Is suicide considered a sin?

[featherlite]

To answer the question. I dont know.
... not my place to call it sin or decide for another person, but I don't believe in taking ones own life.

 

[BluePhantom]

Sigh. If someone is saying "hey I am contemplating suicide and I want to know about the theological consequence" I would agree that approaching it from a psychological perspective is far better. But what is happening is that the OP is asking a theological question and you are ignoring the nature of that question and instead going off on a scientific tangent. She is not asking "what is the best way to help someone considering suicide" or "how should I cope with suicidal thoughts?" She is asking whether it is a sin.

Yes, she asked if it is a sin. She is asking for opinions. I'm telling her that my opinion is that the question is meaningless, and not helpful. The question is why she is contemplating suicide in the first place. And if she is contemplating suicide, trying to help her cope is a far better thing to do than to feed her fear and guilt on the matter.

She didn't say she was contemplating suicide. In fact, she said she wasn't. If you are going to go in a psychological direction what you should really be asking is the age old question 'is it justifiable to do something wrong in order to do a greater right?' From a theological application we might ask 'is there ever a time when it is ok to sin?'

Consider the following classical ethical dilemma.

You have been captured by a homicidal maniac who has a gun to your head. In front of you are two buttons. The left button is connected to a single person in an electric chair and pushing that button will deliver a fatal charge of electricity to that person. The right button is connected to four people in electric chairs and pushing the right button will kill four. The psychopath says you must push one button or he will kill all of you, but he will release everyone still alive after you push one of them. For the sake of argument we assume the psycho is telling the truth. What do you do?

Most people will say they would push the left button because even though they kill one person they save the lives of the other four and themselves. But what if the person connected to the left button is a four year-old child and the other four are adults? That's a bit tougher, huh? What if it is your mother, or father, or spouse and the other four are total strangers? Now, it's a lot trickier even though the previous logic of killing one to save five still applies. Now let's assume that your loved one connected to the left button is not taking the "noble path" and offering themselves up to save the rest, but is crying and begging you to save them and kill the other four? Now it's even harder. Let's go further. What if the other four are all dying of an incurable terminal illness and will be dead in five years anyhow? What if it's only two years? One year? Six months? A week? What if they will all die tomorrow anyhow?

At some point, most people will cross over and say they would push the right button killing the four instead of the left button killing only the one. So where is the line drawn between where it becomes ethically acceptable and when it is not? Is it EVER ok to do wrong in order to serve a greater right? Is it possible to determine when there is a greater right? It is not only a theological question, it is also a moral and ethical question.

If I am on my deathbed and suffering intense pain, and I am begging you to kill me and take the pain away. Is it moral or immoral for you to grant my request? Is there a greater degree of immorality in killing me or allowing me to endure unbearable suffering? Is it moral or immoral to kill myself?

I don't believe in sin. Sorry, but I don't. Belief in sin implies that there is some higher power in the universe standing in judgement. And I don't believe that to be the case.

a) That has nothing to do with the moral dilemma I posted about which is the essence of the OP. Whether you call it sin or morality or whatever it all comes back to the same concept the OP is getting at.

b) Who gives a damn if you don't believe in sin? The OP appears to and for the purpose of her question it's her beliefs that matter and not yours.

So you will be speaking for the OP, will you? Did she give you permission to speak for her? She gave no indication what her beliefs are. She simply asked a question. And I gave her my opinion on the matter. And what makes you think that your moral dilemma and hers coincide? If they did, do you think she would have bothered to ask the question?

Now, I understand that people of faith tend to frame things on the basis of their own morality. And that is not necessarily a bad thing if it leads to a positive outcome. So my question is what positive outcome do you think the OP can reach from knowing whether or not suicide is a sin based on your morality or that of anyone else? The concept of sin is a human one. The morality of nature is far different from our own limited thinking on the matter. Does nature care if we commit suicide? I don't think it does. How could it? In the end, these cries of anguish fall on the deaf ears of nature and go unanswered. What matters is what we as moral human beings can do to alleviate the anguish suffered by those contemplating suicide. Because in the end, our compassion for our fellow human beings is all that really matters.

