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With the debate on abortion, I was thinking about suicide. Pro-choice people often chant, "A woman should have the freedom to chose what she wants to do with her own body." Well, should she have the freedom to commit suicide? Right now, it's illegal in the US to commit (or rather attempt to commit) suicide. Personally, that seems like a stupid law. Is the theat of jail going to stop someone from killing themselves? "Oh, no, I better not try to kill myself, I might go to jail." If a person is so willing to terminate his own life, why would the threat of jail stop him?

It seems like there's a law against suicide cause it's considered murder. Albeit it's murder of self. And since life is considered sacred, you can't take away life.

In this country, the only situation where it's lawful to willfully take one's life is when someone is on death row. He's been proven guilty by due process of law and considered worthy of death.

But according to the Bible, aren't we all guilty of sin? Aren't we all worthy of death? Yes, we all are. So, why would it be wrong for someone to kill themselves? We're all guilty, so we deserve to die. But, it's God that pronounces us guilty, not ourselves. So it's God that can only execute the death sentence.

Interestingly, even Jesus was tempted to commit suicide. Matthew 4:5-6 (Luke 4:9-11) "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

And how does eternal security fit into suicide? If a Christian believes in eternal security, then committing suicide would not jeopardize going into heaven.

And, actually, there is no explicit statement in the Bible saying that suicide is a sin. Even Samson seemed to have been viewed positively in the Bible as he committed suicide.

So, what are the Biblical arguments against suicide? For Christians, it's that we have been bought by a price. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. We are God's temple. God has a plan for our life. Jesus wants us to have life and to have it abundantly. We're to honor God with our body.

For non-Christian and Christians, some arguments against suicide is that life is special. Suicide also affects more than one person, it affects families and friends. Suicide doesn't give you a chance to resolve the problems, it only stops your feelings (and stops everything else about you too). Suicide also doesn't give you a chance to get right with God.

Boy, what a huge topic... and a sensitive topic. For more reading, see below.


Suicide Facts in the United States
SUICIDE:Facts, religious aspects, ethical considerations, etc.
Suicide FAQ

Suicide Information & Education Centre
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide 1999
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
American Association of Suicidology

Suicide and The Bible
Passages in the Bible which discuss suicide
What does the Bible say about suicide?
The Bible, Christianity and Suicide
If Someone Commits Suicide, Can They Still Go To Heaven?

Posted: 2002-08-16 16:34:45

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