Disability rights activists are frustrated that a person who wants disabled people euthanised at birth is to speak at a public event. Australian ethicist Dr Peter Singer’s views are “harmful” to those with disabilities, the activists say. Singer is back in Auckland for a one-off event at Trusts Arena in Henderson on Saturday night. He Read more
Asked what drives his values, when pressed the National Party’s new leader, Christopher Luxon (pictured) identifies the Christian religion. The apparent media anxiety over Luxon’s Christianity is incoherent; his four immediate predecessors Judith Collins, Todd Muller, Simon Bridges and Bill English all professed a form of Christian faith. Then adding to the incoherence is that Read more
Like most of his fellow Italians, Mattia Nanetti, 25, from the northern city of Bologna, grew up with the teachings and sacraments of the Catholic Church in parochial school. Even his scouting group was Catholic. But in September 2019 he decided the time had come to leave the church behind. He filled out a form Read more
When faced with the terminal suffering of someone you love, almost nothing else matters. I understand the pain. The renewed debate about voluntary assisted dying in NSW is personal for me – my mother died earlier this year following a battle with a terrible disease over a number of years. There were days when I Read more
For Catholics who put their faith first, before anything else, there is one way – above all others – to view the life and death issues facing local communities, the nation and the world: and that is, through the lens of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching! But instead, it clearly appears that more often Read more
What happens if a patient doesn’t die during a euthanasia attempt? That’s one of a number of ethical and legal questions being asked by palliative care experts who say we are woefully unprepared to introduce assisted dying. Senior nursing leaders are also concerned New Zealand won’t be ready when the law takes effect on 7 Read more
Medical students become more opposed to euthanasia during their training as they progress through medical school, a new study says. In their second year, almost 65 percent of medical students at Otago University supported euthanasia or assisted dying. Support for the practice reduced during each year of training: by their third year it fell to Read more
Wairarapa MP, Kieran McAnulty, says his distancing from the Catholic Church is due to the marriage equality debates. Born and raised Catholic, McAnulty likes Pope Francis but says his regular relationship with the Church is a little strained. “The marriage equality debates started and I just felt that the Church at the time didn’t reflect Read more