I haven't seen anyone bob and weave like this since Ali v. Frazier. I don't know Gracie terribly well, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines and make some reasonable assumptions. All you offered was (paraphrasing) 'people contemplating suicide should get psychological help and guilt and fear based religion is often to blame', and then when pressed on it you ran to 'well sin and religion is bullshit anyhow, so there'.

The point of the ethical dilemma I posed was to show that there is no single determination that can be made by mere humans on questions of this sort because a 'positive outcome' depends on how someone is looking at a situation. It is totally dependent upon the individual and, for a person of faith, their relationship with God. Therefore, she must decide for herself what is ethical, moral, or sinful. As she is posing a theological question, your lack of a relationship with God is totally irrelevant. It is up to her to make that determination for herself.

 

[Muhammed]

Whenever I hear someone talking about suicide it tends to worry me. A couple of people I knew were starting conversations about the ethics and religious implications of suicide weeks before they did it.

 

[orogenicman]

Yes, she asked if it is a sin. She is asking for opinions. I'm telling her that my opinion is that the question is meaningless, and not helpful. The question is why she is contemplating suicide in the first place. And if she is contemplating suicide, trying to help her cope is a far better thing to do than to feed her fear and guilt on the matter.

She didn't say she was contemplating suicide. In fact, she said she wasn't. If you are going to go in a psychological direction what you should really be asking is the age old question 'is it justifiable to do something wrong in order to do a greater right?' From a theological application we might ask 'is there ever a time when it is ok to sin?'

Consider the following classical ethical dilemma.

You have been captured by a homicidal maniac who has a gun to your head. In front of you are two buttons. The left button is connected to a single person in an electric chair and pushing that button will deliver a fatal charge of electricity to that person. The right button is connected to four people in electric chairs and pushing the right button will kill four. The psychopath says you must push one button or he will kill all of you, but he will release everyone still alive after you push one of them. For the sake of argument we assume the psycho is telling the truth. What do you do?

Most people will say they would push the left button because even though they kill one person they save the lives of the other four and themselves. But what if the person connected to the left button is a four year-old child and the other four are adults? That's a bit tougher, huh? What if it is your mother, or father, or spouse and the other four are total strangers? Now, it's a lot trickier even though the previous logic of killing one to save five still applies. Now let's assume that your loved one connected to the left button is not taking the "noble path" and offering themselves up to save the rest, but is crying and begging you to save them and kill the other four? Now it's even harder. Let's go further. What if the other four are all dying of an incurable terminal illness and will be dead in five years anyhow? What if it's only two years? One year? Six months? A week? What if they will all die tomorrow anyhow?

At some point, most people will cross over and say they would push the right button killing the four instead of the left button killing only the one. So where is the line drawn between where it becomes ethically acceptable and when it is not? Is it EVER ok to do wrong in order to serve a greater right? Is it possible to determine when there is a greater right? It is not only a theological question, it is also a moral and ethical question.

If I am on my deathbed and suffering intense pain, and I am begging you to kill me and take the pain away. Is it moral or immoral for you to grant my request? Is there a greater degree of immorality in killing me or allowing me to endure unbearable suffering? Is it moral or immoral to kill myself?

I don't believe in sin. Sorry, but I don't. Belief in sin implies that there is some higher power in the universe standing in judgement. And I don't believe that to be the case.

a) That has nothing to do with the moral dilemma I posted about which is the essence of the OP. Whether you call it sin or morality or whatever it all comes back to the same concept the OP is getting at.

b) Who gives a damn if you don't believe in sin? The OP appears to and for the purpose of her question it's her beliefs that matter and not yours.

So you will be speaking for the OP, will you? Did she give you permission to speak for her? She gave no indication what her beliefs are. She simply asked a question. And I gave her my opinion on the matter. And what makes you think that your moral dilemma and hers coincide? If they did, do you think she would have bothered to ask the question?

Now, I understand that people of faith tend to frame things on the basis of their own morality. And that is not necessarily a bad thing if it leads to a positive outcome. So my question is what positive outcome do you think the OP can reach from knowing whether or not suicide is a sin based on your morality or that of anyone else? The concept of sin is a human one. The morality of nature is far different from our own limited thinking on the matter. Does nature care if we commit suicide? I don't think it does. How could it? In the end, these cries of anguish fall on the deaf ears of nature and go unanswered. What matters is what we as moral human beings can do to alleviate the anguish suffered by those contemplating suicide. Because in the end, our compassion for our fellow human beings is all that really matters.

I haven't seen anyone bob and weave like this since Ali v. Frazier. I don't know Gracie terribly well, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines and make some reasonable assumptions. All you offered was (paraphrasing) 'people contemplating suicide should get psychological help and guilt and fear based religion is often to blame', and then when pressed on it you ran to 'well sin and religion is bullshit anyhow, so there'.

The point of the ethical dilemma I posed was to show that there is no single determination that can be made by mere humans on questions of this sort because a 'positive outcome' depends on how someone is looking at a situation. It is totally dependent upon the individual and, for a person of faith, their relationship with God. Therefore, she must decide for herself what is ethical, moral, or sinful. As she is posing a theological question, your lack of a relationship with God is totally irrelevant. It is up to her to make that determination for herself.

Mere humans? So what you are saying is that YOU don't know why people killed themselves so you will leave it up to your god to decide. And If that works for you, have at it. But I have to say that is a wreckless and lazy way to view the problem. And it seems to me that you are more interested in promoting your religious views than you are in finding solutions. Again, wreckless and lazy. The fact is that we know quite a bit about suicide, it's causes and how to prevent it. For some, their faith gets them through it. But for many more, it does not. Here is what we do know:

1) Persons who are depressed are among the most likely to commit suicide, and are less likely to attend church, synagogue, mosque, temple, circle, etc.
2) Homosexuals have one of the highest suicide rates of any group in society, and are often disinclined to attend church because of the degree of rejection and homophobia there.
3) Attendance at religious services often gives individuals access to a support network. Those without a support network are most likely to commit suicide.

What we know for certain is that those with a support network are far less likely to commit suicide than those without, regardless of religious belief or attendance to religious services. Having the support network is what makes the difference, not one's faith.

 

[orogenicman]

Whenever I hear someone talking about suicide it tends to worry me. A couple of people I knew were starting conversations about the ethics and religious implications of suicide weeks before they did it.

I had a cousin who was a priest who came around and visited all of his aunts, talking very strangely, blaming people in his life for his decision to become a priest. A few weeks later, be blew his brains out.

 

[Gracie]

Um.....folks? I have no plans on offing myself, m'kay? It was and is just a question. No hidden motives. If I wanted to kill myself, I damn sure wouldn't come to usmb to talk about it, lol.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Gracie, there is nothing in the Bible that says you go to hell if you commit suicide.

 

[BluePhantom]

She didn't say she was contemplating suicide. In fact, she said she wasn't. If you are going to go in a psychological direction what you should really be asking is the age old question 'is it justifiable to do something wrong in order to do a greater right?' From a theological application we might ask 'is there ever a time when it is ok to sin?'

Consider the following classical ethical dilemma.

You have been captured by a homicidal maniac who has a gun to your head. In front of you are two buttons. The left button is connected to a single person in an electric chair and pushing that button will deliver a fatal charge of electricity to that person. The right button is connected to four people in electric chairs and pushing the right button will kill four. The psychopath says you must push one button or he will kill all of you, but he will release everyone still alive after you push one of them. For the sake of argument we assume the psycho is telling the truth. What do you do?

Most people will say they would push the left button because even though they kill one person they save the lives of the other four and themselves. But what if the person connected to the left button is a four year-old child and the other four are adults? That's a bit tougher, huh? What if it is your mother, or father, or spouse and the other four are total strangers? Now, it's a lot trickier even though the previous logic of killing one to save five still applies. Now let's assume that your loved one connected to the left button is not taking the "noble path" and offering themselves up to save the rest, but is crying and begging you to save them and kill the other four? Now it's even harder. Let's go further. What if the other four are all dying of an incurable terminal illness and will be dead in five years anyhow? What if it's only two years? One year? Six months? A week? What if they will all die tomorrow anyhow?

At some point, most people will cross over and say they would push the right button killing the four instead of the left button killing only the one. So where is the line drawn between where it becomes ethically acceptable and when it is not? Is it EVER ok to do wrong in order to serve a greater right? Is it possible to determine when there is a greater right? It is not only a theological question, it is also a moral and ethical question.

If I am on my deathbed and suffering intense pain, and I am begging you to kill me and take the pain away. Is it moral or immoral for you to grant my request? Is there a greater degree of immorality in killing me or allowing me to endure unbearable suffering? Is it moral or immoral to kill myself?

I don't believe in sin. Sorry, but I don't. Belief in sin implies that there is some higher power in the universe standing in judgement. And I don't believe that to be the case.

a) That has nothing to do with the moral dilemma I posted about which is the essence of the OP. Whether you call it sin or morality or whatever it all comes back to the same concept the OP is getting at.

b) Who gives a damn if you don't believe in sin? The OP appears to and for the purpose of her question it's her beliefs that matter and not yours.

So you will be speaking for the OP, will you? Did she give you permission to speak for her? She gave no indication what her beliefs are. She simply asked a question. And I gave her my opinion on the matter. And what makes you think that your moral dilemma and hers coincide? If they did, do you think she would have bothered to ask the question?

Now, I understand that people of faith tend to frame things on the basis of their own morality. And that is not necessarily a bad thing if it leads to a positive outcome. So my question is what positive outcome do you think the OP can reach from knowing whether or not suicide is a sin based on your morality or that of anyone else? The concept of sin is a human one. The morality of nature is far different from our own limited thinking on the matter. Does nature care if we commit suicide? I don't think it does. How could it? In the end, these cries of anguish fall on the deaf ears of nature and go unanswered. What matters is what we as moral human beings can do to alleviate the anguish suffered by those contemplating suicide. Because in the end, our compassion for our fellow human beings is all that really matters.

I haven't seen anyone bob and weave like this since Ali v. Frazier. I don't know Gracie terribly well, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines and make some reasonable assumptions. All you offered was (paraphrasing) 'people contemplating suicide should get psychological help and guilt and fear based religion is often to blame', and then when pressed on it you ran to 'well sin and religion is bullshit anyhow, so there'.

The point of the ethical dilemma I posed was to show that there is no single determination that can be made by mere humans on questions of this sort because a 'positive outcome' depends on how someone is looking at a situation. It is totally dependent upon the individual and, for a person of faith, their relationship with God. Therefore, she must decide for herself what is ethical, moral, or sinful. As she is posing a theological question, your lack of a relationship with God is totally irrelevant. It is up to her to make that determination for herself.

Mere humans? So what you are saying is that YOU don't know why people killed themselves so you will leave it up to your god to decide.

Jesus, you are as thick as a two pound steak. No that's not what I said. Don't put words into my mouth and then presume to lecture me on something I didn't say. I said there was a line of morality that people must draw for themselves based upon th circumstances of the given situation. How you got from there to what you are suggesting is anyone's guess. Might I suggest you sue your Jr. high school reading comprehension teacher?

 

[orogenicman]

I don't believe in sin. Sorry, but I don't. Belief in sin implies that there is some higher power in the universe standing in judgement. And I don't believe that to be the case.

a) That has nothing to do with the moral dilemma I posted about which is the essence of the OP. Whether you call it sin or morality or whatever it all comes back to the same concept the OP is getting at.

b) Who gives a damn if you don't believe in sin? The OP appears to and for the purpose of her question it's her beliefs that matter and not yours.

So you will be speaking for the OP, will you? Did she give you permission to speak for her? She gave no indication what her beliefs are. She simply asked a question. And I gave her my opinion on the matter. And what makes you think that your moral dilemma and hers coincide? If they did, do you think she would have bothered to ask the question?

Now, I understand that people of faith tend to frame things on the basis of their own morality. And that is not necessarily a bad thing if it leads to a positive outcome. So my question is what positive outcome do you think the OP can reach from knowing whether or not suicide is a sin based on your morality or that of anyone else? The concept of sin is a human one. The morality of nature is far different from our own limited thinking on the matter. Does nature care if we commit suicide? I don't think it does. How could it? In the end, these cries of anguish fall on the deaf ears of nature and go unanswered. What matters is what we as moral human beings can do to alleviate the anguish suffered by those contemplating suicide. Because in the end, our compassion for our fellow human beings is all that really matters.

I haven't seen anyone bob and weave like this since Ali v. Frazier. I don't know Gracie terribly well, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines and make some reasonable assumptions. All you offered was (paraphrasing) 'people contemplating suicide should get psychological help and guilt and fear based religion is often to blame', and then when pressed on it you ran to 'well sin and religion is bullshit anyhow, so there'.

The point of the ethical dilemma I posed was to show that there is no single determination that can be made by mere humans on questions of this sort because a 'positive outcome' depends on how someone is looking at a situation. It is totally dependent upon the individual and, for a person of faith, their relationship with God. Therefore, she must decide for herself what is ethical, moral, or sinful. As she is posing a theological question, your lack of a relationship with God is totally irrelevant. It is up to her to make that determination for herself.

Mere humans? So what you are saying is that YOU don't know why people killed themselves so you will leave it up to your god to decide.

Jesus, you are as thick as a two pound steak. No that's not what I said. Don't put words into my mouth and then presume to lecture me on something I didn't say. I said there was a line of morality that people must draw for themselves based upon th circumstances of the given situation. How you got from there to what you are suggesting is anyone's guess. Might I suggest you sue your Jr. high school reading comprehension teacher?

Clearly you don't know anything about suicide. People who are suicidal are broken. It isn't about a line of morality. Get that through your thick skull. And stop calling me Jesus.

 

[BluePhantom]

Clearly you don't know anything about suicide. People who are suicidal are broken. It isn't about a line of morality. Get that through your thick skull. And stop calling me Jesus.

And clearly you can't differentiate between a hypothetical theological question and an opportunity for you to vent your anti-religious perspective. All this time and you still haven't figured out the nature of the question. And it most certainly is about a line of morality. If you can't grasp even that, you should stick to reading material you can comprehend. Here, let me offer you one that is more your speed:

I am Sam. Sam I am.

That Sam I am, that Sam I am
I do not like that Sam I am.

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them Sam I am.
I do not like green eggs and ham.

Would you like them here or there?

I would not like them here or there
I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham
I do not like them Sam I am.

Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?

I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like then Sam I am.

Look up the rest...it's a well known literary work that is right up your alley.

 

[Abishai100]

Material Magnet



The iconic sociologist Durkheim stated that humans are the only species that seems to seriously contemplate suicide or self-determined demise.

What's the difference between suicide and Euthanasia?

Am I being suicidal when I buy a cholesterol-rich whopper from Burger King on the Sabbath?

At least we can talk about this sort of stuff in public very easily now because of the Internet.

I'm excited about the upcoming comic book adapted film "Suicide Squad" (2016). It's funny how comic books capture a social perspective on daredevil panic.






Suicide Squad

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Some Christians would define suicide as a type of murder, but I disagree. I would define murder as: The unlawful killing of one human by another. This is certainly the way the law defines it. I don't believe that we should have one dictionary for use when we speak to each other, and another dictionary when we attempt to interpret the Bible.

But, hey, I agree that suicide should be a crime punishable by death!!

I have studied various versions of the Bible for over sixty years, and have found no specific mention of suicide. Christians who believe suicide to be a sin often resort to the writings of Paul who states that the body is the temple of the holy spirit. These are the verses Christians most often quote:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, KJV).

The problem is that the quoted verses do not necessarily deal with what one does to his/her own body. They could instead relate solely to what one does to another person. In another Passage Paul seems to suggest that the only sin that a man can commit against his own body is fornication. This would mean that suicide is not a sin. Here is what the Bible says:

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, KJV).

Besides, if suicide - which I would define as the act of hastening one's own death - is a sin then it must also be true that any willful act which causes one's premature demise is equally sinful. Thus, those who smoke, drink excessively or fail to diet and exercise properly would also be consigned to the eternal fires of Hell.

There is one hell of a difference between those who kill others others and those who take their own lives in quiet desperation. I contend that if God is fair and just as Christians believe, He will not condemn those who took their own lives; instead, he will heal their pain so that they can live and love and laugh again; or, as the Bible puts it, He will “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12). What kind of God would torment for all eternity those who faced so much torment in their lives that they could no longer bear it?

For the record, my son committed suicide in 2008, just a few months before his twenty-fourth birthday.

