Suicide

[Trip06]

I was raised up in a catholic christan family and school. I am 21 now and did a lot of thinking sence I was about 18 on my beliefs. I questioned a lot of my beliefs and came out basicly just ignoring everything(mostly because im a weak person with low self esteem) I still believe in christan religion but Idk I am a hypocrite I believe but dont act. Well anyways It had me thinking If some one had so much pain they couldnt live with and killed themself why would they go to hell as taught in my religion? Seems so wrong. Why hell because they had that much pain and then give them an eternity of it?

[Matt the Funk]

This thread will probably get nuked. Suicide is a touchy subject on a cannabis site. If you are thinking about doing it, get some help. I don't even believe in heaven or hell, and I don't think killing yourself would be a "sin". Infact I just see religion as a form of mass conformity, but not spirituality.

[beachguy in thongs]

There's no possible way that God could let their grieving parents know that their child is burning in hell. The whole family turns and looks to God, if they're not atheists. God heals them. I don't believe in hell, just purgatory.

[Trip06]

Im not saying im going to I was just pondering.

[birdgirl73]

Some other mod may nuke this thread, but I see it as a philosophical, spiritual discussion and obviously not a personal expression of suicidal intent, which are the threads we're keen on taking down.

I think the strong attitudes objecting to suicide in traditional Judeo-Christian religion stem from the "Thou shalt not kill" commandment, Trip. Even when it's a self-directed act, it's still a form of killing or violence. And so the traditional notion of Christian consequences (hell) kicks in.

It doesn't make a lick of sense to me, either, but almost nothing about traditional, formal religion does. Suicide or any act of self-harm is an expression of illness and desperation, and it should be regarded as such. The assurances that people would go to hell for such behavior are primitive and punitive and, well, crazy. Fortunately, most of the more civilized, moderate Judeo-Christian religions seem to have a bit more tolerance and understanding nowadays about mental health.

[PureEvil760]

Here is your answer: The suffering you may endure while in embodiment on this planet is why you are here, if you look for the light you will find it. Killing yourself is indeed your choice but it is against God's will, so you will owe a heavy karmic debt in the afterlife and/or your next re-incarnation. Where you are when your life ends is where it will continue.

[Coelho]

Where you are when your life ends is where it will continue.

So, if your life is so bad you wants finish it by yourself, it seems you're already in "hell", and killing yourself will not finish it, but only worsen it. Cause you will have a murder to add to your "sentence", karma, or whatever.
The things will be far worse after doing it, so due the reasons above i think it could fit the Catholic belief, that anyone who commits suicide goes to hell.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I hate that so many people make this blanket statement of "suicide is never the answer". Nothing is written in stone, there are exceptions to every rule. I strongly believe that if somebody is in overwhelming suffering that will have no resolution before death, they should have the right to go out on their own terms. In some ways I think it would be better for the soul to choose to leave that existence behind, rather than build up a karma based on extreme pain before finally having your life ripped from you in the end.

[PureEvil760]

All suffering is an illusion of your own making in the first place.. it is your fault and your responsibility, all your doing is hurting yourself..you must see what isnt real before seeing what is real..believing falsity is reality is where suffering is born.

[Coelho]

All suffering is an illusion of your own making in the first place.. it is your fault and your responsibility, all your doing is hurting yourself..you must see what isnt real before seeing what is real..believing falsity is reality is where suffering is born.

I agree completly! But how many people can understand it?

(Here, "personal power" can be understood as knowledge, wisdom, experience, intelligence, etc.) so:

"Everything we do, everything we are, rests on our personal power. If we have enough of it, one word uttered to us might be sufficient to change the course of our lives. But if we don't have enough personal power, the most magnificent piece of wisdom can be revealed to us and that revelation won't make a damn bit of difference." Don Juan Matus - Tales of Power

[geonagual]

Suicide is a persons choice to do whatever they want with their life..if I wanna commit suicide, I will commit suicide and it is up to me..just like everyone else has a choice..if you wanna live..live..if your ready to die, then you know what you gotta do..some people dont wanna die of old age..shittin themselves and people coming by acting like they love them and at the same time got their hands out for some cash.

