The Family Beacon — Minnesota Family Council

The Family Beacon

The Only Death Minnesotans Should Choose is Death to Sin

MFC Editor

From the desk of the Church Ambassador Network

Yesterday at our Capitol, there were gut-wrenching stories told by supporters of assisted suicide. These stories tugged at our heartstrings--one reason being that these testimonies were driven by fear of death and fear of not being able to control death.

At the Church Ambassador Network (CAN), we know that the love of God casts out all fear. Our desire for all Minnesotans, including our legislators and all the testifiers, is for them to come to possess the only thing that can provide a bulwark against this Spirit of fear.

While the Spirit of God is not compatible with the Spirit of fear (Romans 8:15,2 Timothy 1:7), in the Spirit of the Lord there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). Are our decisions especially towards the end of life driven by fear or love? There is no fear in love for love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). The only fear that is acceptable to the Lord is a God-honoring fear that looks to His wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 147:11) and not the wisdom of our times that does not value life or the thoughts of God.

When we look at the perfect love of God that that drives out fear, we see Jesus Christ, the only one who had the right and authority to choose death, and even in his death he shows his perfect love and gives life. (Romans 5:8, John 6:40) And he rose from the grave and defeated death. He gives many life so that we would honor him with our lives and when it is his appointed time, we honor him with our deaths. He chose death so that we would choose life. The only death Minnesotans should choose is death to our sin that we might be united to Jesus' death on the cross so that we would be raised up with Christ, by the Spirit, in newness of life in soul and have abundant life, even eternal life through the freedom of his love.

God gives us freedom to choose life and love. Minnesota, let us not mock God and sow seeds of death that only can reap corruption and more death but let us sow to the truth that leads to life. This life that we write of is driven by love, perfectly displayed by Christ and his perfect love. Therefore, even those who are in suffering towards the end of life that have the Spirit can say along with the Psalmist, “this is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life” (Psalm 119:50).

From the beginning, people have been tempted to act like God and try to take control of their lives. It's a temptation as old as time, stemming from Adam and Eve, but as we can see from the hearing yesterday, we must continue to fight against it. Our hope is that Minnesotans will put sin to death and will choose abundant life in Christ. 

What We Saw Fighting Assisted Suicide at the Capitol

Grace Lawrence

Friends, we’ve alerted you that physician-assisted suicide was on the progressive agenda for 2024, and this week’s unprecedented pre-session hearing shows how high it is on their priority list!

On Thursday, January 25th 2024, progressive legislators held a hearing before the beginning of session in an attempt to get a head start on pushing assisted suicide.

The proposed assisted suicide bill (HF1930) would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Minnesota.

Rebecca Delahunt, MFC’s Acting Director of Public Policy, and Renee Carlson, General Counsel of True North Legal submitted a written testimony urging our legislators to vote against this deadly legislation. You can read that testimony here.

During the hearing, MFC staff live-tweeted on X. Let’s highlight some of the things that were stated, either in opposition or support of the bill.

SUPPORT -

  • The first testifier lives with incurable brain cancer. She stated that when no more treatment options are available, "there should be more death options."

  • The next testifier was a doctor with Compassion and Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society. He argued that "medical aid in dying laws are working as designed." He also said that "having the option" itself improves quality of life among very ill patients. He further asserted that he has prescribed the medication nineteen times in Colorado and watched the patients die "bathed in love.”

  •  One testifier, Thaddeus Pope, a Mitchell-Hamline School of Law professor, asserted there has never been a case of abuse in American assisted suicide cases. That’s an outright lie. Here's just a short list of assisted suicide abuses recorded by a disability-rights group.

  • The Minnesota Libertarian Party Communications Director (who is also an ordained minister) testified in support of the bill. In his support, he argued that on the cross, Jesus on the died in several hours instead of a "normal crucifixion which takes several days." The Libertarian Party of Minnesota should be ashamed. This is blasphemy. If the MN Libertarian Party stands by their director’s claim that God offered "assisted suicide" to Jesus on the cross then we sincerely hope that's the end of their support in Minnesota faith communities.

OPPOSITION -

  • The bill requires someone to have a 6-month terminal illness diagnosis. As medical doctors made clear in a press conference before the hearing, a 6-month diagnosis is wrongly made in at least 17% of cases (in other words, the patient lives longer, sometimes much longer, than six months).

  • Anita Cameron, a disability rights activist testified against the bill based on the fact that it would only worsen existing racial disparities in health care outcomes for black and minority Minnesotans.

  • Jean Swenson, who has lived for decades as a quadriplegic, gave compelling testimony against the bill. Jean explained that she is grateful to be alive. When she was first injured in a car accident and fell into deep depression, friends and care providers offered her love and support, instead of assisted suicide. Jean is forever thankful for this.

  • Chris Massoglia of Americans United for Life testified against the bill because it is always wrong to intentionally end an innocent human life. He encouraged the state to work on suicide prevention instead of suicide assistance.

  • A college-aged Minnesotan who experiences daily migraines, Blessing Griswold, asked the committee: "can a life, even the remainder of a life, be expendable?" This is one of the strongest flaws in the argument for assisted suicide. Why are some lives more valuable than others? Why do progressives (rightly) grieve over suicidal teens yet (wrongly) celebrate assisted suicide for the terminally ill?

