Is it wrong to want to become totally nonexistant?

[Vico]

I hear what you are saying, and it makes some sense to me, but like Job, I sympathize with anyone living in this world who feels they would be better off having never been created. Moreover, especially based on the Book of Job, I personally do not believe that such a wish is sinful. To the contrary, I believe that anybody who loves this life is sinning. I think we can both agree that we should focus our attention on the Hereafter, and not love our life in this world.

We should focus our attention on now to serve God. One is not to love the worldly things, but God, and neighbor. Matthew 22:37-40.

There is a sense of love of life in that we are now able to serve, and only able to receive glory through the merits gained during this one life, not from something after the death of the body.

Matthew

23 But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. 24 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born. 25 And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.

 

[Pat_Albertson]

You are so right about needing to get sleep. I would add, eating properly including sufficient protein and water, not other liquids, but plain water, to that list.

Your cats are little messengers from heaven sent you by God to keep you aware of the love and good things in life if you continue to live. God loves you like you love those cats. I’m sure you don’t stop loving the cat if it has a hissy day or poops outside the box. God loves you even when you have a hissy day or think/do something he’d rather you not.

Thank you. Yes, I am indeed lucky to have my beautiful cat. If I were to die, I think my little fur person (purrrrrr-son) would miss me the most.

We are told that our guardian angels love us dearly, so much so that they have been waiting since the moment of their creation to assume their places guarding over us. I have often felt that I have given mine no end of trouble and feel sorry for him or her. I can only hope and pray that he or she feels towards me the way I do for my dear little cat, because that is the only way I can imagine that any of my existence would make sense to any other being other than God.

My immediate family members are all gone as are almost all of my friends. I still have a friendship with one person, but it seems like she is slowly slipping away too. Once again, I couldn’t sleep last night, so I am terribly tired, but at least I am not suicidal.

I will sleep and pray, sleep and pray, pray for myself, my cat, to my guardian angel, and for all of us here at CAF . . .

 

[omgriley]

but like Job, I sympathize with anyone living in this world who feels they would be better off having never been created.

I can also sympathize with such people. Properly speaking, when one sympathizes with those people, one feels sorrow and compassion for them because of their situation without necessarily feeling the same way they do.

Moreover, especially based on the Book of Job, I personally do not believe that such a wish is sinful.

I would have to disagree. To wish one had never been created explicitly means desiring something contrary to the will of God, which is the very essence of sin. Such people, because of mitigating circumstances such as psychological disorders, may not be fully or even partially culpable for the sin. But it is sin nonetheless.

I believe that anybody who loves this life is sinning. I think we can both agree that we should focus our attention on the Hereafter, and not love our life in this world.

This is not the understanding of the Church. This is the view of Albigensianism, a heresy which claims that the material world is evil and that we should only desire the spiritual world. This belief has been condemned by the Church in many councils, including the Council of Toulouse and the Council of Tours. It is sinful to hold this view.

It is one thing to live life in this world in preparation for the next. It is entirely different to view loving this life as sinful. God created this life and gave it to you to live for your own good. God Himself lived this life and lived it joyfully. He partied with friends, laughed, drank wine and conveyed a message of being joyful.

When we see Scripture talking about “hating” this life, we must understand the context. Scripture also instructs us to hate our family members. Yet Christ does mean that you should actually hate them. The lesson is to love Him more than the rest. The same goes for this life vs. the next. We should love this life because God gave it to us. We must be willing to lose our life for His sake. That’s what Scripture means when it says we should hate this life.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

My cats and I send you and yours warm Christmas meows

 

[Vonsalza]

I hear what you are saying, and it makes some sense to me, but like Job, I sympathize with anyone living in this world who feels they would be better off having never been created. Moreover, especially based on the Book of Job, I personally do not believe that such a wish is sinful. To the contrary, I believe that anybody who loves this life is sinning. I think we can both agree that we should focus our attention on the Hereafter, and not love our life in this world.

This might make a few folks mad, but here goes.

I’m a lot of things. Among them is “materialist”, at least to some small degree.

