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Start with What: 10 Principles for Thinking about Assisted Suicide
Start with What draws on stories of people who have endured profound suffering and what we can learn from them. At a time when laws for assisted suicide are increasingly being passed, at a time when some people are tempted to give up on life, this book equips people to converse about this controversial topic in a way that demonstrates compassion, persuasion, and grace.
133 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2021
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Gray Connors
9 books31 followersStephanie Gray Connors is an international presenter who has spoken in Costa Rica, Latvia, England, Ireland, the United States, and across Canada for more than 16 years. She has formally debated abortion doctors and professors at universities, and has had countless one-on-one conversations about abortion at pro-life exhibits. Stephanie has done hundreds of media interviews, which include being a guest on CTV News, CBC News, CBC s The Current, Global News, EWTN, Catholic Answers Radio, 100 Huntley Street s Listen Up, and the Miracle Channel s Insight. She has been interviewed by ABC-, NBC-, FOX-, and CBS-affiliated television news programs throughout the Midwest of the United States. Much of Stephanie s media experience was generated during her 12 years as executive director and co-founder of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, a ministry that took her to Alberta and Ontario. In 2014, she returned to her home province of British Columbia and now speaks on behalf of her ministry Love Unleashes Life. Stephanie is Faculty at Blackstone Legal Fellowship where she trains law students from around the world about conversing persuasively on abortion. She is also author of A Physician s Guide to Discussing Abortion. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UBC in Vancouver, and a Certification, with Distinction, in Health Care Ethics, from the NCBC in Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 20, 2022
I went into this book expecting it to be solely focused on euthanasia. Start With What is indeed a book on euthanasia, but it's also a book about you. Your worth, your value, your identity. Connors shows us with why euthanasia is wrong, but in doing so, she also shows us why our own lives are valuable. Her arguments are logical, gently but firmly spoken, and they apply not only to the elderly and the chronically ill, but also to the rest of humanity.
Someone looking for a book with jam-packed with sources, statistics, and arguments will find that Connors has instead chosen to take a more holistic, personal approach. Does she cite sources? Yes. Does she use statistics? Yes. Does she use arguments? Definitely yes. But she also makes this book accessible for the reader grieving the loss of his wife, for the reader doubting her worth and purpose, for the reader who simply wants to see what it means to be pro-life for all life.
One chapter in particular stood out to me. In it, Connors argued that our value is in simply "being" and not in "doing." No one had ever told me that before, but it was exactly what I needed - what I've been needing - for the past two years. I have always been a "do-er", but circumstances changed, and I was left - am left - with only a sliver of the options that used to be open. Connors spoke to the reader that there is always more to life. While we yet take breath, there will always still be something we can "do", but more importantly, something valuable we can find in "being".
I expected this book to be an argument-based one, but somehow Connors touched on nearly all of my euthanasia/PAS questions while also showing me countless stories of life and death, of hope and despair. In the end, I've found that her 10 Principles apply not only to the discussion surrounding PAS/euthanasia but also to our everyday lives. Start With What is a gem of a book. Highly recommended.
Someone looking for a book with jam-packed with sources, statistics, and arguments will find that Connors has instead chosen to take a more holistic, personal approach. Does she cite sources? Yes. Does she use statistics? Yes. Does she use arguments? Definitely yes. But she also makes this book accessible for the reader grieving the loss of his wife, for the reader doubting her worth and purpose, for the reader who simply wants to see what it means to be pro-life for all life.
One chapter in particular stood out to me. In it, Connors argued that our value is in simply "being" and not in "doing." No one had ever told me that before, but it was exactly what I needed - what I've been needing - for the past two years. I have always been a "do-er", but circumstances changed, and I was left - am left - with only a sliver of the options that used to be open. Connors spoke to the reader that there is always more to life. While we yet take breath, there will always still be something we can "do", but more importantly, something valuable we can find in "being".
I expected this book to be an argument-based one, but somehow Connors touched on nearly all of my euthanasia/PAS questions while also showing me countless stories of life and death, of hope and despair. In the end, I've found that her 10 Principles apply not only to the discussion surrounding PAS/euthanasia but also to our everyday lives. Start With What is a gem of a book. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2021
Great book with great stories, but I agree with the preface that it will not be convincing to those who are not already Christian. It’s hard to discuss this topic with those who aren’t Christian in a convincing and winsome way. It seems easier to do so with abortion than with PAS/euthanasia.
February 25, 2021
Stephanie Gray Connors' new book, Start With What: 10 Principles for Thinking About Assisted Suicide is an excellent follow-up from her previous book, Love Unleashes Life. Stephanie is a bright pro-life advocate and knows how to intelligently respond to critics of the pro-life position on subjects like abortion and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). But while this book is not a book of rigorous philosophical argumentation, it is a book about real life stories from people who have been faced with tragic and painful situations at the end of their life and the impact they have had on others by refusing to take the easy way out and refusing to end their life early. As the subtitle suggests, the book is split into ten chapters, each one a different principle to help you think better about PAS.
Stephanie does respond to many of the arguments you hear in the issue. She also helps clarify the issue by making important distinctions that many people who talk about PAS neglect to make. For that reason, Stephanie's book is a great resource in helping people to think more clearly and carefully about PAS.
As a result of her nuanced discussion and the numerous stories she touches upon and the clear and easy-to-follow format her book is laid out in, I am confident in commending this book to anyone who believes PAS to be immoral but also wants to learn how to respond in kindness and compassion to those who disagree.
Stephanie does respond to many of the arguments you hear in the issue. She also helps clarify the issue by making important distinctions that many people who talk about PAS neglect to make. For that reason, Stephanie's book is a great resource in helping people to think more clearly and carefully about PAS.
As a result of her nuanced discussion and the numerous stories she touches upon and the clear and easy-to-follow format her book is laid out in, I am confident in commending this book to anyone who believes PAS to be immoral but also wants to learn how to respond in kindness and compassion to those who disagree.
February 17, 2021
Stephanie did a fantastic job of exploring the topic of suffering and how humans can respond to it. She’s approachable, compassionate and clear in her defense of human dignity. I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it!
November 24, 2021
A lot of the points this book made I entirely agreed with, however were compatible with my views on euthanasia. This indicates the author lacks a sufficient understanding of the topic. At nearly every argument I was left with glaring questions that were answered insufficiently or not at all. The author also claims to argue from both a Christian and secular perspective but several of her most important points were only backed up by religion.
March 24, 2023
Not many books I know of that tackle this increasingly prevalent issue. Connors approached it by responding with the deeper issues at play, such as finding meaning and having loving relationships amidst suffering Which included many deeply moving stories of those who chose to live well in the midst of their sufferings and presented the joy, love and meaning that can be found within great sufferings. And ultimately that God works beautiful things in the midst of all that life brings our way.
July 6, 2022
4.5 stars
This book is about so much more than just assisted suicide. A huge part of this book is about overcoming suffering which I really enjoyed reading about.
Even though some of the concepts were hard to understand, the amount of amazing examples made the book understandable and easy to read.
I learned so much about assisted suicide and about life in general reading this book.
Would recommend!!
This book is about so much more than just assisted suicide. A huge part of this book is about overcoming suffering which I really enjoyed reading about.
Even though some of the concepts were hard to understand, the amount of amazing examples made the book understandable and easy to read.
I learned so much about assisted suicide and about life in general reading this book.
Would recommend!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews