Is suicide considered a sin?

[BluePhantom]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

 

[Papageorgio]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

Not guilt and fear. For many it is a rational conclusion based on a perception of the mind.

 

[WelfareQueen]

Suicide is taking a life, which is a sin.

The wages sin pays is death.

The sin of suicide is forgiven upon ones death.

Can I ask where you get this? It is interesting because God is supposed to be about forgiveness. I worked in mental health for years....most people considering suicide are in tremendous emotional or physical pain. I would think that would be a time when compassion and forgiveness is needed most. Particularly by the deity.

Not sure what you are asking, suicide is forgivable by God. What is not compassionate about that?

Sorry....my question is that an official doctrine you are aware of?

 

[gipper]

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.

Why does one have to be mentally unstable to commit suicide? Are those with terminal illnesses mentally unstable that choose to die with dignity? Maybe they just flat out don't want to suffer or be a burden. Or maybe there is nothing really left they can do, due to extreme old age, homeless, broke, etc.

Agreed. Many who commit suicide are mentally stable, but some find living so emotionally difficult that they tell themselves they can't continue.

Anyone who has suffered a love one's death by suicide, will tell you it is extremely painful. It can be a terribly selfish act. Many who contemplate it, do not carry it out because of the hurt it causes loved ones.

 

[there4eyeM]

If things had happened at Masada as reported, there would have been no one to report it.

 

[orogenicman]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

 

[WelfareQueen]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

This is my field. The science suggests people contemplate suicide when they feel they're out of options (i.e. the field of options narrows down until the individual is in a crisis state. Once in a crisis state you become far less rational).

Brain chemistry is a significant factor as well as genetics...but this is poorly understand. Serotonin and Norepinephrine seem to have a lot to do with mood state.


Crisis intervention - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


Serotonin - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia



Norepinephrine - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

 

[orogenicman]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

Not guilt and fear. For many it is a rational conclusion based on a perception of the mind.

There is nothing rational about suicide.

 

[BluePhantom]

If things had happened at Masada as reported, there would have been no one to report it.

According to Josephus one woman hid with her children and reported it. Now, we must keep in mind that Josephus did not preserve history the same way that historians do today. Josephus relies on a lot of hearsay and writes with clear bias in his reporting. He was a Jew who was a participant in the Jewish-Roman wars and he did not hide that bias even when he defected and became a Roman citizen and enjoyed the patronage of Vespasian and Titus. So it's certainly possible that his account is romanticized. However, it's what we have.

 

[BluePhantom]

Your thoughts?

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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.

 

[orogenicman]

Suicide is a symptom exhibited by someone who is broken. Their lives are broken, as well as their minds. To call it a sin is to ascribe a religious/moral meaning that is neither helpful nor meaningful.

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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.

 

[BluePhantom]

Except that she is asking a theological question. It's no more helpful nor meaningful to provide a psychological answer to a theological question

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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?

 

[orogenicman]

Actually, it is much more helpful to address the problem from a scientific standpoint than a theological one. At least with science, one can perhaps find the root cause of suicides, and try to help these people before they kill themselves. With religion, it's all about guilt and fear; and guilt and fear is largely why they are killing themselves in the first place.

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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.

 

[BluePhantom]

She already said on page one she is not contemplating suicide. She is merely asking a theological question about sin. That is a question science has no answer for because it deals with a theological principle that cannot be measured or experimented upon. It's like answering the question "what is your favorite color" with "pi multiplied by 16 squared"

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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.

 

[featherlite]

Once I heard someone say suicide was an act of selfishness. People do it ( I think) who see no way out of their misery. Its act of desperation. Especially if someone isn't in their right mind ( or drug induced) when they do it.
Its for sure not a time to judge anyone or the family who are left grieving.

 

[BluePhantom]

Once I heard someone say suicide was an act of selfishness. People do it ( I think) who see no way out of their misery. Its act of desperation. Especially if someone isn't in their right mind ( or drug induced) when they do it.
Its for sure not a time to judge anyone or the family who are left grieving.

Again it depends on the situation, I think. There's a big difference between a patient who is dying of a terminal illness and who is experiencing incredible pain to contemplate suicide and a person who just lost their girlfriend taking a bath with their toaster. While both are about suffering and misery, in the former there is really no way out while in the latter there is. BTW, I am not endorsing any specific path here. I am simply saying that the question is far more complex than a simple "yes" or "no" answer can satisfy.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Your thoughts?

Depends on the religion.

Catholics consider it a mortal sin that will land you in hell for eternity. Christians in general oppose suicide.

Buddhists are either neutral or encourage suicide. If one shames a clan or family, one is expected to kill oneself. Muslims view suicide in the commission of murder a guarantee into paradise.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Depends on the person. Some people's suicide is a blessing to humanity.

But enough about Obama....

 

[orogenicman]

Erm, what? I never accused anyone here of contemplating suicide. Where did that come from? The fact of the matter is that people commit suicide largely out of guilt and fear (and anger). It is abnormal behavior committed by people who are broken. Having a debate on whether or not it is a sin is not only not helpful, or meaningful, it can actually make matters much worse for anyone contemplating suicide. You are right. Science cannot answer the question of whether or not suicide is a sin. But then, the question is largely meaningless in the first place.

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.

 

[featherlite]

Once I heard someone say suicide was an act of selfishness. People do it ( I think) who see no way out of their misery. Its act of desperation. Especially if someone isn't in their right mind ( or drug induced) when they do it.
Its for sure not a time to judge anyone or the family who are left grieving.

Again it depends on the situation, I think. There's a big difference between a patient who is dying of a terminal illness and who is experiencing incredible pain to contemplate suicide and a person who just lost their girlfriend taking a bath with their toaster. While both are about suffering and misery, in the former there is really no way out while in the latter there is. BTW, I am not endorsing any specific path here. I am simply saying that the question is far more complex than a simple "yes" or "no" answer can satisfy.

Oh I agree...I hadn't read your post yet...I was just going off things Ive heard. there is no easy answer.
You could say the person with the terminal illness doesn't want to suffer and is selfish for getting out early. Actually that's what was said about this woman who was facing an ongoing debilitating terminal illness in Oregon awhile back. I thought it was a little selfish also until I heard the story coming directly from her in an interview. She might have had ALS cant remember. The person literally becomes imprisoned in his/her own body and then chokes to death. I cant even imagine that.
Watched a movie about it ...yeah it made people around her more compassionate ... I just dont understand why diseases like that need to exist.