I have been immersed in the fight against assisted suicide for more than 20 years. Opponents are a diverse coalition involving religions/secular, liberal/conservative, disability rights, advocacy for the poor, medical professionals, civil rights organizations, and others.

The arguments made by all–whether religiously or secularly based–are steeped in reason and public policy considerations, never “only God can take a life.”

But don’t tell that to the AP reporter covering the California fight over the issue. From Fenit Nirappil’s AP story today:

Religious groups and advocates for people with disabilities opposed a nearly identical California bill introduced earlier this year, saying it goes against the will of God and put terminally ill patients at risk for coerced death. The measure passed the state Senate but stalled in the Assembly.

I think that assertion is an assumption on Nirappil’s part, and as such, it does not belong in the story unless he has a source of a leader in the fight ever making such a claim.

Indeed, I challenge Nirappil to name who argued in the public square that legalizing assisted suicide “is against the will of God,” since I have not heard that claim made in the fight against assisted suicide in California.