To live and die with dignity

The House of Lords in Britain has ruled that it will delay the vote on the right to die with dignity in Britain. On the one hand we have a group of people from religious groups who insist that humans should be kept alive no matter how old, infirm, bewildered or broken, no matter how much pain they're in, because life is somehow sacred, given from a higher power, not infact from your parents as it seems clear to me. On the other hand you have rational people who want others to be allowed to choose the time and place of their death if they have incurable, debilitating and excruciating pain which cannot be treated or made bearable by palliative medicine.

I know which side of the fence I sit on; one of reason and humanity. What right has a bishop or a priest or whoever else to choose to keep me alive long after I have reached the point of no return? I alone should have that right, not god, not a bishop - that is utter nonsense. Keeping alive droves of people who no longer wish to be alive is barbaric, but if you read much into much of the world's religions, barbarism is what you seem to get.

This issue is important for the personal dignity of millions of people - knowing that when they are themselves old they will not have to suffer endless pain and torment for others' primitive religious belief systems. When I am old I will certainly not appreciate having to suffer painful indignities for others. I will want to go when I choose. That should be a judgement on my quality of life and my choice to inflict further suffering on myself and my family, and on taxpayers. It might be of interest to be aware that the vast majority of money spent on the health service is spent on patients in the last 6 months of their lives, and that, coupled with the humanitarian step of allowing people to choose when their pain and suffering can no longer be tolerated, should be enough to force a necessary and humanitarian change in the law.