Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 16:20:10 -0400 From: Darrell Todd Maurina <Darrell128@aol.com> Reply-To: Darrell128@aol.com Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 98089: CRC Joins Anti-Euthanasia Ballot Coalition for Upcoming Michigan Vote NR #1998-089: Christian Reformed Church Joins Anti-Euthanasia Ballot Coalition for Upcoming Michigan Vote The Christian Reformed Church doesn't usually get involved in political campaigns, but it's made an exception this year in a hotly-disputed Michigan vote. This November, Michigan may become the second state in the nation to legalize assisted suicide. In a proposal initiated by a pro-euthanasia group known as "Merian's Friends," Michigan voters will be asked to amend the state constitution to allow doctors to assist people who wish to commit suicide. The "Merian's Friends" organization, named after one of the early patients of Detroit-area physician Dr. Jack Kevorkian, oppose repeated efforts by state and local officials to amend state law to clearly make Kevorkian's assisted suicide practice illegal and propose instead to allow assisted suicide under conditions similar to those currently allowed in the Netherlands. CRC General Secretary Dr. David Engelhard said the denomination rarely takes stands on political issues but considered the Proposal B language to be a special case. Engelhard said he had consulted the denominational Board of Trustees and heard no objections to the proposal to join Citizens for Compassionate Care, a coalition of Michigan organizations opposed to Proposal B, even though the Christian Reformed synod hasn't completed its study of euthanasia. NR #1998-089: For Immediate Release: Christian Reformed Church Joins Anti-Euthanasia Ballot Coalition for Upcoming Michigan Vote By Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (September 19, 1998) URNS - The Christian Reformed Church doesn't usually get involved in political campaigns, but it's made an exception this year in a hotly-disputed Michigan vote. This November, Michigan may become the second state in the nation to legalize assisted suicide. In a proposal initiated by a pro-euthanasia group known as "Merian's Friends," Michigan voters will be asked to amend the state constitution to allow doctors to assist people who wish to commit suicide. The "Merian's Friends" organization, named after one of the early patients of Detroit-area physician Dr. Jack Kevorkian, oppose repeated efforts by state and local officials to amend state law to clearly make Kevorkian's assisted suicide practice illegal and propose instead to allow assisted suicide under conditions similar to those currently allowed in the Netherlands. One difference between the Michigan proposal and current practice in the Netherlands is that assisted suicide by Dutch doctors is still technically illegal but not prosecuted if the doctors follow stated guidelines to receive patient consent. The Michigan proposal would make assisted suicide legal rather than a non-prosecuted offense if doctors follow the approved guidelines. CRC General Secretary Dr. David Engelhard said the denomination rarely takes stands on political issues but considered the Proposal B language to be a special case. "In my office if I signed onto everything that came across my desk I would be going wild, but at some point you have to take a stand for something that is so obviously a moral and biblical issue," said Engelhard. "I think people are beginning to see that [a similar] ballot proposal in Oregon, coupled with the one in Michigan, has implications for the whole nation." "There are some issues on which the church does take a stand such as abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide, and sometimes classis, synod, and local churches implement them in ways like this," said Engelhard, noting that the denomination has been on record opposing abortion since 1973 and currently has a study committee preparing a formal position paper on euthanasia and other efforts to assist severely ill people who wish to end their lives. Engelhard said he had consulted the denominational Board of Trustees and heard no objections to the proposal to join Citizens for Compassionate Care, a coalition of Michigan organizations opposed to Proposal B, even though the Christian Reformed synod hasn't completed its study of euthanasia. "The principle stated in 1973 had to do with the underlying issue of wanton taking of human life," said Engelhard. "When the church takes a stand on an issue it does so on either explicit or implicit grounds. The biblical formulation is so obvious that it would be one the church would likely have taken a stand on anyway." "It is absolutely critical that we win this vote," said Randy Royston, development coordinator for Michigan Right to Life. "We're seen as a pro-life state, yet on the other hand we have Jack Kevorkian. They say if they can win here they can win anywhere." Royston encouraged Christian Reformed churches to preach against doctor-assisted suicide, have a representative of his organization present information on the proposal to the church, and donate to the organization. "We need to get our people out, and we need to get them to vote," said Royston. Royston said that churches need to be careful how they handle donations to avoid legal problems, and suggested that churches either take a special offering in the worship service with checks made out to his organization rather than to the church or make a special gift from the general fund not exceeding one percent of the annual budget. According to Royston, churches giving more than one percent of their general fund or accepting special offering checks made out to the church rather than his organization risk losing their tax exempt status. In addition to the Christian Reformed Church, other denominations and denominationally-related organizations holding membership in Citizens for Compassionate Care include the Assemblies of God, Baptists for Life, Catholic Campaign for America, Catholic Medical Association, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and the Wesleyan Church. Member organizations without formal religious ties include the Republican State Party, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, Michigan Citizens with Disabilities Concerns, the Michigan State Medical Society, and the Physician's Resource Council. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1997-003: Allegan Christian Reformed Church Asks Synod to Equate Abortion with Nazi War Crimes #1997-009: Classis Zeeland Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Reaffirm Opposition to Abortion and Send Letter to Congress; Classis Rejects Abortion-Nazi War Crimes Comparison by 18-13 Vote #1997-071: Christian Reformed Synod Scheduled to Debate Abortion Issue Tuesday Morning; Committee Recommends Rejection of Iowa Overture to Require Calvin College Professor to Comply with Synodical Opposition to Abortion; Synod Pays Tribute to Six-Time Synod President; What's Coming Up at Synod #1997-072: Abortion Debate Occupies Christian Reformed Synod #1998-003: Classis Zeeland: Abortion is an "American Holocaust" Contact List: Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org Right to Life of Michigan 2430 Porter SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0901 O: (616) 532-2300 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-089.txt .