Will Suicide Lead To Hell?

[ASimpleSinner]

I hope there is room to consider a story that has brought me no small amount of confort.

There is a story of private revelation dealing with St. John Vianney. SJV approached a widow wearing the black mourning dress and said (to the effect)

“He made it”

“What?”

“Your husband, he is in heaven.”

“Father I mean no rudeness, but that cannot be true, he jumped from a bridge to commit suicide!”

“I know, my dear. I know. I also know that as he was falling Our Lady begged with greatest fervency that he receive the grace to have total contrition. As he fell, he saw his error, begged Mercy and it was granted.”

What did this poor soul do to have the BVM look after him so? In his youth, even though it was out of his way and took up his time he picked flowers to put before her statue in the parish church. To think of this gives me tears and hope.

6 years ago a friend of mine - a drinking buddy to rival anyone’s drinking buddy - checked into a seedy motel with a liter of vodka and two or three bottles of sleeping pills and killed himself. I found out later from an EMT that responded to the scene (a person I met in a fashion that could only be Providence) who told me that when they recovered his body he was found kneeling at the side of the bed with his hands folded like little kids do when they say night prayers. I hope against hope that in those final moments irresistible grace reigned down and he saw his error and died in God’s friendship.

Until something is done it is done. We have no way to know this side of heaven what happens in the last moments. Even if we think of the idea of “life flashing before my eyes” and take a moment to consider or imagine how in a split second time can slow to a crawl, Mercy and Providence allow for infinite possibilities. How long does God need to reign down graces? How long does it take to say “yes” to that grace which allows for perfect contrition.

We simply don’t know.

Still, pray for those whose last hour comes this way. Charity demands it.

 

[Engineer1]

Another example of a soldier in war sacrificing himself to save others, or taking his own life rather than be captured and endanger others.

In my mind, these situations do not meet the third criteria of “choosing by free will” because the person must choose between two bad situations and chooses the one that endangers only himself.

 

[goofyjim]

So many definitive answers. The only fact is we don’t know. Even Church teaching concedes that. Mind you we should prevent suicide in all cases since noone is so bad they should kill themselves. But since we don’t know the state of mind of the person we just can’t say for sure where they go when they commit suicide, and that includes Judas Iscariot.

 

[rlg94086]

So many definitive answers. The only fact is we don’t know. Even Church teaching concedes that. Mind you we should prevent suicide in all cases since noone is so bad they should kill themselves. But since we don’t know the state of mind of the person we just can’t say for sure where they go when they commit suicide, and that includes Judas Iscariot.

Although, as a former Agnostic who reasoned his way out of suicide, I would recommend a hard stance that committing suicide leads you to hell.

My reasoning was very simple. Not capable of knowing the truth(Agnostic), I reasoned there were three possible results of suicide:

1. Rotting in the ground because we are just biological matter with no soul (this would have been the preferred result).
2. Reincarnated and have to live the same miserable existance that one is dealing with…in fact, some people who believe in reincarnation say there would be consequences in the next life for actions in your current life.
3. Hell.

As a 2 bad versus 1 good result, it was easy to rationalize not committing suicide. If we really aren’t sure about number three, it would be a split decision. I’ve never been much of a gambler, but…?

 

[Nino]

I have known several during my lifetime and have been troubled ever since…re: why and where and who ??? etc. I think all of us have a line we must not cross…a breaking point so to speak. Its a large umbrella…suicide…why…because of a grieving heart and conscience? who…maybe to protect someone else? where…at home,away,for a special reason? was a note left…did the unfortunate person fully comprehend the enormity of this act…??? I had a meeting with an ole school buddies wife and children last year…he killed himself leaving a wife and several children…they have struggeled with this ‘black mark’ on their name for so many years…I came up with just about every nice story and anecdote I remembered about my ole friend…even had a tape we had recorded years before…and he was laughing at a few things…one grown up child remarked to me that she had never remembered her dad laughing …it tore thru my heart…many childen of suicides have no children of their own for fear of handing on this ‘problem’…so I dunno…cant be come close to judging…but their journey thru life was shortened by themselves and I am sure a just God has and will judge properly…but for the grace of God go I…

 

[joseph_virgen]

We believe in God: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. But sometimes we must remind ourself that the Beast also is amongst us. He thrives in our ignorance. He hates everything that is most holy. Our body, made in God’s image, is the most holy gift that the Beast lives to perverse.

To actually succeed in having an individual destroy that which is most holy is the prize which streangthens the Beast’s resolve. Imagine the degree of torment that must take place for an individual to decide that the only way to stop the hurt is to take one’s own life. Regardless if one is of mind or not, it has to be unbearable,.

Knowingly, would the Nazarene add to such suffering? I seriously doubt it.