s story—whether this man and his wife, a grandmother who endured a painful death without proper palliative care, or Esther Rantzen—these experiences highlight why this topic is so raw.
Facing terminal illness is heartrending, and the desire to alleviate suffering is only natural. Yet, this Bill risks worsening suffering for the most vulnerable and those who love them.
In Blackpool, where deprivation limits access to healthcare, I know people struggling with chronic pain and isolation, feeling trapped by inadequate support systems. For them, the idea of “choice” in dying is hollow when basic choices in living are unavailable. It’s no wonder that a disproportionate number of deaths from Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) programme come from poorer areas.
This means the Bill’s safeguards are deeply flawed. Assessing applicants without addressing coercion or social pressures is inadequate. Economic struggles and the fear of being a burden push people toward despair and desperate measures. Worse still, the Bill obligates NHS funding for assisted suicide while neglecting palliative care. At a time when the NHS and social care are in crisis, how can we consider obliging the NHS to assist suicides while hospices must still rely on charity shops for two-thirds of their funding?
Life is sacred
Life is sacred because it is created by God, sustained by His love, and redeemed by His grace. Psalm 139 reminds us that every life—every person—is “fearfully and wonderfully made,” a truth that shapes how we respond to suffering.
Rather than ending life, we are called to reflect God’s love through presence, compassion, and advocacy for systems that uphold dignity.
A major reason cited for assisted suicide in other countries is social isolation. It’s heartbreaking that some choose death because they feel alone. Regardless of the legislation, Christians are reminded that a phone call, a visit, or an invitation can transform a person’s life. Compassion begins with connection.
What can we do?
As this Bill approaches its second reading, we all have a responsibility to engage. I encourage you to reflect on its implications and write to your Member of Parliament. The Salvation Army has made this easy through their advocacy tool.
This is not about imposing faith on others but about advocating for a prophetic, compassionate and equitable response to suffering. And MPs are listening to constituents: your voice matters.
Legalising assisted suicide represents a threshold—a point from which society cannot return. We must ask ourselves: what kind of society do we aspire to be? One that prioritises care and compassion for all, or one that implicitly endorses the idea that certain lives are expendable, offering death as a solution to pain?
Use the Salvation Army online tool to write to your MP about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Dr John Clifton is a Salvation Army Officer and theologian, with a local role in Blackpool and a national role in justice and reconciliation. He writes at Christ in the Margins.
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Thank you John. Well done for being brave in tackling this subject. Once the door is opened, however slightly, the flood will come in. Suicide will begin as an tempting option, then it will become a duty, as people worry about being a burden. Not only the terminally ill people in pain, but the poor, lonely, depressed, isolated, just tired of living and those who don’t have family members who love them more than the idea of getting their hands on their estate will all be next. This is the reality of the world we live in.
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