If you’re a Canadian who is experiencing poverty or homelessness, don’t worry, your fellow Canadians have your back—nearly 1 in 3 of them are here to help by hoping the government will . . . allow you to end your own life with the assistance of a doctor. Wait—what?

Yes, a recent poll on Canadians’ attitudes towards MAID (medical assistance in dying, Canada’s government-paid euthanasia program) found that:

• 27% of Canadians are fine with those whose “only affliction was ‘poverty’” qualifying for MAID.
• 28% gave the thumbs-up for those experiencing homelessness to qualify for MAID.
• 51% believe an “inability to receive medical treatment” should qualify as a reason for MAID.
• 20%—that’s 1 in 5—“were fine with MAID being handed out to anybody for any reason.”

Let those numbers sink in for a moment. A large percentage of Canadians believe poverty, homelessness, lack of medical care, or any other reason should qualify someone to be allowed to kill themselves with the help of a doctor or nurse practitioner for any reason. What a calloused view of human life! Sadly, such responses are consistent with a culture devoid of the fear of God.

But such apathy towards the impoverished, homeless, and sick (and we could add imprisoned too—apparently, “MAID is routinely practiced within the Canadian prison system”) shouldn’t be surprising in our culture of death. After all, we’ve taught generations that they’re just animals, that this life is all there is, that the meaning of life is to be happy, “fulfilled,” and well-traveled, that there is no absolute right or wrong, and that personal and bodily autonomy (“consent”) is the highest moral ethic. So it’s no wonder so many Canadians believe anyone should be allowed to do whatever they want when it comes to death (and if you aren’t happy, well, life is meaningless, so go ahead and ask for MAID). It’s the natural consequence of a secular worldview.

We’ve said before that worldviews have consequences—and bad worldviews have bad consequences. And in this case, deadly consequences:

“While only 2,838 Canadians opted for assisted suicide in the first full year of legalized MAID [2016] . . . as of last count in 2021 that had risen to 10,064 — an increase of 32.4 per cent over just the year before.”

Canada isn’t just sliding down a slippery slope toward becoming a country that“euthanizes its poor”—it’s calmly and purposefully driving right off the cliff with no desire to hit the brakes or steer away.

As Canadian staff member Avery Foley shared with me, what Canadians want for the impoverished and ill among them is a far cry from the words of the Psalm for which Canada was named (many people don’t know the formal title for Canada is the Dominion of Canada, borrowed from Psalm 72:8. The name originally reflected the desire that the ultimate King would have dominion from “sea to sea”):

Psalm‬ ‭72:1-19‬ ‭KJV‬‬ – “Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king’s son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, And shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; And his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: All nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; The poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, And shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: And precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: Prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him: All nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: And let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.”

If only our northern neighbors (and here in America!) had leaders who would pray that Psalm over their term in office and seek to live it out! Instead, many leaders are bent on wickedness, shaking their fists at God and ensuring that the poor receive death instead of justice and aid.

May this be a reminder to (1) pray for our leadership and (2) share the gospel—it’s only the gospel that changes hearts and minds, helping us love the neediest among us, seeing their inherent value as an image bearer of God (Genesis 1:27) and their ultimate need for the Savior.