1. Just because suicide is a sin, this does not mean we should restrict an individual's free to kill themself. Suicide is a behaviour choice, just like any other sin.
23 comments
Just because suicide is a sin, this does not mean we should restrict an individual's free to kill themself.
We don't. But we usually try to get help for loved ones who are mentally ill.
Meh'd.
You are the only one whose life yours is, and as long as you're an adult, yours should be the only choice made regarding under what terms it ends (assuming, of course, that you're not trying to take anyone else with you against his/her will).
(John)
Nice little assumption, that. *smirk*
I kinda agree with this, except for the sin part, of course. I'm not the property of my family so their wishes to have me around do not override my wish not to, and I reserve the right to make mistakes, too. Therefore I meh'd.
When I was suicidal, especially with being a minor and not really trusting my parents, the fear of being locked up was the main reason I never reached out for the help I needed. Being told that suicides go to hell may have delayed what at the time seemed inevitable but, it was only due to fear and not any actual improvement. It made me feel even more trapped, but that terror may have actually saved me.
(Old Viking)
That brings to mind a cartoon I saw in an issue of Playboy way back when. It depicts a man who has jumped out of his office window, having left behind a suicide note reading "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!".
The only thing he killed was his groin, as he landed painfully (but hardly fatally) on the flagpole below him, between his floor and the one below.
Meh, not fundie. This is a complex issue. The possibility of being institutionalized may well deter some suicidal people from seeking help. There is also the issue of autonomy. While I may be against someone committing suicide it's ultimately not my decision.
Some will assert "they are mentally ill, their reasoning is compromised." However "mentally ill" really just means someone's brain is functioning in a way that society has judged is negative. Scientists can only prove what "is" not what "ought", so the illness aspect of mental illness is inescapably subjective. That doesn't mean the concept shouldn't be used, after all the same can be said of physical illnesses, but then nobody will lock you up and force treatment on you for a physical illness. However I do think a person should be able to write a living will giving others the right to force treatment under certain circumstances. I wouldn't want to get Alzheimer's someday, have there be a cure discovered and then not get cured because I keep recoiling whenever I see a needle and so it is deemed "nonconsensual".
If someone is a danger to others then they should be locked up (and also informed of the right to a hearing), not because their reasoning is compromised but because they are dangerous. And then if treatment may help them to not be dangerous that should be offered, but if they'd rather just stay locked in their cell untreated that should be an option too.
Just because you and your coreligionists define ANYTHING as a "sin" does not give you the right to restrict another individual. (For a crime, yes, but that's a different matter, and crimes should never be defined by those who think they're crimes just because they're "sins".)
For a "sin", since all of you theists have a different list of offenses that count as sinful, all you should be able to do is preach it to whomever voluntarily occupies a pew.
Suicides would be less likely if you were to encourage many of your fellow Christians to show compassion for those that have suicidal tendencies, instead of driving them to the brink with endless, unrestricted vitriol against their supposed sin.
"Just because suicide is a sin"
...but only in Catholic doctrine, that is.
Isn't that right, JoshBuggarCondoner4God? You who wishes that all gays kill themselves just to make YOU 'happy', yet you'd scream blue fucking murder over any Atheist wanting Josh to kill himself for his crime.
Nope, no inconsistency on your part, fundies, nosiree.
Not fundy. Use of the word "sin" and/or presence on a site labeled "bible" is not enough to get it sent here. And Steve actually makes a couple of decent points.
@Anon-e-moose : No one who has ever used the term "nosiree" has ever said anything worth listening to.
@Anon-e-moose : No one who has ever used the term "nosiree" has ever said anything worth listening to.
You must have never read his comments before. He never says anything worth listening to.
Also, this quote really doesn't belong on this site.
@Vera
You know what you need? Some stuffed animals. They're kind, loving, and they always listen. They're never rude or nasty. They really help.
The reason this is fundie Is because of his stance on suicide. He states it is a sin, and also says that we should not give the suicidal treatment or kindness, but rather allow them to kill themselves. And merely calling the act a sin is a fundamentalist warning sign. Suicide is not a sin in the slightest. And as sin isn't an actual thing, his stance is based on a belief in a non-existent god. Thus, this comment is fundie.
Pretty cold-hearted, to say the least, but not really fundie. But my guess is the vast majority of people who kill themselves probably could have at some point later on in their potential life found something worth living for. Thus, it would make sense to try and help people not to kill themselves.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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