Suicide/Assisted Suicide

[Ivellious]

So while watching some videos on youtube I came across an interesting question: First, if you commit suicide, do you go to Hell? This seems relatively straightforward, because killing yourself is violating your greatest gift from God. Presumably, that's murder, and that would be a sort of ultimate sin without chance for repentance. The only issues you run into there are in the cases of children or those to commit suicide because of extreme circumstances.

The more interesting question that came to mind was about "assisted suicide" or "pulling the plug." As someone who wants to be a doctor, this is a relevant issue for me. With many people living on life support machines, "living" in comatose or vegetative states, or dying slowly and painfully because modern medicine allows for it, there come many opportunities for people to choose to end their life (or for loved ones to make that decision for them).

I was curious as to what the Christian perspective might be on this. If I am in pain and suffering and want to die instead of dragging my life out, is that cause to be sent to Hell? If I make the decision to "pull the plug" on a loved one, is that murder? As a doctor, if you allow these things to happen, are you assisting a murder or suicide? Let me know what you think.

[PaulSacramento]

As much as it is tempting to think we know what God would do under these circumstances the fact is that we don't.
God is the judge for a reason, because He KNOWS why we do what we do.
To say that someone that kills themselves goes to hell, period. Is, IMO< make the decision for God and we do NOT have that right.
Hell is a place for those that shun God, that want know part of God that even refuse to know Him.
People that kill themselves MAY fall into that category or may not, we just don't know.

[jlay]

So while watching some videos on youtube I came across an interesting question: First, if you commit suicide, do you go to Hell? This seems relatively straightforward, because killing yourself is violating your greatest gift from God.

Why is it straightfoward?
The greatest gift from God is Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and defeated death. He conquered EVERY sin, even killing oneself.
A person goes to Hell because they not believed in the name of the only begotten Son. (John 3:18)
Do you understand what is going on in the mind of a person who has come to this point? Obviously not. Do understand the torments of mental disease?

Presumably, that's murder, and that would be a sort of ultimate sin without chance for repentance.

What do you mean 'chance for repentance'?
And what do you mean by 'ultimate sin'? Where is that in the Bible?

[RickD]

First, if you commit suicide, do you go to Hell? This seems relatively straightforward, because killing yourself is violating your greatest gift from God. Presumably, that's murder, and that would be a sort of ultimate sin without chance for repentance. The only issues you run into there are in the cases of children or those to commit suicide because of extreme circumstances.

My opinion FWIW.
Christ has paid the price for all sins. Past, present, and future. When one has put his faith in Christ, all his sins are forgiven. The bible doesn't say that murder is unforgivable. So, if one's faith is in Christ, he will go to heaven no matter how he dies.

I was curious as to what the Christian perspective might be on this. If I am in pain and suffering and want to die instead of dragging my life out, is that cause to be sent to Hell? If I make the decision to "pull the plug" on a loved one, is that murder? As a doctor, if you allow these things to happen, are you assisting a murder or suicide? Let me know what you think.

I'm sure different Christians have different views on this. Some believe that if one dies without repenting for certain sins, then one can't go to heaven. As far as "pulling the plug", that's a conscience thing, IMO.

[jurek]

So while watching some videos on youtube I came across an interesting question: First, if you commit suicide, do you go to Hell? This seems relatively straightforward, because killing yourself is violating your greatest gift from God.

Why is it straightfoward?
The greatest gift from God is Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and defeated death. He conquered EVERY sin, even killing oneself.
A person goes to Hell because they not believed in the name of the only begotten Son. (John 3:18)
Do you understand what is going on in the mind of a person who has come to this point? Obviously not. Do understand the torments of mental disease?

Presumably, that's murder, and that would be a sort of ultimate sin without chance for repentance.

What do you mean 'chance for repentance'?
And what do you mean by 'ultimate sin'? Where is that in the Bible?

The greatest gift from God is Jesus Christ.

How useful thought it is. We usually think in these terms about our life, love, health... Logically then, whatever you could do, which does not take Jesus Christ from you, cannot be ultimately bad, because you abide with Jesus. I do not know much about suicide or assisted suicide, both seem to be the conclusions of the longer process just leading to them.

If however suicide is to mean choosing death, it seems to me that rejecting Jesus by embracing atheism or some man-made religion might lead to losing Him, represents what suicide really is. Those who write books about euthanasia or assisted suicide have usually no clue about the experience with suffering and pain of those who face the decision, also they seem to follow rather fundamentally totalitarian social engineering and control propaganda which tries to get from people the right to decide for themselves. There are countries and societies (also religious groups) that claim the right to the lives of their citizens or members. They can for example have them killed by forcing them to fight in a war. They can kill them by court order. But at the same time they punish suicide as a crime. It seems to me that is more about politics, power and economy (consider for example insurance companies) rather than anything else. Psychology proves that people's strongest desires are not even about sex and money but about the power to rule others, and the position in which you define reality others have to accept (e.g. what is life and ethics around suicide) is an extreme case of executing such power.