As such, I’m mildly aware of the fact that I’ve never seen irrefutable, material proof that this whole God-and-Catholicism thing isn’t just a total dog-and-pony show.

Now don’t get me wrong; I think there’s a God and that His faith is best represented by Catholicism. I’m just also aware that I can be wrong about that like I am 1000 other things.

So I wouldn’t sit around wishing for the next life. There might not be one. So make this one as good as you can for yourself and those around you.

 

[Robert_Sock]

You may be correct that we should love life, but to love life in this materialistic world full of sin and perversions is condemned time and time again in the NT and by the writings of many of the great saints, such as Saint Francis of Assisi who I quoted above. I believe that people who cannot see all the evils of this world, but instead worship it as if God wants us to enjoy this life filled with so many evils are living in denial of the truths that are so clearly stated in the NT.

Show me one passage from the NT that suggests that we should love this world. You can’t! Again, love life, yes, but not the world in which we live. As stated in the Imitation of Christ, many people love this lowly and pitiful world so much that they would spend eternity here if they could, caring nothing about the Kingdom of Heaven which God created as our true home!

 

[vsedriver]

We are all basically thrown into this life without knowing its meaning. Even the religious do not really know why we are here, except that they have a rather blind faith that God exists and that this life somehow has a purpose that we are yet to be fully aware of

which is why we have the Savior and his church to answer why we are here. This also tells me that we have a purpose and I wouldn’t subscribe to any faith that is blind.

Who made you? - God made me.
Why did God make you? - God made me to know, love, and serve him.

I’ve had two brushes with death and an experience with severe depression. I am not afraid of death but I am in the process of working on my salvation and I have the hope in Christ of being with him when this life is over. Until then I take every day one day at a time. So many blessings are given to us every morning. Even our sufferings are blessings! I intend to use everything the Lord has given me to his glory, in this world and the next.

 

[Robert_Sock]

When I say “blind faith” I’m referring to the fact that none of us can see God, nor can any of us comprehend Him. You might say that you can experience Him, as I personally claim myself, but there are always alternative explanations for such experiences.

 

[omgriley]

You may be correct that we should love life, but to love life in this materialistic world full of sin and perversions is condemned time and time again in the NT and by the writings of many of the great saints, such as Saint Francis of Assisi who I quoted above. I believe that people who cannot see all the evils of this world, but instead worship it as if God wants us to enjoy this life filled with so many evils are living in denial of the truths that are so clearly stated in the NT.

Show me one passage from the NT that suggests that we should love this world. You can’t! Again, love life, yes, but not the world in which we live. As stated in the Imitation of Christ, many people love this lowly and pitiful world so much that they would spend eternity here if they could, caring nothing about the Kingdom of Heaven which God created as our true home!

You are combining two distinct “worlds” which I believe is causing some confusion. The “world” as in the material created world is inherently good: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Gen 1:31). The “world” which is sometimes referred to in the NT means the collection of sinful people in the world who misuse God’s creations by having inordinate attachments to them, i.e., placing once’s sexual faculties above God. Truly, Christ teaches us that He does not wish us to be apart of that type of world: “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you." (John 15: 18-19)

However, this should not cause one to condemn the world, throw up your hands and simply wish you had never been born. God’s command to us is to spread the message of the Gospel and to convert the very same world which is living in sin: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:18-20)

Yes, there is evil in the world. Yes, it is popularized by a secular culture, and this secular “world” we indeed to not want to be apart of. But Christ Himself says: “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one… As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:15,18)

The answer to a sinful world is not to wish one had never been born into it. The answer is pray for the world and spread the good news of the Gospel.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Take note:

NATURAL IMPULSE
THE good impulse (yetser tov) and the evil impulse (yetser ra) are pictured in Jewish literature as wrestling in perpetual conflict within the heart of man. Satan is usually identified with the yetser ha-ra, the evil impulse. In the book of Job, Satan’s function is described as that of testing the sincerity of men’s characters. In Talmudic literature, Satan’s function is to strengthen man’s moral sense by leading him into temptation. It has been said that every man living shall assuredly meet with an hour of temptation, a certain critical hour, which shall more especially try his mettle.

