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Assisted suicide debate
Bishop brings discussion to Biddenham
An assisted suicide debate will take place next month between a bishop and an athiest.
Geoff Morris, 56, of Sawtry in Cambrige, has invited the Bishop of Bedford, for a public debate on assisted suicide, to be held in Biddenham Upper School in Bedford, on October 21.
The debate comes after recent calls for assisted suicide to be legalised in Britain, so that people with severe disabilities can have the option to end their life.
Mr Morris, a member of the British Humanist Association, said: "If this law comes into force, people with disabilities might be coerced into making a decision they don't want to.
"If the option is made available then people with disabilities will feel its okay, just to relieve the burden on friends and family."
The topic has prompted MPs to debate the issue in Parliament.
Mr Morris, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, concedes that if assisted suicide had been legal when he was diagnosed at the age of 42, then he might have considered the option.
However he feels he was lucky to have received a lot of support from family and friends and move on with his life.
He now runs Equalitas, an organisation which supports disabled people, making sure they are treated fairly in the workplace as well as training companies and organisations.
Mr Morris added: "If you legalise this then I am afraid of what it will lead to. Being disabled is not easy but its just another way to live your life."
Mr Morris and the Rev. Richard Inwood, who lives in Cardington, both agree legalising assisted suicide would cross a line for the vulnerable, elderly and terminally ill.
Mr Inwood said: "I think we are in danger of sleepwalking into something which could have severe consequences.
"The church believes that man has been made in the image of God and therefore there is a responsibility to take God into account.
"Instead of going down this route, I would encourage the health services and the government to provide better palliative care."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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