Why suicide is wrong, when someone is in real pain

[User124]

I anyone else getting the feeling that this thread should have been titled,

I don’t believe, neither should you.

Naa. You’re over reacting.

 

[He_Man]

Perhaps another reason is because one can offer up the suffering for the remission of sin, for themselves or others. Or offer for the poor souls in purgatory, who suffer and have no recourse to themselves? We have the ability to use our suffering for good if we choose to.

And not to be glib, but I recall in Star Trek 5 mentioning that Dr. McCoy’s greatest regret was pulling the plug on his father weeks before a cure for him was found. A movie to be sure, but the logic is sound.

 

[cargau]

This is incorrect. Suicide is ALWAYS wrong and always gravely sinful. However, culpability may be mitigated depending on the circumstances and the state of mind someone is in at the time they kill themselves. That is why we still must have hope for the salvation of those who have committed suicide.

Resdpectfully, I must disagree. In order for a sin to be grave, the act must meet three conditions; grave matter, full knowledge and full consent of the will. The person who commits any sin without meeting any of these three conditions may have sinned, but not gravely.

 

[Regular_Atheist]

And not to be glib, but I recall in Star Trek 5 mentioning that Dr. McCoy’s greatest regret was pulling the plug on his father weeks before a cure for him was found. A movie to be sure, but the logic is sound.

The chances of that happening are slim, though.

 

[jmcrae]

Resdpectfully, I must disagree. In order for a sin to be grave, the act must meet three conditions; grave matter, full knowledge and full consent of the will. The person who commits any sin without meeting any of these three conditions may have sinned, but not gravely.

You are confusing “grave” with “mortal.”

Sins - even grave sins - are not mortal, when committed without the requisite knowledge.

However, grave sins (serious acts and serious omissions) are always grave sins - it is never a light matter to take someone’s life; even your own.

 

[SaintPatrick333]

As someone who has attempted suicide multiple times and failed in my teens and early 20’s, I will tell you this: it really is a permanent (and sinful) solution to a temporary problem.

Granted, while those problems that make one wish for death do go away, more will come. Life really is about struggles and pain. And it sometimes doesn’t get any easier. When one problem goes away a new problem presents itself usually. But that is our mission here. to struggle, suffer, and overcome. And I would rather suffer temporarily here than suffer permanently in hell. That is the one thing that stopped me from completing the act years ago. The thought of being sent away from my Lord for eternity? Not worth it.

My brother killed himself last year…over health issues. While I do understand what drove him to do that, not a day goes by that I don’t wonder where he is now.

I’m sorry for your brothers loss!! Praying for Christ’s mercy to shine upon him!!

 

[cargau]

You are confusing “grave” with “mortal.”

Sins - even grave sins - are not mortal, when committed without the requisite knowledge.

However, grave sins (serious acts and serious omissions) are always grave sins - it is never a light matter to take someone’s life; even your own.

I think we might have an issue with semantics. Serious, grave and mortal sins are all the same thing. Suicide is grave matter but not necessarily a grave sin. So, Suicide clearly satisfies the first condition for being a mortal sin. Still, the act of committing suicide may or may not be a serious, mortal, grave sin depending on the knowledge and consent of the will on the part of the person committing the act.

 

[Catholic80]

If there is no solution to end that pain, why taking your own life is wrong?

God does not give us anything that, with Him, we cannot handle.

If the pain is so unbearable that the person wants to commit suicide, that means they have despaired, lost hope, lost faith, and lost charity. Faith, hope, and charity/love are all related. We cannot have one without the other. When we grow in faith, we grow in hope and love, and visa versa.

When we lose our faith, our hope, and love and trust of God, we inevitably fall into sin. Suicide is the biggest sin because it despairs completely against God.

 

[jmcrae]

I think we might have an issue with semantics. Serious, grave and mortal sins are all the same thing.

Then why have different words?

No - “grave” is the deepest level of seriousness. “Mortal” refers to the consequence; not to the seriousness.

Suicide is grave matter but not necessarily a grave sin.

It is always a grave sin (most serious); it is not always a mortal sin (consequence: Hell).

 

[cargau]

Then why have different words?

No - “grave” is the deepest level of seriousness. “Mortal” refers to the consequence; not to the seriousness.

