A video of several years ago that resurfaced this week shows the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia (United States), Abigail Spanberger, supporting assisted suicide and seems to suggest that even religious hospitals should be obliged to perform the procedure.
The recording, which shows Spanberger when she was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in a campaign event in 2018, presents the Democrat being consulted on her position regarding a “legislation that would legalize medical help to die”, a common euphemism for assisted suicide.
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“Support and support legislation that legalizes the right to die with dignity according to the person’s choice,” Spanberger replied. “That would include allow medical suppliers to prescribe medications to end life.”
At the same time, he was asked to talk about “allowing religious health institutions to dictate what their doctors can discuss with their patients.”
“I oppose that religious institutions impose their ideas based on religion about individuals and their medical care options and decisions,” he replied in the video.
“I think we must trust that people have relationships with their health suppliers that lead them to make firm decisions based on their medical practices, and I don’t think people should have the option of allowing their own personal beliefs to dictate the type of medical care they are providing their patients,” he added.
The Democrat competes against the current Republican Vice Governor of the State, Winsome Earle-Sears.
The Spanberger campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comments on Friday morning asking if he still supports assisted suicide or forcing hospital individuals and institutions to do it.
The video generated online negative reactions this week. Republican state delegate Geary Higgins wrote that Spanberger’s statements were “absolutely incredible.”
“Not only religious organizations that do not believe in assisted suicide will have to talk about it, but they will have to make it available,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Right to Life Committee described the position of the Democrat as “a window to how far some are willing to arrive to prioritize ideological coherence over constitutional rights.”
“Voters and legislators should take it seriously and reject the premise that the State can dictate the moral framework of faith -based institutions,” said Raimundo Rojas, Group Extension Director.
State legislators in Virginia voted last year against an effort to legalize assisted suicide in that state. Currently, almost a dozen states and the Columbia district allow this practice.
Before the defeat of the bill in the state legislature last year, Catholic bishops of Virginia They warned that the proposal “(would) to the most vulnerable even more vulnerable” and put them at risk of “deadly damage.”
The Bishop of Arlington, Mons. Michael Bubidge; and the bishop of Richmond, Mons. Barry Knestout; They described the project as a “lethal measure” and reminded voters that human life “is sacred and should never be abandoned or discarded.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Daniel Payne
Daniel Payne is a senior editor of Catholic News Agency. He previously worked at College Fix and Just the News. He lives in Virginia with his family.