Dr Jonathan Romain argues so – and cites Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a supporter.

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This supposedly monolithic religious opposition has now felt the tremors of the earthquake. It has come in the form of a video just released by Archbishop Desmond Tutu He states not only that he supports Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury in calling for an assisted dying bill in the UK, and the right of individuals to an assisted death, but also that he wants the option of assisted dying for himself.

Tutu has just turned 85 and has prostate cancer. In the video he declares: “As a Christian, I believe in the sanctity of life … and that death is a part of life. I hope that when the time comes, I am treated with compassion and allowed to pass on to the next phase of life’s journey in the manner of my choice.”

Bearing in mind that Tutu is one of the most famous religious figures in the world – alongside the Pope and the Dalai Lama – his endorsement is significant and will help to pierce the myth that being religious means being against assisted dying.

It will also chime with the public mood. In April last year, Populus conducted the largest ever poll on assisted dying – of 5,000 people – which found 82 per cent of the public support a change in the law.