Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide

Guest Bios Show Transcript Is Assisted Suicide a compassionate means of ushering the terminally ill into the next life? Or is it simply a way of pressuring those we consider a burden to take their own lives?  This week on The Roys Report, I’ll be talking about this issue with Wesley Smith, one the world's foremost critics of euthanasia. Also joining me will be Kimberly Kuo—who has a powerful story of how her husband’s battle with cancer transformed her thinking on this issue.  I really hope you can join us for The Roys Report, this Saturday morning at 11 on AM 1160 Hope for Your Life and on Sunday night at 7 on AM 560 The Answer! This Weeks Guests Wesley J. Smith ...is among the world's foremost critics of assisted suicide and utilitarian bioethics. In 2004 he was named by the National Journal as one of the nation’s top expert thinkers in bioengineering for his work in bioethics. In 2008, the Human Life Foundation named him a Great Defender of Life. And just a few weeks ago, he was named to Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network Board of Directors. His Human Exceptionalism blog, hosted by National Review Online, is one of the premier blogs dealing with human life and dignity. His latest book (2016) is the newly updated and revised edition of Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine, a warning about the dangers of the modern bioethics movement. When first published it was named one of the Ten Outstanding Books of the Year and Best Health Book of the Year for 2001 (Independent Publisher Book Awards). Smith has published hundreds of articles and opinion columns nationally and internationally, including in Newsweek, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, the Weekly Standard, National Review, The Age (Australia), The Telegraph (United Kingdom), Western Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Bioethics. Throughout his career in public and consumer advocacy, Smith has appeared on thousands of television and radio programs including such national shows as ABC Nightline, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, CNN Anderson Cooper 360, CNN World Report, CBS Evening News, EWTN, C-SPAN, Fox News Network, as well as nationally syndicated radio programs, including Coast to Coast, Dennis Miller, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and EWTN. Kimberly Kuo ...has over 25 years experience as a Communications and Marketing professional in national politics, federal government, corporations and start-ups. Her experience in politics includes time as Press Secretary for Senate Majority Leader and then presidential candidate Bob Dole and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp. She currently serves as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications and Communities at Coca-Cola Consolidated. In addition to opinion pieces, she also writes music, poetry and children’s fiction. She loves writing for and teaching young kids at Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, N.C., and her greatest joy is adventuring with her two children. Show Transcript Note: This transcript has been edited slightly for continuity. Segment 1 Welcome to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University.  I am Julie Roys.  And I’m so glad that you’ve joined me to talk about, what is admittedly a very sobering but important subject—euthanasia and assisted suicide. So what do you think about euthanasia or assisted suicide?  Is this a humane way to usher those with terminal illnesses into the next life?  Or, is it simply a way to pressure those that we consider a burden to take their own life? Over the past 25 years, the move to legalize assisted suicide has accelerated rapidly.  In 1997, Oregon became the first state to legalize euthanasia.  Today, eight states and the District of Columbia have joined Oregon’s ranks.  A ninth state will be added in September whe