Is it a sin to want to die?

[Robert_Sock]

The Golden Key to Heaven
by Saint Anthony Mary Claret

The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, “Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!. . .” (Ps. 119:5). He ceases not to ask with the Apostle, “. . . Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24)

Looking forward to life in the Hereafter is not sinful.

 

[benjammin]

The problem here is that you see a gift from God as something that is terrible and that sucks, that is a rejection of His gift. Seeing life as full of pain is normal and we are called to see the pain and accept it like Christ did for us. Do we have to like the pain? Not at all, but we have to learn to love everything that comes to us through our life.

But how is it wrong. Its not that I want God to take me before my time, and yes this world is beautiful, but Heaven is my home. Personally my life stinks sometimes. I don’t have much of a job, I live at home, I can’t seem to get ahead. The only reason I live anymore is for God, but sometimes I hope that my time is short because things will be better in heaven than here on earth, no matter how beautiful things are. I’m not saying I want to die tomorrow, but if it happens, so be it. I’m not actively trying to die or anything like that.

 

[wmw]

“Its not that I want God to take me before my time”

Not clearly stated in your original question. If you had you might have gotten quite a different set of replies.

“The only reason I live anymore is for God, but sometimes I hope that my time is short because things will be better in heaven than here on earth”

This still points to either mild depression or a lack of appreciation of life.

Many people live focused very much on their problems and don’t enjoy the gift of living. Jesus taught only to do what you can today (now the present moment) and let him worry about the tomorrows and particularly when a good time to die might be.

 

[Bataar]

This is kind of how I feel. I’m not suicidal, I’ve thought about it, but I have no compelling urge to actually do it. I can’t view my life as a gift. It seems to be a joke more than anything. I haven’t really been able to progress in my life for several years. I’m in a rut and cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get out of it. Everytime things look like they might be improving, I start to get my hopes up and then BOOM, it all comes crashing back down to where I feel worse than I did before. People tell me I need to listen for God’s voice in my head, but it seems all I can hear him saying is, “Fooled you!”

I pray all the time to know God’s will for me and it seems he doesn’t want me to know as I don’t even get hints. Life just seems to go by one pointless, meaningless day after pointless, meaningless day.

 

[Robert_Sock]

This is kind of how I feel. I’m not suicidal, I’ve thought about it, but I have no compelling urge to actually do it. I can’t view my life as a gift. It seems to be a joke more than anything. I haven’t really been able to progress in my life for several years. I’m in a rut and cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get out of it. Everytime things look like they might be improving, I start to get my hopes up and then BOOM, it all comes crashing back down to where I feel worse than I did before. People tell me I need to listen for God’s voice in my head, but it seems all I can hear him saying is, “Fooled you!”

I pray all the time to know God’s will for me and it seems he doesn’t want me to know as I don’t even get hints. Life just seems to go by one pointless, meaningless day after pointless, meaningless day.

Perhaps God wants you to live like a hermit, like me. When I pray, I pray for nothing but guidance and discipline to reach Heaven.

 

[SonCatcher]

But how is it wrong. Its not that I want God to take me before my time, and yes this world is beautiful, but Heaven is my home. Personally my life stinks sometimes. I don’t have much of a job, I live at home, I can’t seem to get ahead. The only reason I live anymore is for God, but sometimes I hope that my time is short because things will be better in heaven than here on earth, no matter how beautiful things are. I’m not saying I want to die tomorrow, but if it happens, so be it. I’m not actively trying to die or anything like that.

The boldfaced section, in context of this conversation, reminds me of a conversation one of my acquaintances had with God:
L (praying): I really want to go home (meaning Heaven)

G: How about now?
L: Oops! That’s not what I meant!​

It seems, from your description of your life, that you really are just starting.

Are you pursuing an education or otherwise training for a higher career? Would you be able to support yourself in your own apartment?

A bit of wisdom gleaned from Babylon 5 (a TV series):
“It is easy to find something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?”

