Why is suicide a sin?

[bri89]

Since suffering is universal, why would you choose to avoid it? Do you not have - have you not been given the strength to endure all that has come your way?

I choose to avoid what I can’t bear, so far I have been able to bear what has come my way, but there may come a time when my bearing capacity exhausts. It is possible.

 

[MaryT777]

Why do you ask if suicide is a sin? Has this issue touched your life personally?
Mary.

 

[po18guy]

I choose to avoid what I can’t bear, so far I have been able to bear what has come my way, but there may come a time when my bearing capacity exhausts. It is possible.

What about probabilities? It is “possible” that you will never suffer again, but is that realistic?

Look back: when you were facing that suffering, you doubted that you could endure it. You probably despaired over it. Yet, you came through it. Do not sell yourself short. As difficult as it is to believe, there is a God Who loves you infinitely and will grant you the strength to endure to the end - no matter what comes your way. He sent His Son with the purpose to die for each of us. Our purpose is to live, while His was to die so that we might live. Rather heady stuff, I admit.

 

[Burdensome1]

I find this part of the catechism interesting, “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide”. To me, this suggests there exists gray area, and the historical attitude may be incorrect. Where the bible lacks explicit clarification, the catholic church has compensated with it’s own philosopical arguments. I suppose I am looking for philosophical arguments mostly because I find the arguments posited by David Hume and Robert Ingersoll more compelling.

A little learning is a dangerous thing. The seriousness of a sin is partially dependent upon the free choice of an individual to commit that sin. It does not speak to the character of the act. The act of suicide remains sinful, and a serious, grave matter. The culpability for committing this grave sin can only be mitigated to some extent by these factors that cloud the use of reason. So, no, you’re wrong, this amends nothing concerning the status of suicide, it’s still wrong.

Hume didn’t address the Catholic position on suicide. He said is was comparable to leaving society to become a recluse. Catholicism is not against suicide primarily because other people are deprived of company, but because a body is treated violently and a life is destroyed. Similarly, Hume’s other point that suicide is no worse than saving a life since it contradicts God’s plans misses the Catholic view of the world, and is an argument against a straw-man religion that is based in a childlike reading of the Hebrew scriptures. We do not think God is offended when we change something in our environment, we think He is offended when a human being is murdered. In other words, because we are not strict materialists, we can make a value judgement about life which Hume cannot.

But, again, the Church is not opposed to suicide chiefly because this is the side of the philosophical debate the Church happened to arrive at. The Church opposes suicide because it is a sin again the commandments of God.

 

[Regina_Love]

God is the author of life. satan if the father of death. To choose a premature death is to embrace satans ways, and teachings of despair & hopelessness.

God has a special calling for each of us. We can unit our suffering with His to bring grace into peoples lives. When we reject our life, we also reject the miracles God had planned for us, to help us with our difficulties. Many times people have to completely hit bottom, before they turn to God and learn their most valuable lessons. Committing suicide at the bottom, robs yourself and others of the solution God was going to reveal to you!

Maybe it’s about control! satan wants us to believe we NEED to be in control. God wants us to trust him!

Suicide is a sin against hope, and the love of God. People with fatal illnesses who live out their days are able to make amends with broken relationships. Much healing can take place here. It is a humbling experience to be sick. Jesus said, we must be humble like little children to enter the kingdom of God.

 

[JRKH]

I don’t think it’s heroic or contemptible. There are times when when the miseries of life exceed the bearing capacity of the individual. This leads to madness or suicide.

Madness is one possible diagnosis…Another, perhaps more philosophical in nature would be called “despair”. Peter and Judas both sinned against Jesus in pretty public and spectacular ways on the same night…Peter repented and turned back to Christ. Judas despaired and ended his life.
Despair is what you describe when you say above, “miseries of life exceed the bearing capacity of the individual”. Of course it is in just such times that we need to throw ourselves upon Christ our support…

It can be argued that it is moral cowardice, though it is quite obviously not physical cowardice.

Yes this is true…But we need to be careful as we discuss these things. The “moral cowardice” argument is a valid argument, but not necessarily in every case…
As for it being"physical cowardice"…I’m not so sure that would stand up in every case either. After all, the person who ends their life does it to stop some pain or suffering (whether physical or emotional)…so one could surmise that the physical act of killing ones self takes less courage than not…

I also think those who desperately cling to life don’t have the right to accuse the suicide of cowardice.

