lan Warner
Is Suicide a Sin? For generations, Christians were told that suicide is a sin. In fact, it is said to be a mortal sin. Those who commit suicide will not only be denied a proper Christian burial, but they will also spend eternity in hell.
Suicide is regarded as an act against God’s will. It violates the fifth commandment. So, those who commit suicide are considered sinful. Nonetheless, the Church still acknowledges that most of the people who commit suicide have a mental illness. They were not in the right state of mind that’s why they were not capable of making rational decisions.
In 1992, the Catechism of the Catholic Church was approved by former Pope John Paul II. It articulated such a position for the very first time. It affirms that the act of suicide is in contrast to the love of self and the love of God, as well as the basic human instinct of life preservation.
Then again, the catechism also noted that any grave psychological disturbance, fear of suffering, hardship, torture, or anguish can reduce the responsibility of the person who commits suicide. In addition, the catechism puts emphasis on the fact that the Church has to pray for all those who committed suicide and must not be afraid for their eternal salvation.
The Religions of the World Condemn Suicide
Is Suicide a Sin? Christianity is not the only religion that condemns suicide. Many other religions also condemn suicide because they believe that life belongs to God.
For the Jewish, Genesis 9:5 is where the prohibition against the act of committing suicide can be found. The passage mentions that human beings are accountable to God no matter what life decisions they make. So, the Jewish belief is that humans cannot take their lives because their lives belong to God.
The Catholics have a similar belief. St. Augustine of Hippo, a Christian philosopher, and the bishop said that whoever kills himself commits a homicide. The Catechism of St. Piux X, which is a 20th-century compendium of Catholic beliefs, also said that those who committed suicide must not be given a Christian burial. Today, however, such practice is not observed anymore.
Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet who wrote the Divine Comedy in the 14th century, said in “The Inferno” that those who have committed suicide are found on the seventh level of hell. Here, they exist as trees that bleed painfully whenever pruned or cut.
In the Islamic tradition, the fate of people who committed suicide is also believed to be dreadful. According to the hadiths, which were attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, anyone who kills himself will suffer hellfire. They will continue to cause self-inflicted pain once they are in hell.
Likewise, the Hinduism tradition believes that suicide murders the soul. In fact, the Sanskrit word “atmahatya”, which refers to suicide, literally translates to “soul murder”. Those who commit suicide are believed to suffer from a series of karmic reactions. Their souls will never be liberated.
There are actually a lot of Indian stories about birth and rebirth. According to these stories, the souls of those who commit suicide will not be reincarnated. Instead, they will continue to stay on earth, lingering and troubling those who are still living.
The Buddhists are also not in favor of suicide. According to their beliefs, self-harm does not alleviate suffering. Instead, it makes it worse. In addition, the act of suicide violates the moral precept of Buddhists, which is abstaining from taking life.
Altruistic Suicide
Is Suicide a Sin? All over the world, many religions prohibit the act of suicide, especially when it is done because of despair. Then again, there are also some communities that approve of it. In fact, they even celebrate it if it is done for the greater good.
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, talked about altruistic suicide in his book “On Suicide”. Here, he used the term to describe the act of killing oneself as a form of service to the greater community or a higher principle.
Likewise, sacrificing life consciously for religious purposes or for God has been a well-known altruistic suicide form. Throughout the centuries, giving up one’s life for God has been praised and celebrated.
In fact, Pope Francis, who is the head of the Catholic Church, has added a new category for sainthood: oblation vitae. It refers to giving up one’s own life for the sake of another person. In essence, individuals who have died to save others may be nominated for sainthood.
Both the Islam and Christian traditions have a strong concept of martyrdom. Generally, martyrdom is about being willing to suffer for the sake of religion. However, it also extends to giving up life intentionally during battle. So, those who died during a war are also considered to be martyrs.
As for the Buddhist tradition, monks have shown their disagreement with oppression and violence by burning themselves to death. In Tibet and Vietnam, numerous monks have done this act to draw attention.
Similarly, Hindus have an ascetic fasting tradition in which they fast to death upon gaining enlightenment. Their ancient traditions of Jauhar and Sati are no different.
Jauhar refers to the self-immolation ritual wherein an entire community self-immolates when they become sure that they are going to lose in war. This mostly pertains to communities of women who did not want to become slaves after losing a war. Sati is another tradition in which the wife perishes on the funeral pyre of her husband.
These examples show that killing oneself does not always mean suicide. At times, killing oneself as a form of self-sacrifice is not only permitted, but even celebrated and admired. This is particularly true when the act of self-sacrifice is done for religious beliefs.
People tend to look down on those who committed suicide because of a lack of hope. At the same time, they tend to look up to those who committed suicide because of their great faith in their religion.
Final Thoughts
Is Suicide a Sin? According to the World Health Organization, more than seven hundred thousand individuals die by suicide every year. Suicide is actually one of the leading causes of death. In fact, more people die from suicide than from natural disasters, wars, homicide, breast cancer, malaria, and AIDS/HIV.
Christians regard suicide as a destructive force that causes calamity and havoc all over the world. Its effects are felt by many. Suicide is more than just a public health crisis. Oftentimes, it is a cry for help. Individuals seek help as they struggle over their suicidal thoughts or the loss of a loved one. A lot of people even turn to the Bible for support. Some of them go to the clergy to discuss faith and to ask questions.
While seeking to put emphasis on the sacredness of life, it is absolutely certain that traditional religions prohibit the act of suicide. Thus, those who think about ending their own lives are not given the comfort that they need. Even worse, the family and friends that they are going to leave behind will not be comforted either.
Fortunately, more resources that tackle suicide and its prevention have been made available to people. Religions from all over the world have also become more nuanced and sympathetic in their understanding of suicide. The Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists have established outreach programs for anyone who suffers from suicidal behaviors and thoughts.
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