Christians unhappy as Colorado approves legalization of assisted suicide

On Election Day, Colorado voters decided to approve the proposal to allow assisted suicide for the terminally ill. But Christians and others who opposed the ballot warned that the new measure will have grave consequences for the vulnerable.

The proposition was approved by Colorado voters by a margin of 65 percent to 35 percent. The day after the vote, the Colorado Catholic Conference issued a statement saying, "The mission we have as citizens of Colorado should be to help people live with dignity – not to offer them more options to kill themselves."

It added that the passage of the measure was "a great travesty of compassion and choice for the sick, the poor, the elderly and our most vulnerable residents."

The Colorado End-of-Life Options Act, which is modeled after a 22-year-old Oregonian law, uses the language of "medical aid in dying." The law allows an adult who is mentally competent to request a lethal prescription from a physician. Two physicians must diagnose the patient as having six months of fewer to live.

The drug known as secobarbital, which is also used in lethal injection in some states, has to be administered by the patient. The underlying condition of the patient will be listed as the cause of death instead of assisted suicide.

Barbara Coombs, president of legal assisted suicide advocacy group Compassion and Choices, hailed the vote as "tremendous victory" for the terminally ill.

The Colorado Catholic Conference denounced the idea of assisted suicide as a private choice, saying, "Killing, no matter what its motives, is never a private matter; it always impacts other people and has much wider implications."

Jeff Hunt, vice president of public policy for Colorado Christian University, has expressed his disappointment about the passage of the measure and vowed to keep fighting.

"We are deeply disappointed and concerned about Colorado legalizing doctor-assisted suicide. The fight is not over," he said, as reported by the Denver Post.

The supporters of the measure raised $4.8 million for the "Yes on Colorado End-of-Life Options" campaign. In contrast, the opponents contributed $2.3 million, including donations from the Dioceses of Denver, St. Louis and Arlington.