CURRENT ISSUES ESSAY

Examine one current issue generating tension in society and how and why a religion responds to
this issue.

The legalization of voluntary assisted dying in western Australia is a controversial issue which
generates much tension and conflict in society due to the religious, practical and ethical concerns
surrounding the topic. Voluntary assisted dying enables an eligible person to legally access
medication that will cause their death as governed by the voluntary assisted dying act in 2019 as a
means to end the suffering of the terminal patient however is contin

BP1- key features of VAD and why it is contentious as it causes disagreement and concern

- When doctors administer VAD they are required to state the cause of death as the illness
suffered
- Differing views including; the passing of the bill can lead to a “slippery slope” in others
looking to have the eligibility for VAD extended beyond its current means, the bill requires
passing a law that goes against the preservation of human life which is the worefront of
western society, advocation that a life suffering has a lower quality than those (usually of
religious orientation) who advocate that human life is sacred and that VAD gives people
autonomy as utilitarian john stuart mill (1859) argued that in matters that do not concern
others, individuals should have autonomy over our bodies in matters of life and therefore
should be the same in death
- These strong opinions for and against VAD leads to tension and conflict in society as neither
opinions acknowledge their knock on acknowledgement, against doesn’t acknowledge the
individuals needs and pluralizes the issue whilst for doesn’t recognize the societal impacts
the legalization of VAD has and the broadening of the parameters the bill can have

BP2- reasons why a religion responds

- Religion, Catholicism, is guided by their religious principles and beliefs and that the sacred
scripture forms this understanding as it is believed that life is a sacred gift from god and that
suffering unites a person with christ. This is also reaffirmed by leading church figures such as
St Thomas Aquinas who professed the natural moral law which asserts human perservance
of life as the primary concern of man

BP3- how a religion responds

- The roman catholic church has a responsibility to convey to their followers how to respond in
modern issues in application of teaching, governing and sanctifying.
- Govern: timothy costellos pastoral letters on VAD
- Sanctifying referring to the catholic agencies who provide pallative care