Sunday, April 30, 2006

Suicide not a "sin"

I continually hear about sin, about good vs. evil, and recently about a belief that suicide is a sin.  What is sin exactly?  According to long-held teachings, they are either mortal or venial.  A biggie or a small slip.  It's not enough.  Who put this in motion and decided on the rules, without resorting to a Biblical explanation, vis a vis the Ten Commandments.  No one keeps them and everyone believes they're doing good, so to me it's moot.  My personal belief is, all you need do is love God and be nice to people.  Sounds simplistic I know, yet why shouldn't it be that easy?  But the subject of suicide, it worries me.  If I gauge this by today's thoughts, I'd have to conclude that anyone who persists in actions that they know will result in their death are "committing" suicide, a "sin".  The first person who comes to mind who did that is Jesus.  Did Jesus commit suicide?  He surely didn't stop the events that He knew would lead to His death.  See how tilted it sounds?  And what of the thousands of martyrs who allowed themselves to be killed for lack of saying a few words.  They knew they'd die, yet did nothing.  Are they sinners, did they commit suicide?  

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy,
I am not a religious person, I respect everyone's point of view if that were no the case then the build up of relationships would be null and void. I have my own set of beliefs and rules I hold true to, not from any great techings but from the common sense accumilated inside true from a good up-bringing and positive examples set to me. I was never told right from wrong in the language sense I new it instinctively by watching and learning my surroundings, a way of learning used a lot today but not a positive one due to the examples being set in this society.
Suicide is a difficult subject to understand, a split moment in a world of continuous hurt, or a release from a situation thats forever endless, it's not an answer by any means just a route taken that seemed correct at the time, in the place, from a situation. I don't believe people choose to walk up to that path, I believe they just can't side step off of it once they start. A cowards way out? Why not? How can it be decided why it came to that when the situation wasn't lived from the individuals view point, I don't think there is an answer, it's not a path I believe I would take, I guess once again it comes down to the examples I was set and that I know no matter what the situation there is a way out of it and I am strong enough to to walk in one side and come out intact the other having learnt a great deal,  I have the support and the mind-set.
If we are set positive examples, however trivial or slight they all add up, they all encompase us and shape us and so we go forward to walk another day, you live the life you choose from the rules you have set.
Jo

Anonymous said...

Hello! I am here, because I saw the link in Sassy's journal. I decided to start reading from your first entry to your latest.

This is a VERY good post. I have long held the belief that suicide is not a sin when it is committed by someone who is not thinking clearly. How can God possibly punish someone whose heart is good, but whose mind has lost its ability to navigate rational thinking? I simply cannot believe He would do such a thing.

Then there is Hitler. We know his heart was anything but good. He was evil personified. He chose suicide as a means to escape being caught and punished for having so many people he had tortured and massacred. A conscious and clear decision designed to spare him from being tried for his crimes. I see him stewing in Hell. (More because he was evil than because he chose suicide.)

Welcome to journaling.

::smile::
Nikki

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy.  Deb (Sassy) pointed me to your journal.  I have read several entries.  You are an incredible writer.  You do make me think =).  I have often pondered your exact thoughts written down in this entry.  My conclusion on this is that I believe it is the attitude behind how we destroy ourselves is how God will judge us.  God is much more merciful that he is a judge as well.  I am tired of people saying that anyone who commits suicide is sinning or going to hell.  Oh, those poor mentally ill people who don't have their right mind.  Who have no way out.  That is so different than one who kills themselves out of angerand spite or one who allows themselves to die for a greater good as Jesus did or martyrs do, to save the world.  Good post!  Hugs, Val xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy.  Deb (Sassy) pointed me to your journal.  I have read several entries.  You are an incredible writer.  You do make me think =).  I have often pondered your exact thoughts written down in this entry.  My conclusion on this is that I believe it is the attitude behind how we destroy ourselves is how God will judge us.  God is much more merciful that he is a judge as well.  I am tired of people saying that anyone who commits suicide is sinning or going to hell.  Oh, those poor mentally ill people who don't have their right mind.  Who have no way out.  That is so different than one who kills themselves out of angerand spite or one who allows themselves to die for a greater good as Jesus did or martyrs do, to save the world.  Good post!  Hugs, Val xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason

Anonymous said...