I'm so sorry, Professor. I was thinking about when Jesus told the people, if you didn't know it was a sin it wouldn't be counted against you ..... (I'm paraphrasing) The short answer is there is nothing in the Bible to my knowledge that addresses it as the unpardonable sin. I believe it would be a sin to take your own life but if the person was not aware of this, then what? I believe Jesus! One biblical scripture I know of concerning a servant of God who took his own life at the end while destroying the enemy:

And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

After that prayer, Professor, Samson was granted that strength. He killed more Philistines at his death than while he lived. What can we make of that prayer? I'm not sure. But I believe with all my heart that Samson is in heaven right now.

I remember the testimony of a Mormon woman who had committed suicide and Jesus showed her the end times and asked her to return and tell the world what she had seen but left the decision up to her if I recall the story correctly. She chose to come back and her testimony has gone across the USA and beyond now.

You know, in the thousand year reign with Christ, the dead shall sleep but there will also be people on the earth who do not know Him or perhaps didn't have an opportunity to fully know him and it could possibly be that some of those people were raised up to be given that chance. I do not know the answer for exactly how that will unfold - but I would tell you that I know the goodness of God and believe He understood your sons pain and the subtle, crafty nature of the enemy he was up against.(Lucifer) It is Satan that seeks to destroy people through depression, anxiety, physical afflictions, addictions and hopelessness. The mind is a battlefield. Not every day is the same. In these times, we have to put on the full armor of God and be vigilant. Otherwise he will use such heartbreaks to accuse us, to cast us into despair, and ultimately trick us into taking our eyes off our Redeemer.

 

[Abishai100]

The Image of Loitering

Imagine you hear a news story about a certain stewardess named Kathy who works for Korean Air who was arrested for being involved in an intricate international narcotics-smuggling operation. To avoid the bad press (since Korean Air has been in the spotlight due to North Korea-South Korea politico-intrigue), Kathy decides to kill herself.

We empathize with Kathy, not necessarily because we understand what she was going through, but because we understand how bad press affects everyone.

Empathy is about forgiving that need to take short-cuts to happiness. Euthanasia certainly requires a lot of empathy.

Durkheim, the great sociologist, talked about humanity's special intellectual perspectives on suicide (and claustrophobia). Suicide is complicated and almost always draws our concern. Suicide is not like genocide or theft or bigotry.

When we buy energy-efficient Energizer rechargeable batteries for our consumer electronics (i.e., remote controls, handheld radios, etc.), we think about the profitability of finding efficient ways to reduce labor or save energy/time. When we go to a drive-thru ATM, we think about the convenience of quickly accessing our bank account funds. If a wealthy tycoon commits suicide because he realizes his Wall Street investments have crashed and forced him into bankruptcy, we think about the labyrinths of industrial or civilization-related labors.

Suicide must firstly be examined under the lens of context. Adolf Hitler committed suicide when he realized the genocidal Nazis were doomed. The Hollywood (USA) movie actor Robin Williams committed suicide for much more personal reasons. Sensitivity is key of course.

Why do we celebrate American comic book avatars such as Batman (DC Comics), a brooding and gothic urban vigilante who chases society's most confounding criminally insane?






Gotham City

 

[Indofred]

Your thoughts?

Yes, well at least in the 'book' religions.

 

[PostmodernProph]

if murder is a sin, how could murdering yourself be anything else?.....

 

[PostmodernProph]

It's killing oneself, it's murder, only no time to repent, feel remorse, asking for forgiveness etc etc etc....you're already dead.....

Setting that aside, I believe in most cases of suicide, the person is mentally unstable, with acute depression, and feels there is no way out...other than offing oneself...

God, is a loving, caring, understanding and merciful God... under those circumstances, imo.

one doesn't need to have time to "repent, feel remorse, ask forgiveness.......we are already forgiven for the sins we have committed and the ones we will commit tomorrow.......

 

[LiberalLt.]

My mother took her life in 1974 at age 31 years, 6 months, and 14 days. This was in response to what now is called domestic violence, and later, stalking. When her abusive, alcoholic b/f / ex wouldn't leave us alone, she shot him then died a day later from carbon monoxide poisoning. I know some see suicide as a sin, and I wrestled with this a lot growing up 35-40 years ago. What I now believe is suicide is by definition a symptom of mental illness (depression) and God won't punish the mentally ill. Oh, and no, the asshole didn't die- she drove him to the hospital.