 

[SonCatcher]

I pray all the time to know God’s will for me and it seems he doesn’t want me to know as I don’t even get hints. Life just seems to go by one pointless, meaningless day after pointless, meaningless day.

Sorry. Hints from God are the substance of the future for us. It is a privilege limited to select prophets and saints. He tells you, rather, what you need to hear now in order for you to progress in the direction He needs you to go.

If your conscience is well-formed, then your own desires can be an excellent indication of the choices you should take.

 

[Bataar]

Sorry. Hints from God are the substance of the future for us. It is a privilege limited to select prophets and saints. He tells you, rather, what you need to hear now in order for you to progress in the direction He needs you to go.

If your conscience is well-formed, then your own desires can be an excellent indication of the choices you should take.

That’s part of the problem. I don’t really have any specific desires. I’ve never known what I’ve wanted to do.

 

[benjammin]

The boldfaced section, in context of this conversation, reminds me of a conversation one of my acquaintances had with God:
L (praying): I really want to go home (meaning Heaven)

G: How about now?
L: Oops! That’s not what I meant!​

It seems, from your description of your life, that you really are just starting.

Are you pursuing an education or otherwise training for a higher career? Would you be able to support yourself in your own apartment?

A bit of wisdom gleaned from Babylon 5 (a TV series):
“It is easy to find something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?”

I don’t have anything worth living for, but its not for lack of trying. I went to school got good grades. Did everything I was supposed to and more and nothing worked out. I hate it. It’s like God gave me a slap in the face even though I follow him better than most people I know who don’t even care about him. People say God makes everything okay. I guess in my view, death is what that is.I feel that I can have an unsucessful (materially speaking) life, but if I can have faith, I have a good shot at being with Him. I just got to be persistent and faithful even if I don’t get any earthly rewards

 

[Bataar]

I don’t have anything worth living for, but its not for lack of trying. I went to school got good grades. Did everything I was supposed to and more and nothing worked out. I hate it. It’s like God gave me a slap in the face even though I follow him better than most people I know who don’t even care about him. People say God makes everything okay. I guess in my view, death is what that is.I feel that I can have an unsucessful (materially speaking) life, but if I can have faith, I have a good shot at being with Him. I just got to be persistent and faithful even if I don’t get any earthly rewards

Like two peas in a pod. Other than going to heaven, I don’t feel like there is anything to look forward to / hope for in this life. Yes, anything can happen, but when it seems like only a miracle can help, it doesn’t seem like something you can hope/plan on. If they were a common thing, they wouldn’t be miracles. I’m 33 and have nothing to look forward to. I can’t look forward to having my own family. I can’t look forward to having good friends. I can’t look forward to a good job. I can’t look forward to owning my own house. Etc etc.

 

[SonCatcher]

That’s part of the problem. I don’t really have any specific desires. I’ve never known what I’ve wanted to do.

I don’t have anything worth living for, but its not for lack of trying. I went to school got good grades. Did everything I was supposed to and more and nothing worked out. I hate it. It’s like God gave me a slap in the face even though I follow him better than most people I know who don’t even care about him. People say God makes everything okay. I guess in my view, death is what that is.I feel that I can have an unsucessful (materially speaking) life, but if I can have faith, I have a good shot at being with Him. I just got to be persistent and faithful even if I don’t get any earthly rewards

Perhaps you both should try new experiences.

When I was newly returned to the Church, I joined a group at a nearby parish of people about my age. We did pray together every week and have bible studies. We went on retreats and had service projects. We even had social events that were not faith-related.

I would even recommend discerning a religious vocation or joining one of the parish ministries (e.g. teach catechism/RCIA or become a lector).

Edit: Be careful to not “bury your talent”. Recall, in the parable of the talents, the servant who buried his had it taken away and was fired.

 

[benjammin]

Perhaps you both should try new experiences.

