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In the past, research was done in the Netherlands among pastors to study their attitudes and experiences regarding euthanasia. Also, the attitudes of protestant believers have been studied, however very superficially. This paper presents the results of a survey among 736 parishioners of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands about their experiences, views, and understanding of euthanasia and about what they expect from their pastor. Two-thirds of the respondents are positive about euthanasia being permissible in the Netherlands, and half of them consider euthanasia a possibility for themselves. A parishioner's theological subdenomination (orthodox, evangelical, middle-orthodox, liberal) is related significantly to their views about euthanasia and pastoral care. Most parishioners value a central role for their pastor at the end of their lives, including those who would possibly consider euthanasia. The relevance of this survey is that a better insight in the parishioners' wishes about euthanasia can improve the practice of pastoral care at the end of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This representative survey amongst 653 ministers in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) maps their experiences and views with regard to euthanasia. We found that three-quarters of the ministers have experience with euthanasia requests from their parishioners. Almost two-thirds of them respect a parishioner's euthanasia request. Differentiating the answers on the basis of modality, we see differences in attitudes, both regarding euthanasia itself and regarding the pastoral approach. Although ministers have considerable experience with euthanasia, the open questions posed reveal that ministers encounter many difficulties and dilemmas: there is urgent need for discussion and support. The article intends to contribute to the search for a best pastoral practice in dealing with euthanasia requests and explores the need for a renewed role for the PKN in the social and political debate on euthanasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]