Euthanasia assisted suicide – video examines complexities

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

The Nathaniel Centre has produced an 8 minute video, “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Real Life Implications”.

It is designed to stimulate discussion and help viewers appreciate the complexity of the issue by raising questions that are often not explored in the overly simplistic and emotive way that the debate is too often presented by New Zealand media.

In the video, different New Zealanders raise concerns about euthanasia and assisted suicide from a range of professional, cultural, ethical, societal, pastoral and personal perspectives.

To aid further discussion The Nathaniel Centre has prepared two supplementary resources; a sheet of questions and a handout of selected quotes.

Nathaniel Centre Director Dr John Kleinsman said he hoped the new resource will prove useful for schools, parishes and other groups as well as individuals.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are once again receiving considerable media attention in the build up to the release of the findings from the Health Select Committee Investigation into Ending One’s Life.

A recent new story featured Dr Sean Davison, the New Zealand born microbiologist who was convicted for helping his mother die.

He is planning to scan dying people’s brains to test whether their stress is lowered once they know a doctor will help them die.

Davison heads a forensic DNA laboratory in South Africa.

He as become a campaigner for legalised euthanasia after serving five months’ home detention in Dunedin in 2012.

The video and other resources have been created by staff of The Nathaniel Centre, the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre and Dartworks NZ, with support from the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference Communications Office.