euthanizing ideological autocracy

I wrote the following letter to the Straits Times forum page.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I refer to the article "Euthanasia is immoral" in Monday's edition which reported that Archbishop Nicholas Chia of the Catholic Church condemned euthanasia and said that "no health-care professionals must even contemplate the option of administering euthanasia."

This is a contentious issue and I believe the archbishop was perfectly within his rights to exhort and edify the members of his church on what is a fundamental doctrinal precept of their religion. However, to address members of the medical community in such a manifestly authoritative manner, without regard for their own religious creeds or professional opinions, smacks of ideological autocracy.

Any religious leader is free to instruct his or her own followers, and would certainly be remiss in their pastoral responsibilities if they didn't clarify their religion's doctrinal positions on prevailing matters of moral or ethical import. But to impose that position on society at large as though that were the only valid view, would surely be unwelcome pontificating.

Religious leaders like Archbishop Chia should be aware that in a multi-religious society such as ours, no one religion holds a monopoly on morality and ethics.