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It is compassionate or controlling, a choice or a conspiracy. On their respective Web sites, the campaigns for and against Initiative 1000 include point-by-point attempts to debunk the other side in the debate over physician-assisted suicide, the contentious end-of-life issue facing Washington voters in the general election. Most of the arguments relate to the adequacy of safeguards in the measure, which would allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medication if requested by terminally ill patients. But after dealing with coercion, mental illness, insurance companies, family notification, physician oaths and other matters, both sides end their lists by addressing religion. To contend that giving a terminally ill patient more control over the dying process is "playing God" -- or is "against God's will" -- is simply a myth, says Yes on 1000, which prefers to call the initiative "death with dignity." The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide disputes the assertion of supporters that the "only real opposition comes from religious groups." Still, faith-based groups or individuals are playing a crucial role on both sides of the battle to make Washington the second state, after Oregon, to allow physicians to legally prescribe deadly medication -- hardly surprising, since the issue deals with literal matters of life and death.
Read more at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/383018_suicidefaith13.html