Is Suicide a sin?

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:08 am

In another thread:

Christians don't commit suicide?

jcrawford wrote:Nope. It is a sin to kill oneself.

Is suicide in all circumstances a sin? What is suicide? Is passive suicide also a sin?

We have heard of "suicide by Cop" to mean that someone causes their own death by putting a police officer in a situation where he must kill him. Is there a parallel of "suicide by martyrdom"? Did Jesus commit suicide by allowing himself to be killed when he, by his own admission, could have prevented it?

Post by **otseng** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:26 am

I think it's best to define suicide first.

- the intentional taking of one's own life
- the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself
- the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suicide

All definitions refer to killing oneself. None refer to putting one in a position where someone else would do the killing.

Goat · Post by **Goat** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:35 am

otseng wrote:I think it's best to define suicide first.

- the intentional taking of one's own life
- the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself
- the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suicide

All definitions refer to killing oneself. None refer to putting one in a position where someone else would do the killing.

I would say that intentionally having someone else kill you is a form of taking your own life.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:39 pm

otseng wrote:I think it's best to define suicide first.

- the intentional taking of one's own life
- the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself
- the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suicide

All definitions refer to killing oneself. None refer to putting one in a position where someone else would do the killing.

Is it really that simple? Is assisted suicide really suicide? Is passive suicide really suicide?

Post by **otseng** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:08 pm

McCulloch wrote:Is it really that simple? Is assisted suicide really suicide? Is passive suicide really suicide?

I'm not saying that it's simple. Just that terms needs to be defined or else everyone will be speaking past each other.

Confused · Post by **Confused** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:34 pm

I know of no scripture, after searching biblegateway.com, that refers to suicide as a sin.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:21 pm

otseng wrote:I think it's best to define suicide first.

- the intentional taking of one's own life
- the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself
- the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suicide

All definitions refer to killing oneself. None refer to putting one in a position where someone else would do the killing.

McCulloch wrote:Is it really that simple? Is assisted suicide really suicide? Is passive suicide really suicide?

otseng wrote:I'm not saying that it's simple. Just that terms needs to be defined or else everyone will be speaking past each other.

That's usually my schtick.

I'll try to answer my own questions based on the definition.
If I ask someone else to kill me, I have acted intentionally and voluntarily to end my own life, therefore assisted suicide is suicide.
If I refuse to do that which I know I need to do and that I can do in order to live (let's say eat) and then died as a result, that is an intentional and voluntary causing of my own death. Suicide.

I'm going to get depressed if I continue in this vein. Changing from first person to third person.

The difficulty is when there are probabilities. If someone dies as a result of doing knowingly, voluntarily and intentionally something that has a 96% chance of being fatal, is it suicide? 85%? 15%?

Post by **otseng** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:34 pm

Confused wrote:I know of no scripture, after searching biblegateway.com, that refers to suicide as a sin.

I know of no scripture either that directly says suicide is a sin.

But here are a couple that are close:

Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

Let me also add that I realize that this is an extremely sensitive and complex subject. Among teenagers, it's the third leading cause of death. To those who are tempted to commit suicide, you should not do it. Please seek the counsel of respected authorities and do not entertain the thoughts of suicide.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:41 pm

Confused wrote:I know of no scripture, after searching biblegateway.com, that refers to suicide as a sin.

From What does the Bible say about suicide?Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides:

Abimelech (Judges 9:52-54)
Samson (Judges 16:25-30)
Saul (1 Samuel 31:4)
Saul's armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:5)
Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23)
Zimri (1 Kings 16:15-20)
Judas (Matthew 27:3-5)

[url=http://www.dianedew.com/suicide.htm]Suicide and the Bible[/url], Diane Dew wrote:Suicide is murder (self-murder). As such, it is forbidden by God.
[...]
Suicide is the interference with the plan of God for one’s life. As such, it is sin – an act of defiance and rebellion.
[...]
The act of suicide is a demonstration of a lack of faith. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
[...]
The expression "taking your own life" is unbiblical. Paul says, "You are not your own, you have been bought with a price..."
[...]

What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide? wrote:The Bible views suicide as equal to murder – that’s what it is – self-murder. God is the One who is to decide when and how a person should die. To take that power into your own hands, according to the Bible, is blasphemy to God.

[url=http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/exploring/bible_says/single_questions/suicide_129536.html]What does the Bible say about suicide?[/url], Dr. Charles Stanley wrote:
It violates the Ten Commandments.

Nowhere does the Bible condone a person ending life to escape circumstances.
Life is a gift from God.

Suicide is an expression of self-hatred, and the Bible says we are to "love our neighbors as ourselves."

Suicide usurps the power that belongs only to God.

A person who commits suicide short-circuits God's will for his or her life.

It is an expression of lack of faith. Philippians 4:19 states, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

This applies to financial needs and emotional and physical needs.

Suicide is an act of selfishness.

It hurts the cause of Christ.

Post by **otseng** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:43 pm

McCulloch wrote:The difficulty is when there are probabilities. If someone dies as a result of doing knowingly, voluntarily and intentionally something that has a 96% chance of being fatal, is it suicide? 85%? 15%?

And also the difficulty of the time required to kill oneself. Does it have to be instantaneous, take minutes, days, years?

If someone is a chain smoker, is he committing suicide?
Or one that habitually gets drunk?
Or even one that eats fast food all the time?