Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1343350
Ivan Bartolo is a Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party 12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 FEBRUARY 2021 OPINION ON occasion we experience people who think they are brazen enough to play God. As a politician with Catholic val- ues, with a party whose values are Chris- tian Democrat I find this act to be con- demnable. I am not judging. I am stating a feeling. I would like to clarify that I have noth- ing against civil rights and respect peo- ple who decide to avail themselves of these rights. However, bringing up subjects such as euthanasia for discussion means that the legislator is sowing the seed to have a so- ciety which will be pro-death. A society which finds the easy way out when faced with problems. A society that would have blood on its hands. One might argue euthanasia is giving a dignified death to someone who is suf- fering. But we have good palliative care to counter this. The giver of life and death is God. To commit euthanasia is to fail to see the intrinsic worth or dig- nity of the person. I am in favour of life in any way or form. Some might argue that stringent proto- cols will be put in place to curb abuse. But legislation is done by humans. Leg- islation can be eased by humans. Discussion about euthanasia will even- tually lead to abortion. Some say it's not the same. But they have a common denominator: killing. Instead of mercy killing one is getting rid of an innocent creature. As a side point, I would like to remind you that, when the current PN leader Dr Bernard Grech was asked about abortion he had said that he is against it but said he wouldn't mind it being discussed. When he said that, many were surprised. When the Prime Minister said that he wants discussion about euthanasia, no one said anything, quite conveniently. I am pro life and abortion is surely a no- no. We cannot play God and decide who lives and who dies. I will be discussing abortion in more detail when the subject comes up. Recently, we experienced a prominent Government Minister blaspheming on a local television station. What was not blasphemous centuries ago might not be the case today. Other languages also ex- perience the same evolving. It is not up to a pretentious writer to decide what is blasphemous or not, what is decent language and what is not. An- other case of playing God. The culture of death will spell disaster for our society. Finding the easy way out from pain and suffering is not the solu- tion. Let us not try to be heros in accept- ing 'killing' lying down. Let us not play God. And finally, I hope that the Prime Min- ister is not using this as a trump card to deviate attention from problems he is facing or to gain popularity. This is too big an issue to be used thus. Playing God Ivan Bartolo Bringing up subjects such as euthanasia for discussion means that the legislator is sowing the seed to have a society which will be pro- death