Assisted Suicide Rejected in Scotland While Spain "Euthanizes" mentally ill 25 year old woman.

 From March 18. 2026

By Dave Doveton, Anglican Mainstream,

Yesterday, in Holyrood, MSP’s voted to reject the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

This indeed is a tremendous victory for all those who worked in the campaigns against this proposed dark legislation. It is encouragement for us all, especially Christians standing for the truth in the public square. Even when odds seem stacked against us with celebrities, media personalities, and influencers in the culture at large supporting assisted suicide.

It is also a victory for the terminally ill, and those in palliative care, the elderly in general – who all would have faced pressure under this legal regime to ‘go along’ with what a new legal regime was now telling them was the ‘right’ thing to do.

Along with proposed changes to the abortion legislation, this is a struggle against an encroaching ‘culture of death’ which must and can be beaten with perseverance and faith in the God of life, and his son Jesus Christ who came ‘that we might have life, and life abundant’.

Two truths are paramount in this debate;

The nature of true compassion:  Mike Judge has summed this up well, ‘True compassion does not mean helping someone to die, but committing ourselves to care for them in life.’ That statement captures a truth which modern society often forgets. Compassion is not measured by how quickly we remove suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but by our willingness to bear one another’s burdens.

The Christian doctrine of man: The fact is, encouraging suicide is to encourage an attack on the image of God, as every human being is made in his image.

Finally, these victories help not only the citizens of Great Britain, but also those of many other countries where assisted dying is being vigorously promoted, and legislation proposed.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory.

Meanwhile, in Spain this case from Fox News illustrates what could have happened in Scotland,  

Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, died Thursday after receiving euthanasia in Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, following a legal battle of more than a year. 

Castillo Ramos' parents divorced when she was 13 and spent almost four years in public tutelage centers when she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) — a serious psychiatric condition often leading to severe depression, suicide ideation and a tendency to addiction.

By her own account, in an interview she gave before dying to Spanish TV channel Antena 3 she tried to commit suicide at least twice despite being under intensive psychiatric care. In her first suicide attempt, she took several pills and ingested a toxic automotive liquid, but was saved by her mother, who took her to the hospital for a gastric-intestinal cleansing procedure.

Things got worse for her when she left the home and ended up being sexually assaulted multiple times when she was about 20. First, she was sexually abused by a former boyfriend after taking sleeping pills. Soon after, two men attempted to rape her while in a nightclub, leaving her deeply scarred, and as reports indicate, this led her to a care home for worsening psychiatric symptoms.

There, she was gang-raped by three men. With her mental state deteriorating, she attempted suicide by jumping out of the fifth floor of a building.

Multiple reports and social media posts originally indicated that the three rapists who assaulted her were immigrant minors under the care of the state – something the Barcelona-based newspaper El Periódico says is false.

Many Spaniards have reacted angrily the court's authorization for her to receive euthanasia, accusing the leftist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of not providing the girl with adequate medical care, opening up the country to mass migration, lack of policing and ultimately handing down euthanasia as a solution to her case.

I have treated many people who attempted suicide, and I believe that there is hope for everyone of them to recover given time, love, support, and therapy. Jesus can heal even the mentally ill as recounted in the Bible. Why not give Him a chance?

A Psalm for the Palms

 The liturgy of the Palms gives us only a small part of Psalm 118: verses 19-29. I think it is well worth reading the whole thing.

Psalm 118: Confitemini Domino

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *

his mercy endures for ever.

2 Let Israel now proclaim, *

"His mercy endures for ever."

3 Let the house of Aaron now proclaim, *

"His mercy endures for ever."

4 Let those who fear the Lord now proclaim, *

"His mercy endures for ever."

5 I called to the Lord in my distress; *

the Lord answered by setting me free.

6 The Lord is at my side, therefore I will not fear; *

what can anyone do to me?

7 The Lord is at my side to help me; *

I will triumph over those who hate me.

8 It is better to rely on the Lord *

than to put any trust in flesh.

9 It is better to rely on the Lord *

than to put any trust in rulers.