Cathy,
I have read all of your journals in the past few days, as someone stated you are an incredible and provocative writer, but then I have always known that of you.
Your statement asking 'Did Jesus commit suicide?' is especially thought provoking. I have heard terrible statements for years, in my opinion, suicide is a sin, a cop out, being selfish, etc.
I persoonally do not believe this, and I come from a strong Christian background. I believe that if one gets to that point, they are so overwhelmed the last thing they are thinking is 'sin, being selfish, etc.' I feel they are hurting so bad and in such despair they cannot see any other way out.
Jesus however knew that He was dying so we may live. Jesus was most certainly frightened, but at the same time, knew what was going to happen. He gave his life for all of us, even asking God to forgive His own murderers. I cannot really see this as suicide, but then again it is,,, Much to think about.
Love,
Daniel

Anonymous said...

hi~[wave]....guess i got around to it sooner than i thought...[smile] ~ *funny- how you would want to ponder the things of heaven and earth..and NOT want Bible reference...[s/lol] - when i think of the "suicide" of Christ...i do not think of an act of desparation! i think of an ACT OF LIBERATION!!! - *an "unchaining" if you will - ~ i think of pat benatar!!!!!  GUITAR!!!  ~ n' with the POWER of CONVICTION!!!! ~
there IS NO SACRIFICE!!!! ~ of course...that is in the opinion of the one being crucified ~  que no'?~ yet ~ the ACT - itself...is the POINT!!  not  how we "interrpret!"  without the act...."historically"....like the declaration of independance...because they  DID it! we can claim it....soooo..you can see..that *Biblical referrence* is not "conjecture"...so if i may? i will color my statement above ...with this:   "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" Eph. 4:32 [smile]....~~~~~ *rockfist!
~  wwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEE will be INVINCIBLE!!!! ~
*for the record...i was listening once to a "...study" and the teacher brought up this very subject...of suicide/sin.....there was no Biblical support...that suicide results in *unforgiven sin...[*stirring the pot~kinda~smile*...giggle] ~  my  guess - it would have been the Roman Catholic Church....[giggle...yikes!] ~ just a guess......[lol]
*although on re-direct=maybe it was those ((((Hebrews))))...[i know...i will probably get mail'' ] maybe someone can shed some light on this...from those two other perspective....[arespectfulnodsmile]

Anonymous said...

"all you need do is love God"....hmmmm- i find that most interesting of all....see= n' this is just my own perspective...if you love someone...someone^^^vastly beyond all hopes = *remembering a barry manilow moment....oye..lol..but i love the song..."could this be the magic"..if you love someone???? you do all you can do to "know them"...to come closer...perhaps..oh but then i was gonna give a Biblical illustration...-[mybad..]..oh well...what the hell....like the woman who touched his garment....if you love someone...you want to know them...and not just by what others tell you...but by them..the one you love...if you ((((( love ))))) someone...you are drivin'!! to want them to know you...NOW! i am speaking in figurative terms...~ God tells those who LOVE HIM...DRAW CLOSE TO ME...and I WILL DRAW CLOSE TO YOU... do you dismiss that??? can one do so....and NOT call GOD A LIAR???  ~ why would you dismiss the ONE Book!!! that CLAIMS = to be WRITTEN by GOD...that you LOVE??? remember??...love...would draw you close...***if - of course..you loved HIM......now saying...and doing....are-vastly - different things....opps...if you LOVE GOD...in the present tense...[mybad]- sounds simple i know!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your nomination, Cathy.... if it wasn't so late I'd leave a lengthier comment in response to your entry, but alas, it is late, and I must go... keep writing.

Bea

Anonymous said...

This one is such a close one to my heart--(long story)--but partly because my paternal grandfather committed suicide, one of my brother's best friends did, a classmate of my twin sister and mine did and the list goes on, tragically.  My grandfather's suicide was the one that we grew up under the "cloud" of and I had never known until a week before my father died that he hated him for doing it. He did it when my father was only nine years old because my grandmother died. My grandfather ended up remarrying quickly to a mean, spinster-lady so that his four children would have a step-mother when he committed suicide. She was very abusive to my father and the rest because she felt she got a raw deal, which she did, but those children weren't at fault! There was and is so much healing for the Lord to do in our family and in all the families touched by suicide. I have never agreed with people saying that it was an unpardonable sin, but I definitely do not like it when they make a hero out of someone who has committed suicide, like Curt Kobain. I think he was talented, though his music was not to my taste (the lyrics) but he was not a role model, for heavens sakes! By the way, my dad has been in heaven for twenty years as of yesterday.

Anonymous said...

I had to come back and comment on this again after I prayed about it for a while--I wasn't ignoring it--but, I had never thought about Jesus dying on the cross as suicide before. I'm not exactly sure how it sits with me yet--I know that He had to do that to fulfill prophesy and that He did have a choice, but He made the choice to do it because He loves us so much. So I guess you're right; it is, in a way, isn't it? WOW! Thank you for that. Glory to God!

Anonymous said...

Cathy,
Posting a comment on your first entry - your journal is all visible to me