Massimo2002
Active Member
If someone felt sad enough to end their life why is that wrong ?
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Is suicide ever justified ?
- Thread starter Massimo2002
- Start date
Argentbear
Well-Known Member
Here is the best response i have ever heard to this question.
As background I am a mental health professional and work in crisis intervention. Some years ago assisted suicide was in the news., I'm not sure just why it was but I was with several co workers in the lunch room talking about this. Our Chief psychiatrist walked and he was asked what he thought about assisted suicide. he said: "I have spent my professional career fighting the act and the idea of suicide. I am intellectually opposed to it, i am morally opposed to it and I am spiritually opposed to suicide. It is a permanent solution to a temporary condition. Suicide is always the wrong choice. BUT give me a painful, debilitating, terminal disease, one that has robbed me of my quality of life, my well being and my dignity, one that will cause me to linger for months or years in this state and then ask me again how I feel about suicide"
As background I am a mental health professional and work in crisis intervention. Some years ago assisted suicide was in the news., I'm not sure just why it was but I was with several co workers in the lunch room talking about this. Our Chief psychiatrist walked and he was asked what he thought about assisted suicide. he said: "I have spent my professional career fighting the act and the idea of suicide. I am intellectually opposed to it, i am morally opposed to it and I am spiritually opposed to suicide. It is a permanent solution to a temporary condition. Suicide is always the wrong choice. BUT give me a painful, debilitating, terminal disease, one that has robbed me of my quality of life, my well being and my dignity, one that will cause me to linger for months or years in this state and then ask me again how I feel about suicide"
To the person, it seems to be. Anything can be justified or rationalized. The more important question is if it's the right choice or will solve your problems.
Massimo2002
Active Member
Suicide is a possible solution to problems that are too painful to be solved.
There's no evidence it solves anything for the person experiencing them and tends to create more problems for the people affected by it.
Massimo2002
Active Member
Why should the person care if it creates problems for the people affected by it ? Also what if no one cares about the person ?
Because it's a deeply traumatic thing for someone in your life to kill themselves, and it's not good to consciously harm people in such ways. They will grieve and be psychologically harmed by it. You also have to keep in mind the people who find the body and how they will be traumatized by it.
That's typically not true. But even if it is true in a very rare instance, you can still care about yourself.
Massimo2002
Active Member
You have made some good points.
Thanks.
"Don't make a permanent decision over temporary problems"
Tends to be my take as someone who has struggled with suicidal ideation.
Tends to be my take as someone who has struggled with suicidal ideation.
stvdv
Veteran Member
I know it is "not wrong"
Why do you believe "it's wrong"?
Definitely God doesn't say "it's wrong"
Massimo2002
Active Member
Problems are permanent and unchanging.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Because one never knows what lays around the corner.
Suicide isn't a guarantee of eternal bliss and peace either.
With that attitude, sure.
Massimo2002
Active Member
Agree to disagree.
Heyo
Veteran Member
It isn't. I've posted a link to a Yale Open Course recently. I'm on my phone now, so looking for it now is complicated. You may find it by searching for "Kegan" and "Death".
In the last three lectures of 26(?) he not only explains why it isn't wrong, but also exactly when.
Argentbear
Well-Known Member
In cases of major depression: severe the depressed person often develops a thought disorder where they come to beleive that their death would be a blessing and huge relief to those close to them.
I think suicide might be justified for many but as mentioned by others, what might appear to be an unsolvable problem or existence might just not be so, and often might be resolved by another approach or some changes to how one lives. And, given that suicide is rather permanent, it would probably be best to at least have a look at all possible options.
Wherenextcolumbus
Well-Known Member
I had a friend who ended his life coming up 2 years ago. Although I felt grief over it, I wasn’t angry with him - I was more so upset about the circumstances in which he was born into. He was abused by his “mother” and was in and out of foster care as a child. You could tell he was quite vulnerable and not emotional regulated so it wasn’t surprising, really. It was just sad, because if he was born into different circumstances he may have never ended his life.
I’d admit that I have people in my own family that if they ended it I wouldn’t be hurt by it because they don’t contribute much of anything good to anything or anyone - in fact they live miserable lives (from my perspective, not theirs) in which they abuse, provoke and burden people constantly.
Then there are people whom I love dearly and I would be devastated if anything happened to them and I would be hurt that they left me.
So I suppose whether it’s “right” or “wrong” is a matter of perspective. If someone feels they are suffering severely are they always wrong for not wanting to keep finding ways to cope with the pain? I don’t think they are “wrong”, as sad as it is, they may not be “right” either - maybe labelling it right or wrong isn’t particularly helpful
Do you argue that if you have an incurable and debilitating illness, you just have to be brave and lie there?
If you find you're dementing as you age and you're going to require care and accommodation provided, for no particular reason since you'll be off the air, you shouldn't have the option of leaving on your own terms?