is suicide wrong in extreme circumstances?

nix

Im catholic and as part of catholicism we are taught that suicide is the one thing that God will never forgive you for, because you will never get a chance to repent for your sins...but what if in an extreme circumstance, say you're going to be bombed (i apologize for being so morbid..[:(] ), and you were offered a cyanide pill..would it be wrong to take it even if you knew for certain that your death was imminent?

Any opinions?

Zantra

I wish I could related, but I'd never resort to suicide. I'd intstead try to find a way to live. I'll go out fighting

russ_watters

How about a suicidal fight? A one-way mission?

God's a smart guy. He can evaluate unique situations.

nix

Zantra,

i actually agree with that view but saying it is easy...when you're in that situation actually doing it is probably incredibly tough

Zantra

I can only imagine how tough it would be, but just giving up is tougher. If there's a chance, I wouldn't pass it up. Life's too short as it is- the longer it lasts the better.

THANOS

im guessing that those who go on suicidal fights are not aware or refuse to believe that the fight is suicide.

Dissident Dan

There are plenty of situations in which it is acceptable to commit suicide. There is a lot of stigma on suicide, but I would probably not stop anyone, unless I had a personal connection to that person's well-being, or if I knew that the death it would cause great pain to others.

Who would I be to condemn such a person? In some cases, suicide may be the best option (for example, if you are otherwise going to be tortured until you tell classified information and then be killed). There are cases where it is not the best option, but not such a horrible one, either.

Mindlessly following religious dogma is not a wise way to live.

THANOS

Best option for most maybe. But some may view suicide as a dishonorable way to die. Thier pride may be so high that dying a painful death is better then dying without honor and pride.

Native americans are a good example. Warriors did not believe in surrendering for thier pride was too great.
To live without freedom was to live without living.
Well of course smallpox came in and wiped out most of the native americans and warriors. So to live without living didn't sound that bad after all.

nix

In any normal situation, i would try and stop someone from committing suicide. Often suicide is just a way to get out of problems, and there is always a better option than to kill yourself. I believe that life, any form of life, is better than death.

I am not mindlessly following my religion, i do believe that suicide is wrong, but i question it in those extreme circumstances.

Gale

God's forgiving anyways. If your christian your ticket to heaven is just undeniable faith in christ. Supposedly if you have that, then no matter what you do, you're ok. but suicide isn't even the worse thing the bible condemns. You know, if you're circumsized your worse off, cause not only are you condemned but you lineage for the next 10 generations is too. There isn't any law that says you need to repent... just that it'd be nice... faith is all you need.

~
Anyways, maybe my opinion will be special because i used to be morbid and have thought about my suicide and demise in many numerous exciting ways....
I think, that even at the height of my depression, i'd not have suicided in some extreme situation. That'd be the one time when life would be worth living in my opinion. If you get into one of those situations, then i kind of see it as fate. If its your time to go, and your sitting there waiting to die, then that means your whole life has been boiling down to that moment. Why blow it by killing yourself?
-Personally, if i knew i was about to be bombed... you can bet i'd be out having the time of my life... (probably with some tall, dark, handsome stranger[;)] )

jammieg

Who says so?
No wonder there are so many religions to choose from, I guess that's why I like a little bit of all of them, but still most times people do it not because their death is certain and gruesome but because they have given up hope, I think once you get to really know someone we've all been there once in awhile but long term thoughts of suicide are more likely a chemical imbalance and that is probably the result of an imbalance in the environment, even a little thing like not having any play/sports type interaction with others for a long time can wear down the brain, pills are usually the commercialized solutions, it always seems odd to me to see so many older people watching sports on tv instead of playing them, I mean which is more fun?

Robert Zaleski

Suicide is a mortal sin. Suicide is the murder of oneself.

Mumeishi

Suicide is wrong according to Christian morality. Since when was Christian morality subject to questioning by mere mortals?

Suicide is a sin (for Christianity). End of story.

Robert Zaleski

It's not only Christians that cherish life, Jews, Muslims and Hindu's also consider life precious and condemn suicide. A society that condones suicide is sick.

Mumeishi

And a society that not only condones, but insists on, an agonising, paralysed existence with a terminal disease is beyond reproach?

How do we know suicide is wrong? Because the Bible says so.

And how do we know the Bible is correct? Because the Bible says it is the Word of God. Amen!

Right...

Robert Zaleski

Are you suggesting we condone doctor assisted suicides?
Well I hope we never go down that road. Where would this insanity stop. It's not beyond the realm of imagination to see a time when certain doctors would assist in the suicides of people with chronic back problems or deep depressions. Doctor's playing the role of God is wrong.

Mumeishi

If you seriously think any medical professional would be allowed to help someone to die in these situations you are being unrealistic.

Also if you think it is wrong to kill yourself or aid suicide under any circumstances for religious reasons that's fine - that's your choice to base you life on a particular set of religious beliefs.

But what of those with other beliefs or who lack religious convictions?

The law cannot impinge on their right to choose. And Christianity cannot impinge on humanists' rights to decide what is and is not acceptable behavior.