It is always a grave sin (most serious); it is not always a mortal sin (consequence: Hell).

The english language often uses multiple adjectives to describe something. If something is small, we may call it little, wee or tiny. We get the idea that the object in question is not particularily large.

So, if the terms have different meanings as you suggest, would you be good enough to provide an explanation of the differences between a grave, serious and mortal sin? For example, what act would be grave, but not serious or mortal, etc…

 

[jmcrae]

The english language often uses multiple adjectives to describe something. If something is small, we may call it little, wee or tiny. We get the idea that the object in question is not particularily large.

So, if the terms have different meanings as you suggest, would you be good enough to provide an explanation of the differences between a grave, serious and mortal sin? For example, what act would be grave, but not serious or mortal, etc…

A sin could be serious but not grave or mortal - for example, stealing your boss’s pen. This is not a trivial matter, but also not grave, and therefore, not mortal.

A sin could be grave (most serious) but not mortal - inadvertently leaving the safe open in your office, thus allowing thieves to gain access to confidential information. The accidental nature of the action makes it not mortal, but it is still a grave act.

A sin could be mortal (that is, grave, and done with intent) - robbing your boss at gun-point.

 

[cargau]

A sin could be serious but not grave or mortal - for example, stealing your boss’s pen. This is not a trivial matter, but also not grave, and therefore, not mortal.

A sin could be grave (most serious) but not mortal - inadvertently leaving the safe open in your office, thus allowing thieves to gain access to confidential information. The accidental nature of the action makes it not mortal, but it is still a grave act.

A sin could be mortal (that is, grave, and done with intent) - robbing your boss at gun-point.

I think what you are referring to is matter, not sin. The act in itself is serious in terms of matter. But the depth of culpability for the act (sinful) still takes into account knowledge and consent. You talk about leaving a safe open being a grave sin. If the person were suffering from dementia, there would be virtually no culpability on the part of the person. Thus it is not a grave sin, but rather grave matter (one of the three conditions).

 

[SilverCamellia]

Was this question seriously asked?!?!?!

That is disgusting!!!

The Church bands suicide with good reasons. One its not the right way to solve problems. Two killing yourself is just as bad as killing someone else. Three it’s morally wrong.

And a list of many other reasons. Is this guy serious? What are we suppose to tell our kids? Kill yourselves if you’re having problems in life?

I think this is a very hurtful post. I am feeling suicidal now; and to me this is a heartless post.

In my own experience, suicide and depression are pretty muchlinked. The worse the depression is, the more likelt there will be suicidal thoughts.

Now I am not yet 30, I am wanting to be confirmed in the Church - yet I am also feeling suicidal and it is so, so tempting. But I am resisting. And i don’t know why.

 

[InJesusItrust]

For almost the same reason contraception is. It is saying no to God. Contraception says, no God, I am not open to your will to bless me with children. Suicide says, no God, I am not open to your will for my life.

It is an absurd modern notion that your own life is your own property. Absurd because you never earned a life or made it yourself. If you can give life to yourself, then you can end it to. But it does not BELONG to you. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

 

[sllhouette]

I think this is a very hurtful post. I am feeling suicidal now; and to me this is a heartless post.

In my own experience, suicide and depression are pretty much linked. The worse the depression is, the more likelt there will be suicidal thoughts.

Now I am not yet 30, I am wanting to be confirmed in the Church - yet I am also feeling suicidal and it is so, so tempting. But I am resisting. And i don’t know why.

Hi Camellia, I wanted to respond to this, but thought I wouldn’t ignite a discussion on the forums. First of all let me say that I am praying for you. Depression can be a hard thing to work through. Especially when you feel isolated.

I think when we read things like this we can feel hurt, or we can realize that the person speaking doesn’t understand the pain that is behind the question. He read the question as an academic question and not as a personal one. There are so many people in the world who are ignorant of the pain that the people around them are experiencing. There are also many in the world who don’t want others to know their pain.

Your last statement was really a question. I don’t know what the people around you are like, but if there is someone that you trust I would encourage you to try to talk about what is going on in your life and how you really feel.

Two answers immediately come to mind. One: if you are patient, you can be healed. Two: there are so many people who are going through exactly what you are (or worse) and they need you.

I will keep you in my prayers,
Your brother in Christ,
Brian