10 All the ungodly encompass me; *

in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

11 They hem me in, they hem me in on every side; *

in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

12 They swarm about me like bees;

they blaze like a fire of thorns; *

in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

13 I was pressed so hard that I almost fell, *

but the Lord came to my help.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song, *

and he has become my salvation.

15 There is a sound of exultation and victory *

in the tents of the righteous:

16 "The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *

the right hand of the Lord is exalted!

the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!"

17 I shall not die, but live, *

and declare the works of the Lord.

18 The Lord has punished me sorely, *

but he did not hand me over to death.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *

I will enter them;

I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20 "This is the gate of the Lord; *

he who is righteous may enter."

21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *

and have become my salvation.

22 The same stone which the builders rejected *

has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord's doing, *

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 On this day the Lord has acted; *

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! *

Lord, send us now success.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *

we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *

form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.

28 "You are my God, and I will thank you; *

you are my God, and I will exalt you."

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *

his mercy endures for ever.

Did Rowan Williams Just Call Donald Trump Satan?

From Clerical Whispers and a puff piece on former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams came a memorable quote that was repeated on the web,

“I honestly don’t know whether the Communion will survive,” he says bluntly...

...On the Church of England, which many unhappy members fear is in terminal decline, he sounds almost resigned. 

“I keep going to mass in my parish church in Cardiff, and making the most of that. What reassures me, what anchors me, is ultimately an act of faith, of theological conviction, that if God wants the Church to exist, the Church will exist.”

At the end of the article comes the part to which my title refers. 

Is he saying that British public life has lost its moral centre? 

“Yes,” he replies, boldly and without any caveat. “Increasingly, we permit and collude with dishonourable forms of behaviour, and we don’t seem very concerned about that.”

I press him to be more specific. 

“I’m thinking of truth-telling in public life, and even more so when I look across the Atlantic – the venting, coarsening of the whole fabric of public office, with no sense that to hold public office requires a certain level of maintaining public dignity.”

I think we all know who he is referring to. Can he give me a name? “Satan,” he replies, with a laugh.

I think he just called Donald Trump... Satan. 

What do you think?

 

Out of the deep: Psalm 130

 

This Sunday's psalm is #130, De profundis. It is appropriate for the depths of Lent. John Rutter's setting above is one of my favorites. It does end on a positive note as we look forward to our glorious redemption. I have sung it several times in church and in concert. 

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice; *

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *

O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *

therefore you shall be feared.

4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *

in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,

more than watchmen for the morning, *

more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *

for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *

and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins

Sweden Rips Children From Christian Family

From Premier Christian News,

The daughters of a Swedish Christian family at the center of a religious freedom battle could be put up for adoption, according to the organization Alliance Defending Freedom.

Daniel and Bianca Samson have been separated from their daughters for three years, after the eldest complained to teachers that her conservative Christian parents wouldn't let her wear makeup or have a mobile phone.

Social services stated that the Samsons’ regular attendance at church three times a week would corroborate the “religious extremism” accusations. The girls were taken into care in December 2022.

So attending church three times a week is religious extremism? Anglicans could be doing Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline every day, and what would their Social Services say about the Muslim call to prayer five times a day? 

The daughter later retracted her complaint against her parents, insisting that she wanted to remain with her family. However, the girls have not been allowed to return home.

The Alliance Defending Freedom International, which has championed the family’s case, says they now risk having all contact with their parents cut.

“Unfortunately, we received a communication from the social services in the community of Hasselholm,” said legal counsel Guillermo A. Morales Sancho. “What they want is the total restriction of contact with the parents, with the idea of putting the girls into adoptions in the future.”

He described the situation as “really sad,” adding that the daughters’ mental health has suffered immensely. ADF said child who made the original complaint has been suffering with depression and “constant pain” over its consequences, and has been at risk of potential self-harm.

This is horrible. 

Pray that this family will be reunited. 

ADF have asked Christians around the world to pray for the family.

