In March, The United Church Observer and www.UCObserver.org asked readers to complete a survey designed to gauge opinion on ethical issues related to the beginning and the end of life. The same survey was administered online to English-speaking non-readers, 18 years of age and over. Roughly 900 readers and 1,000 non-readers participated. The Toronto research firm of Jane Armstrong Research Associates designed the survey in conjunction with Observer staff and oversaw tabulation and analysis of the findings.
Overall, the survey shows that readers, who are mostly churchgoers, are more liberal in their views on issues such as abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide than non-readers, who are less likely to be involved in organized religion. The stories below cover the main findings of the survey. For a detailed summary, click here. To read the Observer's press release, click here
The Life and Death Decisions survey was made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
• Editorial: The case for compassion
• Little lives, big questions, by Pieta Woolley
• Choosing a better death, by Richard Wright
• Unpacking compassion, by Trisha Elliott
• ObserverDocs: Rights and wrongs at the edges of life