[PureEvil760]

Well if I wanted to die I would just do alot of dangerous and illegal shit..Id carry a gun incase the cops came and then they would kill me giving them bad karma lol

[Nailhead]

Well if I wanted to die I would just do alot of dangerous and illegal shit..Id carry a gun incase the cops came and then they would kill me giving them bad karma lol

You are speaking from the mind of a normal person, but the mind of someone with suicidal thoughts isn't a mind that follows reason and sane actions. I don't really know how to explain suicidal thoughts, but I will say that taking more risks than you normally would happens, however, you don't do it for the same reasons as a sane person would. The sane person would be doing it for the joy or the thrill, while the suicidal person is doing it more as tempting death and going to the limits. It's like if somebody is about to jump off a cliff....would they be thinking "gee, those people look like ants, i hate heights", it would be far different!

But as for what religion says about suicide, well, the Bible says a lot of stuff, much of it that is either taken out of context, or emphasized. I don't remember where it says this, but somewhere in the bible Jesus is asked something about death and he responds something like "I am not here to scare you with death, but bring light and righteousness into your lives." Basically he was saying that Christianity isn't about following rules to avoid hell, but living a Christian lifestyle because you are excited about heaven and the treasures that await. Over and over it is said that humans are not perfect, we are sinful creatures, so if people are trying to scare you into a religion, they aren't Christians. Read the bible and see how rare Jesus even mentions hell, it is seriously like a handful of times. Most of what he preached was positive, some modern religious leaders sure could take a lesson if they studied Jesus a bit more...:rolleyes:

Bottom line....don't focus on what is wrong with you because nobody is perfect, just live a happy life, be peaceful to you and your neighbors, try to do some good, and live happily.

[PureEvil760]

You are speaking from the mind of a normal person, but the mind of someone with suicidal thoughts isn't a mind that follows reason and sane actions.

lol apparently you dont know me too well, I have suffered far past thoughts of suicide, a been there done that kinda thing. If you think suffering to the point of suicidal thoughts is as bad as it gets then buckle your seatbelt Dorithy.

[Billy Preston]

Ragged Trousered Philosopher (http://www.fullmoon.nu/articles/art.php?id=tal)

That link has some nice ideas about why we are here, what we are doing and how, in thoery, a god like figure may be involved...or not involved as the case may be.

Might help you to figure out some ideas about suicide and how it realtes to life and philosophy.

[2600HERTZ]

I think life is more like a ground for learning how to handle things, and according to your response and attitude with these things you are judged and sent somewhere or another. When you take your own life, it is like the ultimate admission to weakness. I think the weakness is punished more than the act of suicide.

I think it is only alright to commit suicide if oyu are one of these girls on sweet 16 on MTV, you know the 16 yr old girls who get pissed because they got a jaguar x10 instead of the mercedes slk300 series.

[5150]

why would they go to hell as taught in my religion?

because if they didn't every one would be going around killing themselves it like keeping people in check.

I honestly don't believe you go to Hell.

[Oil_Man]

I was raised up in a catholic christan family and school. I am 21 now and did a lot of thinking sence I was about 18 on my beliefs. I questioned a lot of my beliefs and came out basicly just ignoring everything(mostly because im a weak person with low self esteem) I still believe in christan religion but Idk I am a hypocrite I believe but dont act. Well anyways It had me thinking If some one had so much pain they couldnt live with and killed themself why would they go to hell as taught in my religion? Seems so wrong. Why hell because they had that much pain and then give them an eternity of it?


Well im an athiest.. but if some1 killed them self becuz of that... they should go to hell becuz think about the pain there putin there family through, you know what i mean?

[MegaOctane12]

Suicide happens when someones pain far outweighs their ability to deal with it. On my way back from the airport earlier this week I had to catch a train, it was delayed due to a fatality, someone had thrown themselves in front of a train and now they are dead, gone, its standard procedure that a clean up team comes to pick up the bits and pieces. The train is delayed and/or cancelled, this is not uncommon, my train to college is delayed on a regular basis due to suicides. The sad fact is, it happens, people have to deal with a whole array of complex mental problems and I don't think you can ever judge anyone or their choice to kill themselves because you don't know their pain. People still don't get the help they need and I don't think taking an apocalyptic religious view on it or using scare tactics that we all know is the number one favourite weapon that religious folk love to use,.. helps in any way shape or form.

[MajMike]

Ignoring the 'sin' aspect of it, if one considers Life to be a gift then suicide is a rejection of that gift. I also think we grow from each experience we have in this existence, and ending it early handicaps one in the next existence.

Don't get me wrong, I watched my uncle die from prostrate cancer, and I won't go out that way. But, excepting a terminal situation, suicide is usually a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I don't believe in "Hell", I just think those who were that sort simply cease to exists upon their Judgement. A merciful God would not torture His children endlessly, it would be kinder to just end their existence.