When I was newly returned to the Church, I joined a group at a nearby parish of people about my age. We did pray together every week and have bible studies. We went on retreats and had service projects. We even had social events that were not faith-related.

I would even recommend discerning a religious vocation or joining one of the parish ministries (e.g. teach catechism/RCIA or become a lector).

Edit: Be careful to not “bury your talent”. Recall, in the parable of the talents, the servant who buried his had it taken away and was fired.

Already had a forum on this. I don’t know about Bataar, but I myself live in a very rural parish where none of these opportunities really exist. I know most people would say move, but I can’t really move until I get a better job, and I doubt that will come any time soon

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

I’ve been wondering for a while about are people who have no future supposed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Does anyone here know how to just keep on walking if what they have to look forward to is seventy years of emptiness followed by death?

 

[SonCatcher]

Already had a forum on this. I don’t know about Bataar, but I myself live in a very rural parish where none of these opportunities really exist. I know most people would say move, but I can’t really move until I get a better job, and I doubt that will come any time soon

Your parish has no catechism or lay ministries at all?

 

[benjammin]

Your parish has no catechism or lay ministries at all?

Not that I am aware of. Sure I lector at my church and I participate, but there aren’t any bible studies. No real social groups, We have the Knights of Columbus, but as with most of my parish it is almost entirely made up of people over 60. A lot of it is that I am in a really small town (only 150 people, most of whom are catholic) and even in some of the larger parishes nearby there isn’t much. I think a lot of it is that most people are Catholic and its very much cultural catholicism, not so much on fire catholicism. The area doesn’t have much in the way of youth groups either. Most of the Catholic kids go to catholic school while those who don’t but do practice don’t really attend CCD after a certain point if at all.

Like I said, I know I should move, and hopefully I will since teaching jobs always come up, but i’m worried I’ll never get one. I thought I was a great teacher candidate but i only had 3 interviews out of 60 applications and no offers, and I can’t go back to school because my family doesn’t have enough money. So i’m stuck really.

 

[doanli]

Like two peas in a pod. Other than going to heaven, I don’t feel like there is anything to look forward to / hope for in this life. Yes, anything can happen, but when it seems like only a miracle can help, it doesn’t seem like something you can hope/plan on. If they were a common thing, they wouldn’t be miracles. I’m 33 and have nothing to look forward to. I can’t look forward to having my own family. I can’t look forward to having good friends. I can’t look forward to a good job. I can’t look forward to owning my own house. Etc etc.

My heart breaks for you because I know exactly how you feel. I have family but they’re distant or they’re hard to get along with. I have no friends here. We don’t get invites no matter how nice we are. I love the arts but people in that field, even here in a very conservative town, tend to have anti-Christian views.

Some days are worse than others. But some days are better. We just have to hang in there one day at a time, pray a lot, offer our sadness because it is temporal. I want it to be God’s time and it be His call. But it’s so hard, I know, to want to be in a very happy place but you yourself cannot go there. Not right now anyways. He sees the whole picture—there may be someone yet to cross your path who is going to need you, and that is why God says “Hang on, be patient.”. We’ll pray at least for Him to give us the strength to get through the day. And do what it is He may ask. Even if it’s not doing anything (a call to more prayer, maybe?)

 

[thistle]

CCC 1004 In expectation of that day, the believer’s body and soul already participate in the dignity of belonging to Christ. This dignity entails the demand that he should treat with respect his own body, but also the body of every other person, especially the suffering:

The body [is meant] for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? . . . . You are not your own; . . . . So glorify God in your body.

CCC 364 The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:

Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.

 

[The_GreyPilgrim]

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote thoughout his works(the Silmarillion and TLOTR) of the gift of death and spoke of the ancient men of middle-earth being blessed for their acceptance of their deaths, even of some to the degree that they were permitted to give up their lives accoring to their own wills(the notion being that their will corresponded through grace with the supreme God).

