Imagine living in a society where your life is considered unworthy of care simply because of a disability, chronic illness, or mental health struggle. In Canada, this troubling reality is becoming increasingly common as the country accelerates its embrace of euthanasia at the highest levels.

Canada is Killing its Citizens

It all began in 2016 with a law allowing terminally ill patients to seek assisted death. Since then, the law has expanded to include individuals with disabilities, and by 2027, it will encompass those with mental health conditions—regardless of whether they are dying.

Quebec has become the epicenter of euthanasia, now leading the world in assisted deaths, with over 10,000 Canadians—more than 3% of all deaths—choosing euthanasia in 2021 alone. And this number is expected to rise as euthanasia becomes a recommended solution for suffering, bypassing real care and support.

Euthanasia Preys on the Vulnerable

When life is no longer valued, the most vulnerable are preyed upon. Take the 2023 case of Kathrin Mentler, a 37-year-old woman from Vancouver. She went to the hospital seeking help for suicidal thoughts, hoping to receive support to stay alive. Instead, a clinician suggested she consider Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Mentler was horrified. She had reached out for help to live but was instead offered a way to die.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. In December 2022, Canadian veteran Christine Gauthier received a shocking response from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). After years of delays in her request for a wheelchair lift to help her navigate her home—due to permanent injuries from a 1989 Canadian Army training accident—Gauthier was offered euthanasia as an alternative. After overcoming tremendous challenges and serving her country, Gauthier’s fight for basic assistance was met with the chilling suggestion that she should end her life.

British Columbia professor Tim Stainton didn’t mince words when he warned that Canada’s euthanasia laws pose “probably the biggest existential threat to disabled people since the Nazis.”

Canadians Pressured into Suicide Over Cost

Canada’s socialized healthcare system is supposed to ensure access to healthcare for all. In reality, the system creates financial incentives that encourage vulnerable individuals to consider euthanasia instead of true medical assistance.

One woman with cerebral palsy was told by a doctor in Newfoundland that she would be “selfish” if she didn’t consider euthanasia because of the cost associated with her care. Another man with a degenerative brain disorder secretly recorded a hospital director of ethics suggesting he consider euthanasia because his ongoing care would cost “north of $1,500 a day.”

Human Life is Devalued

As Canada accelerates its embrace of euthanasia, the West must take a hard look at the dangerous implications of this trend. The expansion of assisted suicide is not just a Canadian issue but a global shift that threatens the very sanctity of life. Euthanasia is a symptom of a society that has lost its moral compass. We must stand firm in upholding the biblical truth that every life has value—no matter the challenges of illness, disability, or mental health.

Now is the time to defend life, in all its forms. The West must reject the growing normalization of euthanasia and ensure that no life is seen as expendable. The church also has a role to play. We need to get the Gospel out and share God’s view of His creation. This life is not all there is; our hope is in heaven. But unless people are presented with the gospel, they might end up believing the lie that ending their life is the only answer.