The Blind Shall See. (Not all of them)

This Sunday's reading from John 9:1-41 has Jesus, on the Sabbath, healing a man who was born blind much to the consternation of the Pharisees.

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ 1But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’

 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’

 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’

 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.

 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.

Ooh... Jesus just pinned the sinner label back on the Pharisees. 

They are not going to like that. 

 

The Future of Global Anglicanism

GAFCON has met and to sum it up, at least we won't have an "Uber-Archbishop," and we shall have no ties to Canterbury unless she forswears her foolish ways.

From Anglican Futures comes this summary,

The Abuja Affirmation sets out and explains the decisions taken by the leaders of the Gafcon movement in Abuja.  Here are five key takeaways to share with all faithful Anglicans.

1.  New Leadership is Necessary

For decades the leadership of the Anglican Communion (known as the Instruments of Communion) have unrepentedly:

"... compromised the authority of the Scriptures by normalising hermeneutical pluralism, elevating cultural capitulation, and reframing the rejection of Scripture’s authority and clarity as “good disagreement”, and not what it really is – false teaching."

They have:

"...neither restrained nor challenged false teaching and instead have called for the acceptance of false teachers as fellow members of the Communion."

2.  The Global Anglican Communion now offers that Leadership 

Gafcon have expressed a commitment to reform the Anglican Communion for many years, they have authenticated Anglican dioceses and provinces (e.g. the Anglican Church in North America, the Diocese of the Southern Cross and the Anglican network in Europe) and encouraged real global fellowship

This week is a development of that work and represents:

" ...a shift of the stewardship of the Anglican Communion from the Canterbury Instruments to the Global Anglican Communion."

The Global Anglican Communion will be led by the Global Anglican Council, consisting of Primates, Advisors and Guarantors as voting members.

The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda was elected as the Chair of this Council and will hold that office until the next five-yearly gathering of Global Anglicans, which will take place in Athens in 2028.

3.  True Communion is Confessional not Institutional

The Abuja Affirmation asserts that, "True communion is confessional, rather than defined by a shared history or institutional structures."  The re-ordered Global Anglican Communion will therefore be open to all who assent to the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration.

"The Jerusalem Declaration was written as an expression of authentic Anglican doctrine because the Canterbury-led Anglican Communion had lost connection to its biblical roots, compromising its values, structures and mission. To embrace the Jerusalem Declaration is to apply historical Anglican doctrine and practice to the needs of contemporary society."

Provinces, dioceses, PCCs and individuals are all encouraged to give their assent to the Jerusalem Declaration and thus become part of the Global Anglican Communion.

4.  The Global Anglican Communion is not a schismatic breakaway group 

The Abuja Affirmation explains:

"There are not two Communions, but two incompatible definitions of communion – one confessional, the other institutional."

It is the Canterbury-led Anglican Commmunion which has, "lost connection to its biblical roots, compromising its values, structures and mission." This means that it has to look to shared history to find connection and thus it,"defines communion on an institutional basis."

In contrast, the Global Anglican Communion is, "... returning the Anglican Communion to its roots. The Global Anglican Communion is not a new Communion, but the historic Anglican Communion reordered from within."

5.  Leadership of the Global Anglican Communion will require 'principled disengagement' 

The Global Anglican Communion is, "committed to supporting faithful Anglicans whether they stay in revisionist or mixed provinces or decide to leave and establish separate provinces or dioceses."

However, leaders who hold office in the Global Anglican Communion will be required to disengage from the Canterbury Instruments and the power, influence and finance they provide.

They must not attend future Primates' Meetings, the Lambeth Conference or participate in meetings or commissions of the Anglican Consultative Council.  Neither may they, "receive financial assistance from compromised sources."

Whether those in the Church of England, who receive stipends, diocesan support and buildings from "the compromised ecclesial structures" can therefore hold office is therefore in doubt.

Is that it?

G26 in Abuja marks the inauguration of the reordered Global Anglican Communion.  Anglican Futures is committed to following the implications of this momentous decision as they are worked out in the coming weeks, months and years.