  • In line with the above point, Dr. Charles Dennis O'Hare, a hospice director, testified that this bill requires "physicians to become the gatekeepers of which suicides are socially acceptable." This is exactly right--we should not put Minnesota’s medical professionals in a position where they become agents of death.

You can watch the full hearing including all the verbal testimonies here. Ultimately, there were stories that tugged at heartstrings on both sides of the issue. Each individual’s experience is different and one’s personal reaction to facing terminal illness varies.

But we must be crystal clear. All life is inherently valuable, from womb to tomb. Furthermore, assisting a hurting individual in murder is not a form of healthcare. Healthcare seeks to care not to kill. Therefore, assisted suicide is the opposite of compassion because it abandons the patient.

At Minnesota Family Council, we say no to assisted suicide. But we’re also saying yes to innovative and compassionate end of life care. We say yes to human dignity and flourishing. And we say yes to God’s sovereign ordering of our lives.

So, let’s have conversations about how Minnesotans can help support one another and celebrate a life well-lived in our last moments. Let’s promote policy that improves end-of-life services such as palliative care. Together, we must speak the truth that when we are dependent on others it doesn’t make us less valuable or our lives not worth living.

Changing our culture starts today and it starts with you boldly speaking up in your community for LIFE.

Here's What to Expect in the 2024 Legislative Session

Grace Lawrence

When it comes to what our elected leaders are doing in St. Paul, there’s a lot of noise out there. Our job at Minnesota Family Council is to cut through the noise and give you the facts so that you can stand for truth. We defend your values at our Capitol, in the courts, and in our communities. We also report on the latest wins and attacks on parental rights, the family, children’s bodies, religious freedom, and human dignity.

Due to a small progressive majority in the Minnesota House and Senate, we can expect dangerous pushes for physician-assisted suicide, mutilation of children through so-called “gender-affirming healthcare,” and the erasure of women’s sports. That’s why our policy team is already tracking the bills that progressive legislators will likely try to pass starting this February.

That's where you come in. Together, bold families and individuals in Minnesota can make a difference. Making a difference starts with knowledge. Without further ado, here’s what to expect in the 2024 legislative session.

Equal Rights Amendment HF173/SF37:

  • The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed the Minnesota Senate by 43-23 in 2023. If it were to pass the House and be approved by a majority of voters in November, the ERA would privilege males who “identify” as women at the expense of the safety and dignity of women and girls.

  • Males would have a constitutional right to women and girls’ private facilities, prisons, and athletics.

  • In addition, the passage of the ERA would further erode the right to life of the unborn beyond state statute and into our state constitution, ensuring that abortion until birth is Minnesota constitutional right.

Gender-Affirming Rights Act HF2280/SF2236:

  • By stating that ‘every individual has the right to determine their own gender and related gender-affirming healthcare,’ this policy exposes children to the gender medical industrial complex by claiming that those children, regardless of age, have the right to make their own healthcare decisions without parental or guardian input

Physician-Assisted Suicide HF1930/SF1813:

  • Permits doctors to prescribe a lethal drug overdose when an adult patient has received a diagnosis of 6-month terminal illness.

  • The language does not require a mental illness evaluation, a family notification, or a witness to the event.

  • Neither are there safeguards against elder abuse or abuse of patients with disabilities. Because healthcare is expensive, and death is inexpensive, at what time does ‘right to die’ become ‘duty to die’? 

Comprehensive Sex Education HF174/SF662:

  • Requires the Minnesota commissioner of education to create a model policy of comprehensive sex education for school districts in the state and for school districts and charter schools to implement a comprehensive sex education program for students starting as young as elementary and middle school.

  • This program can be taught by individuals from “community organizations” who are not licensed teachers (i.e., employees of Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of comprehensive sex education in the state of Minnesota,) on concepts such as consent, relationships among “diverse sexual orientations and gender identities,” and role play.  

Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session begins on February 12th - that’s less than a month away! Now is the time to share this post with your likeminded friends and family, subscribe to our email list if you haven’t already and follow us on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter @mnfamilycouncil. Remember, proposed bills such as the above are subject to change—which is another reason for you to stay plugged in with our team. Every time there’s a way for you to take action against a harmful bill or support a good one, our team will swiftly alert you on all platforms.

Minnesota Family Council has defended life, family, and religious freedom for over forty years. By God’s grace, we are firmly committed to putting winning messaging in the hands of our allied legislators, championing strong, godly candidates, and partnering with bold Minnesotans like yourself to win for our state for generations to come.

Will you join us?

What You Cared About Most in 2023...

Grace Lawrence

As we hit the ground running this New Year and our team prepares for the 2024 legislative session, we wanted to take a moment to highlight our top content from 2023.

Thank you for your support and for courageously acting with us in faithfulness and shrewdness at our Capitol and in our communities. We’re grateful to partner with each of you—bold individuals and families who speak up and enable us to magnify your voice about the issues that matter most. Together, we are shining the light of Christ throughout Minnesota. And when we’re shining, we’re always winning.

If you find these highlights insightful, please share with your friends and family. Help us get the word out that life, family, and religious freedom are worth protecting in our North Star State! Without further ado, here’s what you cared about MOST in 2023.

Most-Viewed Family Beacon articles:

Most Reached Social Media Post:

“Majority of MN Legislative Committee Votes to Legalize INFANTICIDE” (Instagram)

Most Viewed Youtube Videos:

Top Podcast Episodes (data taken from all platforms):

Top Legislative Testimonies: