Jarrod Mckenna set me up (assisted suicide)

I was on the radio back in Australia. I was being interviewed for some filler I am sure. But they seemed to think a former cage fighter, who was coming to Perth to do non violence training, and was a pastor seemed like an interesting story. So my mate Jarrod McKenna (who set the whole thing up and was leading the training), was sitting in the other room watching me, and giving me thumbs up as I talked about fighting, and the apparent contradiction of being a pastor, and the bigger contradiction of doing non violence work.

I think I gave some good answers, made some people think. We didn't have time for any callers questions, but it was a fun little interview. And then I get this:

"So John, we don't have much time left but" (never trust a radio guy when he says this btw), "in the last hour we were discussing the topic of assisted suicide, and the right for people to meet death on their own terms, what do you think about that?"

Wow

That is not exactly an easy question, much less with "not much time left"

So what I said was basically this:

I don't know what I think, all I know is that this would be such a difficult and painful situation for everyone involved. What I don't believe however, is that an impersonal government, is in any position to enforce a law upon people. I believe that these kinds of decisions, must be made among the community, with people that love each other and care for the welfare of one another. A community like what the church is supposed to be, and they should be allowed to come to whatever decision seems fitting to them.

Then we were off the air... the radio man smiled said it was really great to meet you and sent me on my way. I felt like I had been punched in the guy, but was trying my best to stand up straight. I got a chance to wrestle with Jarrod later in the week and I made sure he paid for setting me up like that :)

rev