Christians should pray for the collapse of the appalling and dangerous assisted suicide bill. At the end of April, MPs will have an opportunity to throw the bill where it belongs – in the dustbin. If it becomes law, it will shatter the relationship between doctors and patients. Vulnerable people will be coerced to end their lives. And even if there’s no coercion, many terminally-ill people already feel they are ‘too much of a burden’ to their families and the health service. What we need is more investment in proper palliative care services, not this cheap, cold, and cruel alternative. Already the safeguards are being watered down, and the bill is not even past the Commons yet. Kill it off.

With true repentance must come learning

Steven Lawson’s letter of repentance was published online in March. A public letter was perhaps necessary given his high public profile among evangelical Christians. In the aftermath of the scandal, it emerged that Dr Lawson was not part of the eldership/pastoral team of the local church where he regularly preached, although he was a member. Did this arrangement – which gave him freedom to preach without the responsibility of belonging to a group of elders – contribute to his fall? No one, no matter how gifted, is above the God-given instructions for maintaining the integrity of the church. Whenever any believer falls into sin, if he is truly repentant and is seeking to make things right, he will accept the discipline of the local church. He will not run away from it. We hope this is the case with Dr Lawson.