It also speaks about that the beginning of man’s fall from grace began when men rebelled against the “powers” when they envied their immortality within the confines of the world. That they built great elaborate tombs and sought material means to lengthen their lives beyond their natural, but rather elongated, spans. Their rebellion against death lead to their rebellion against life by going in war to wrest life from the “powers” in the West. This rebellion led to the loss of all and only a faithful remnant were saved from the catastrophe.

The point is, no, I don’t think it is a sin to desire to be relieved from the world and go to God. But at the same time, you have to acceot in faith that God keeps you here for a reason, and we must discern what that reason is.

 

[bri89]

I’m honestly very worried about my own tendency to gloom and despair. I fear that it will become more present and consuming as I get older and perhaps have less options and opportunities than I do now as a young adult. This is a culture where you seem to lose value and social visibility past a certain age. Aside from an innate or perhaps learned disposition to melancholy, there are a great many external circumstances weighing on me. I feel that the scripture which says something to the effect of God never gives us more than we can bear is deepy untrue. Perhaps Jesus, in his divinity, didn’t have as great or accurate a regard for human weakness and frailty as he could have. People can not bear some crosses their whole lives through. If people didn’t have more than they could bear, then we wouldn’t go insane, have mental collapses, and even commit suicide. I have been told that the only cure for depair is faith in God and hope in Christ as laid out in the new testament, but all that these ideas have ever provided was a kind of temporal inspiration that would subside easily and quickly. It satisfied my craving to believe in something beautiful and ideal, but it never existed as anything other than an abstract. Hope should be more than just an idea, it has to be an experience, something that imbues a person and is an animating spirit. I don’t know how you access that kind of hope.

 

[Catholic80]

Okay, I am not talking about committing suicide, which is a mortal sin, but is it wrong for a person to want to die of natural causes. For example a person wishes that they would get in a car accident caused by another person, or that they would get a heart attack or an aneurysm. I know its a weird situation, but how would it be sinful for someone to want to die, but still go on living if nothing happens?

While the person isn’t deliberately committing suicide, they have the attitude of suicide. It’s like the part in the Gospel’s where Jesus says that a man who simply looks with lust at another woman has committed adultery in his heart. While the person may not actually commit suicide, they’ve committed it in their hearts. THANKFULLY, that person still has time to repent.

Just to add… St. Faustina wrote in her diary one time, when she was undergoing intense suffering, she started having severe temptations and thoughts enter her head. One of the thoughts was the devil tempting her, “ask for death. God grants you everything you ask for. Ask for this. You suffering is too much.” She responded by remaining silent to the devil and throwing herself into the will of God. (This is what I remember from the diary, but it has been years since I have read it so the details may be off a bit)

She acknowledged that despite her intense suffering, it would be a sin to desire and request something contrary to God’s will.

From my personal experience, I knew a man who had been suffering for many years with a chronic illness. In the last year of his life, he was bed-ridden and couldn’t move. He had lung cancer and breathing was very difficult for him. I met this man a few months before his death. He kept saying how much he wanted to die! His wife told me that he had been saying this for the past few years.
Long story short, the man in those last months underwent a massive conversion. Towards the end, his body was so full of fluid that the doctors talked about draining his fluid. He promptly said he didn’t want that because he knew a man who underwent that procedure and died the next day. He then said, “I don’t want to die, I want to live!” That was the first time he said anything of the sort in years.
He died a few days later.

I truly think God was waiting for this moment… for his desire to live… before taking him to heaven. In short, it was his abandonment to the will of God. Wanting death, he was resisting God and his suffering. Wanting life, he really was wanting eternal life.

Some of the saints mention that they “wanted” to die, but it’s not in the same context. They were so madly in love that their “desire” for death was not in opposition to the will of God, but out of a great desire to love Him even more than they could on earth. They wanted to grow so much in their love and they knew they were limited here on earth that they couldn’t wait to love God more. But, they were also happiest with God’s will, and if that meant more suffering on earth, then that made them happy too. Gotta love the saints and their enthusiasm!