Church group advocates mercy-killing of infants

Press, 29 July 1977, Page 5

Church group advocates mercy-killing of infants

NZPA-Reuter Ottawa The Anglican Synod of Canada has been asked to consider endorsing the termination of life at birth for severely retarded infants, as well as the withdrawal of life support for the terminally ill, the New York Times News Service reports. The suggestion came in a report prepared by a committee of 11 prominent Anglicans with backgrounds in medicine, theology, and the law, for submission to the General Synod of bishops and other church leaders to be held in Calgary, Alberta, from August 11 to 18. Though the report was described by the committee’s chairman, Dr Lawrence Whytehead, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, as just a discus-

sion paper containing no recommendation for action by the Synod, the tone of the section on retarded infants leaned heavily in favour of ending the lives of victims of extreme retardation. In a radio interview, Dr Whytehead, a thoracic surgeon, endorsed the mercykilling of infants bom with brain damage that leaves them permanently bereft of all human attributes except that they look human and were bom of woman, “Our senses and emotions lead us into the grave mistake of treating humanlooking shapes as though they were human, although they lack the least vestige of human behaviour and intellect,” the report says, referring to newly bom “human vegetables so defective that

■ they have no chance of gainr ing a modicum of spiritual or > intellectual life.” i "In the event of such a : birth,” the report goes on, ; “the medical attendants may hope that the infant may ■ contract some infection • which without treatment will ■ cause death, but if such a i merciful outcome does not i occur, and society : may acquire a sad burden for : 20 or 30 years.” I The Rev. William Stackhouse, of the University of i Toronto, said the report was ■ playing with fire. The presi- • dent of the Ontario Associai tion for the Mentally Rei tarded, Mrs Marjory Mc- ■ Pherson, expressed shock ’ that such a document could i emanate from a Christian : organisation.