While it certainly was a thoughtful and engaging discussion, the speakers had differing perspectives on how these end-of-life decisions ought to be made.
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| Photo: Chris Hussey, Record staff |
Source/Credit: Waterloo Region Record
By Record staff | November 25, 2016
Is a peaceful and civil discussion about religion possible? For over 36 years, the local World Religions Conference has been answering that question with a resounding yes.
"It is like a festival of great ideas," said event co-ordinator Nebeel Rana.
Last Sunday, the latest iteration of the conference returned to Hagey Hall at the University of Waterloo after several years in Guelph. The main sponsor and organizer of the event is The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Canada, a national group part of the moderate Islamic movement by the same name.
Each year, the conference focuses on a particular theme, and this year its topic of choice was titled, "End-of-Life Decisions: Faith-Based Perspectives." This decision was heavily influenced by the Canadian Supreme Court's decision last year that ruled preventing consenting, competent individuals from ending their own lives was unconstitutional. The court gave the Canadian government over a year to create new legislation, which the Trudeau administration successfully enacted on July 15.
The much-debated law requires certain criteria be met to be eligible for a doctor-assisted suicide, including voluntary consent, that the patient be in "an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability," and that they have not been influenced by external pressures to make the decision.
For religious groups and people in Canada, these new rules can have a multitude of implications and can even directly contradict their beliefs. With just over four months to grapple with the law, Sunday's conference seemed particularly timely.
The day itself featured a panel discussion from nine different faiths and philosophies: aboriginal spirituality, Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and humanism, the latter including atheists and agnostics. These nine belief systems were represented by speakers from a variety of backgrounds.
While it certainly was a thoughtful and engaging discussion, the speakers had differing perspectives on how these end-of-life decisions ought to be made. Dr. Gail Allan, who works with the United Church and represented Christianity, emphasized compassion and said that sanctity of life was not absolute.
On the other hand, Judaism's representative, Rabbi Moshe Goldman, noted his faith's focus on justice and fulfilling the directives set out by the religion.
"Life is more of a responsibility than a right," he told the audience.
"Compassion can sometimes create confusion … on matters of life and death."
The Venerable Man Lee, representing Buddhism and a Dharma instructor at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Mississauga, might have summed up the topic best.
"It is not an easy answer," she said with a smile.
Several faiths discussed the idea of birth and death being in the hands of God. Sikhism's representative, Devinder Pal Singh, noted that life is a "precious gift."
"Death is in the hands of God, and not in the hands of any individual," he said.
Imam Farhan Iqbal, speaking on behalf of Islam, reflected on similar ideas.
"When it comes to the ownership of life, we don't own it … it's not in our hands," he said.
On first glance, the humanist perspective might seem out of place at a conference geared around world religions. But with non-believers representing a substantial portion of the population in Waterloo Region (around 27 per cent, according to Statistics Canada in 2011) it's a significantly large group. Humanist representative Karina Black alluded to this after her presentation.
"When many people still believe that only theists can claim to be moral, the result is discrimination and suppression of other voices," she said.
The event was moderated by Jan d'Ailly, a former city councillor for the City of Waterloo, and he said it was a privilege to be asked to do so.
"When you understand where other people are coming from and what they're thinking, that's how you build respect," he said. "It helps us understand each other and it makes for a better world."
Rana agreed. He said this year's conference continued its mission to promote peace and tolerance, and they hope to take another step forward next year. He said he's motivated to continue breaking down walls and learning from one another.
"It is a wonderful experience of meeting someone who is so much different and then discovering that he or she is actually not so different and we share so much in common."
chussey@therecord.com
Read original post here: Canada: Ahmadiyya-organized conference discusses issue of end-of-life decisions
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