According to a midrashic statement (Genesis Rabbah 9:9), the existence of the yetser ha-ra in the heart of man and the struggle to overcome it lends high value to the good that emerges from the inner battle. The two conflicting impulses, the good and bad tendencies, are said to be implanted in man as a consequence of his having been formed from the dust and endowed with a soul (Genesis 2:7).

According to rabbinic thinking, the evil impulse is to be found in man at birth; the good impulse begins to develop when he is thirteen years old. The teachings of the Torah are referred to as the antidote to the yetser ha-ra. Similarly, Ben Sira (21:11) states: “The man who keeps the Law controls his natural tendency.”

In commenting on the two yods in the word “omitted Hebrew character here”, (Genesis 2:7), the rabbis declare that God created both the yetser tov and the yetser ra (Berakhoth 61a). The command to love God “with all your heart” they interpret to mean “with both your impulses” (Berakhoth Ma), since both human elements can be employed in the service of God. “Were it not for the yetser ha-ra, no man would build a home or get married or follow an occupation” (Genesis Rabbah 9:9). The phrase “very good” (Genesis 1:31) is therefore explained, as alluding to the yetser ha-ra, frequently used in the sense of the productive urge.

Taken from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Genesis 6:1-6
1 When human beings began to grow numerous on the earth and daughters were born to them,

2 the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of human beings were, and so they took for their wives whomever they pleased.

3 Then the LORD said: My spirit shall not remain in human beings forever, because they are only flesh. Their days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.

4 The Nephilim appeared on earth in those days, as well as later, after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of human beings, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.
Warning of the Flood.

5 When the LORD saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil,

6 the LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved.

 

[IWantGod]

Perhaps they think or naturally feel compelled to believe that to exist is good despite their.suffering. Even people who want to escape suffering through suicide want to exist, they just don’t want to exist with their suffering or perhaps they don’t want to exist in this particular world.

Suicide is not normal behavior. It is the product of a negative psychological issue. I know some fringe groups out there want to refashion it as some kind of positive moral right because they want society to reflect their moral nihilism, but most people recognize the desire for non-existence as representing a defect or abnormality in their emotional and rational faculty. In cases of extreme physical illness, we can empathize with the fact that people just want the pain to stop and so it makes sense that they want to die; but if life is truly valuable then we have no right to euthanize anybody because even in their moments of extreme suffering their life is valuable. If you go down the road of making life and death a pragmatic decision protected by law, then life will only be valuable when people want it to be and that is dangerous and unhealthy for society. It is that kind of thinking that has made the world so messed up in the first place.

Legalizing Euthanasia, while it seems good, only serves to diminish the sacrifice people make when they choose to suffer in spite of their desire to die. Euthanasia cheapens life; as if its some disposable utility we get rid of when it no-longer serves us the way we want. Is that how we really want to view life? It is certainly difficult to see but there is a dignity in suffering when it is in recognition of something good, and life is good; not just when it feels good. We have to believe that in order to preserve the value of life.

In the context of Christianity, we are told that existence and life is objectively good, and therefore to kill yourself is not good.

I say this as someone who often thinks about committing suicide.

 

[crenfro]

Hello.

Because our souls are immortal, I don’t think it’s possible to become totally non-existent.

As someone who has to fight often the desire to not continue living, I have no right to take what isn’t mine. My life is on loan from God, and if I tried to take it that’d make me a thief.

Also, you never know what’s coming down the road, or what will happen when you leave your own front door.

After saying that, please feel free to private message me if you ever feel so bad. I do understand and would be glad to put you into my prayers.

We are all God’s precious children and He does want us to have life, and in abundance. I just need to quit directing Him in what I think is the correct version of this. He already knows what I need.

 

[ndmoharo]

It is our nature to cling to life. I believe God put this in there so that we would strive to live. However, it is also important to realize that the point of Life is not to live in this world, but to grow so as to live with God

 

[Robert_Sock]

Yes,! I have my eyes fixed on Heaven, not the pleasures of this world!