Orthodox groups expressed disappointment at a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Oregon’s assisted suicide law. The high court ruled Tuesday that Oregon’s law, permitting doctor-assisted suicide, was not a violation of federal drug laws. Nathan Diament, director of the Orthodox Union’s Institute for Public Affairs, said the ruling goes against Jewish teachings of the value and sanctity of life. “The Bible instructs us to ‘surely heal’ the ill, not to speed their departure from this earth,” he said. Agudath Israel of America also spoke out against Oregon statutes, which they said “make it possible to commit murder.” Numerous other Jewish groups chose not to weigh in on the case but have been interested in its impact on end-of-life issues, a controversial subject in the Jewish community. Six justices ruled in favor of Oregon, which allowed doctor-assisted suicide in a 1994 ballot initiative.
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