Would this be considered suicide?

[ChibiViolet]

Would it be considered suicide for a sick person (let’s say they think they have the flu or Pnuemonia) to not go to see a doctor because they want to die to go to Heaven (or Purgatory as it were?) What if they are young?

Also, would this be considered to be a grave sin against the Fifth Commandment if the parents are legal guardians, despite that person being a legal adult (and living on their own, if that would make a difference?)

(I looked this up already and couldn’t find anything.)

 

[PaulfromIowa]

A competent adult can refuse medical treatment in many cases without sin. There are exceptions, such as when he is caring for dependent children who need him to stay healthy.

If a person has legal guardianship over another person, he has a legal and moral obligation to seek appropriate medical care for that person.

 

[wanabesaint]

A person can refuse medical treatment, but would still have an obligation to take care of themselves, and others that needed basic treatment…
to decide not to nurious or drink water to aggrivate the health issue to enduce death would be the same as commiting suicide, and people(children) often dont want to during illeness.

tecnically, people living beyound their means, borrowing of excess, spending excess, drug abuse and smoking, all cause stress that causes health issues to which bring on earlty death are the same of nature as suicide to oneself…
sending a child off to an unjust war is going to cause huge stress of shooting other humans as a game as today silly nuts in Europe are promoting…
handing a child in your care a electronic game that is going to be be Highly adictive to them, which is going to lead to addictions to alcohol and drugs is in the same class as promoting suicide…
the current mathmatical statitics say, if a child is addicted to todays electronic games in early tens, they will be addicted to drugs or alchol in the early twenties by a very high percentage. addictions is taught to children today, that is pormoting suicide in itself.
and other points prove this…

 

[anruari]

You have 2 active threads on this topic. They should be merged.
See my answer in your other tread.

 

[ChibiViolet]

You have 2 active threads on this topic. They should be merged.
See my answer in your other tread.

I don’t know how to merge threads. I read your answer.

 

[acadiANNA]

Yes, it would be a mortal sin. God who gave us life will take it away when our time on earth is done. You cannot tell God, “No, I don’t want the life you gave me.” We all have something to contribute in the short years we are here. I pray that you will honor God by living a productive life. Perhaps you have some issues that you need to speak to a Holy Priest or good friend about. God bless you.

 

[Gorgias]

Yes, it would be a mortal sin.

No, it would be grave matter. Whether it would be a mortal or venial sin depends on the person’s knowledge that it’s grave matter and their ability to freely consent to that sinful action. (If they didn’t have full knowledge of the sinfulness of the action, or were unable to freely consent, it would only be a venial sin.)

 

[down_under]

The problem with the argument becomes evident when we think about the people who do not consider western medicine good treatment (aboriginal peoples for instance). They would not be penalized for this by God who reads the heart. There are other examples but you get the idea.

 

[acadiANNA]

Gorgias
I understood the question in this thread to say that someone witholding medical treatment knowing death would occur - wouldn’t that be full knowledge of a sin?

 

[Mustard]

I think it would be considered a mortal sin. There was considerable debate in Ireland in the 1980s during the IRA hunger strikes as to whether or not it was suicide if the hunger striker died; the position of the Church (if I remember correctly) was that it was not suicide because the intention was not to die per se, but to force change in the prison conditions. The death of the hunger striker (and ten of them did actully fast unto death) was incidental, if that word is not too inhumane in the circumstances. The point was that they did not actively wish to bring about their own deaths, they were mearly prepared to accept death as a consequence of their struggle, be that stuggle right or wrong, so whatever other sins they might be guilty of, suicide would not be one of them.

In the situation described by the OP, the person does indeed wish to bring about their own death, and that’s the key difference and the crucial element. It would be suicide.