This is an emotional statement that is impossible to analyze and respond to. It seems to be a generalization I don’t see as particularly true…
There probably ARE people who “desperately cling to life” who make unfair and unwarranted accusations about those who commit suicide, but there are a great many more people who only cling to life only in an ordinary sense…not desperately…and also do not make unfair and unwarranted accusations about those who commit suicide…

It’s tragic but there are much worse “sins” that are placed on a lower par.

Again - I think that this varies from individual to individual.
I note that in your opening paragraph (that I did not copy…) the examples you gave of the reactions of people to suicide were from “the middle ages”…That seems a poor basis upon which to draw conclusions. I’s sure that if you look at how the Church views these matters today you will see something quite different.

Respectfully, I can not fathom how it is maligned.

Respectfully - it is not universally maligned. Jesus himself says that it is noble to lay down ones life for another. Father Kolbe stepped forward into certain death (suicide) and saved another man’s life…He is a Saint…

The ancients did not consider it craven, sometimes it was even regarded as noble and manly, a matter of knowing when to exit. Why do we have to wait until the last breath is sucked out of us?

Basically - and in a normative understanding of life…because we are not to commit murder and killing ones self is, according to Church teaching, murder.

Yes, but is killing the self morally the same as killing another? Is voluntary death the same as robbing someone of their life?

May depend on a specific circumstance.

Is damaging your own property the same as damaging someone else’s?.

The Christian believes that his life is not his own, but belongs to God…Therefore only god has the right to end it.

If I believe that I have the authority to extend my own life, irrespective of God’s plan, then by the same logic, don’t I have the same authority to hasten my death. Why is one more presumptuous than another?

Now here you have me…While I love and appreciate the world of medicine and it’s ability to heal and relieve suffering…There are times when it seems to go too far…
There is a point at which a person (of faith) should be willing to say - enough is enough - and with Our Lord say, “Into Your hands I commend my spirit”.

now - as for why we are permitted to extend life but not shorten it…I can only say that extension of life (within reason) is a Loving thing…It is “creative” in the sense that it maintains a creation of God’s. Hastening death would be the opposite of this. Not creative - and not loving.

This is a tricky and difficult question in many ways and there are a number of offshoots to it…one principle one being the value of redemptive suffering…

Don’t know if any of my thoughts are particularly helpful…I hope they are…
Keep praying on the matter…

Peace
James

 

[Swiss_Guy]

Yes, but is killing the self morally the same as killing another? Is voluntay death the same as robbing someone of their life? Is damaging your own property the same as damaging someone else’s?. If I believe that I have the authority to extend my own life, irrespective of God’s plan, then by the same logic, don’t I have the same authority to hasten my death. Why is one more presumptuous than another?

Here is the problem. The body isn’t your property. It’s God’s property. Your soul belongs to God, and only God can take it. Murder is the killing of innocent life. Euthanasia and suicide are ways of taking an innocent life; it’s just that it’s your own, not someone else’s. Is it better than taking someone else’s life. Possibly. That’s a philosophical question. But regardless, murder is murder, sin is sin, and mortal sin (murder is a mortal sin) inherits eternal death. Not saying all who commit suicide automatically go to hell. A person who commits suicide can still have a conversion in that split .00000000000001 second before they die because all things are possible with God.

 

[Boswell]

“…the evil of it has been inferred from the commandment “thou shalt not kill”. This seems a pretty dubious basis and bad logic.”

Thou shall not kill others and thou shall not kill oneself. There’s nothing dubious about that nor is there any bad logic involved. There may be decreased culpability due to mitigating circumstances, as has already been pointed out, but it always remains a grave matter. The one committing suicide also transfers his pain to those family and friends around him.

Personally, I’ve been surrounded by suicide: my grandfather committed suicide, my mother committed suicide and two cousins committed suicide. I thank God every day for my Catholic faith. I swore a long time ago that I would NEVER inflict upon my children and grandchildren the pain that was inflicted upon me and my siblings because someone lost his or her faith in God.

After decades of counseling, I’m finally able to pray for the souls of those who have taken their own life.

I shall pray that you find the faith to deal with your demons…