Suicide And Religion: Can It Be Reasonable To Commit Suicide?

Suicide rates are expanding significantly. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year roughly one million people die from suicide, which speaks to a worldwide death rate of 16 people per 100,000 or one death every 40 seconds. It is anticipated that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one every 20 seconds. Over the most recent 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is currently among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44. [1]

Suicide refers to the act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. The term “suicide” was coined in 1651 and literally means “self” (sui) “to kill” (cide).[2] Suicide is often carried out as a result of despair, depression, drug abuse, chronic pain and illness, exposure to trauma, loneliness, financial difficulties... [3]. Everyone faces such problems in his life. Amid our darkest moment we tend to think that the situation is hopeless, that we will experience interminable suffering and that there is no solution to our problems. with this, one may resort to kill or hurt themselves. But, many of the world’s religions have traditionally condemned suicide because, as they believe, human life fundamentally belongs to God.

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Everything may be for a reason, with suffering we become nearer to God and He sometimes allows suffering so we can learn. People who commit suicide do not give themselves the chance to alter their ways, to correct their mistakes and to learn the things that god is attempting to educate. Thus, suicide is considered a sin in many religions because it seems to be contravening God’s will.

Judaism strictly sanctions suicide and views suicide as a criminal act. Preserving human life is among the highest obligations in Judaism, and suicide is seen as counter to this fundamental value. It is seen as an act that denies that human life is a divine gift and is considered a slap in God’s face for shortening the life expectancy that God has given him or her. Moreover, in traditional Jewish thought, the body belongs to God, and as such ending one’s life not considered within the scope of a person’s authority.

Jewish tradition has always emphasized that one should let himself be killed instead of disregard three cardinal rules of Jewish law: Commands against idol worship, murder, and incest. In the Bible, although no explicit command forbidding suicide is given, the sovereignty of God and not of man over life and death is more than once emphasized that Only God can give and take life. (Deuteronomy 32:39). And the Lord murders and makes alive (Samuel I 2:6).[4] The prohibition against suicide is based also on Genesis (9:5), which says that God will require the blood of people’s lives. This is believed to have included suicide. Likewise, according to Deuteronomy (4:15), you should take care of your life and suicide would disregard this.

As well, the Ten Commandments clearly prohibit murder. Rabbinic commentary extends the prohibition to say, in Maimonides’ words, the person who kills himself is guilty of bloodshed. (Hilchot Avelut, chapter 1). Suicide is praised all through the Jewish history, from the suicide of Samson and the aggregate suicide in Masada, to the collective suicide of Jews in Medieval times and during the Holocaust to kill themselves rather than succumb to their adversaries.

Jewish law does not put all suicides in a similar category. One category of suicide is: B’daat, or the person who is in full possession of their physical and mental capacities when they end their life. A second category is: Anuss, or the person who is under compulsion and is not responsible for his or her actions in taking their very own life.

The first Anuss in Jewish history was king Saul, who impaled himself on his sword (I Samuel 31:4). This action gave rise to the expression anuss K’Shaul, meaning “as distressed as Saul”. [5]

According to The Talmud, the person who takes his own life with full knowledge of his action no rites are to be observed, there is to be no rending of clothes and no eulogy. But people should line up for him and the mourner’s blessing should be recited out of respect for the living. The rule is: no matter rites are normally performed for the benefit of the survivors should be observed; whatever is generally done out of respect for the dead should not be observed.”

However, some reduction in the overall restriction of suicide continues to appear in later Jewish codes of law. Most authorities have ruled that the majority of suicides are to be considered as distressed as Saul and as having acted under force when taking their own lives. As such, they are not responsible for their actions and are to be accorded the same courtesies and privileges granted the average Jew who has met a natural death. Still, injunctions against suicide still apply in Modern Judaism, in that official orthodox burial ceremonies are not performed in the case of suicide.[4]

The Christian church has constantly seen suicide as a grave sin. The church has viewed suicide to be simply the prime precedent of self-idolatry. Fundamentally, successful suicide allows no time for repentance, and that’s the difference between suicide and other sins.

First, there are many examples of suicide in the Bible: Abimelech, (Judges 9:52-54); the prophet Ahithophel (2Samuel 17:23); Zimri (1Kings 16:18); Saul and his armor-bearer (1Samuel 1:1-6; 1Chronicles 10:1-6), Samson (Judges 16:28), and Jesus’s disciple Judas- although it is only in Matthew’s Gospel where he hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). [6] Scripture generally presents these precedents of suicide as a fitting end to an insidious and unrepentant life.

Saint Augustine of Hippo – a Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of western Christianity and western philosophy- argued in the fifth century that suicide was a violation of the sixth commandment “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). He argued that this applied to one’s own life as well as the lives of others and all life should be preserved. St. Thomas Aquinas, catholic theologian expanded on Augustine’ perspective and described suicide is a sin against self, neighbor and God. He claimed that suicide is contrary to religious rights, only God has the right to decide when a person will die. Further, St. Aquinas believed that confession of sins must be made prior to departing from the world to enter Heaven. Consequently, suicide is one of the most serious of all sins because the person who completes suicide is unable to confess to the act and repent.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, one has to be mentally competent to understand that suicide is a sin. Thus, if one considers suicide an act of the mentally ill, it cannot simultaneously be seen a sin. When a person dies, he faces judgment by God, and only God can decide if the person will go to heaven or hell. Historically, those who committed suicide were unable to be buried in Catholic cemeteries. However, this is now an infrequently practiced custom inside Catholicism. Amid funeral services forgiveness is asked for the dead and comfort, for the survivors.

Muslim teachings on suicide closely parallels Jewish and Christian beliefs. Islam considers suicide as one of the greatest sins. An acceptance of life’s events is the cardinal factor in dutifulness to God. Suicide, is a demonstration of revolt against Allah, if someone dies by suicide, he has to bear violent punishment in the next world.[7]

A verse in chapter thirty-one of the Quran, Luqman instructs that only Allah has knowledge of the Hour and knows what in the wombs and no one knows in what land he or she will die. (31:34) Also, verses in the fourth chapter of the Quran, An-Nisa instruct that no one should kill himself because God is merciful and whoever commits suicide, God will drive him into fire. (4:29-30)

Most Muslim scholars and clerics consider suicide forbidden, including jihadist suicide bombings (Martyrdom operations), because there is no mention of suicide being an act of jihad in the Quran.[8] According to traditional Islamic understandings, the fate of those who die by suicide is similarly dreadful. Hadiths, or sayings -The hadith collection reflects the words and deeds of Muhammad, which determine how Muslims should live their lives (Sunnah)- warn Muslims against committing suicide.

The hadiths say that those who kill themselves suffer hellfire. And, they will continue to hurt themselves in hell, according to the method of their suicide. Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:23:446. Besides, suicide was a punishment given by god to the violators of Israel. (2:54)

With regard to the Muslim funeral traditions, the body should be washed and prepared for burial as soon as possible same as the preparation for the one who died naturally. And, the family or other members of the Muslim community show kindness towards him by praying for forgiveness and mercy for him.[9]

Eventually, according to Islam, if the person who has committed suicide was a Muslim, believer in Allah, he will be subjected to the will of god. Either to forgive him or to punish him, but even if he punishes him, he will eventually bring him forth from the Fire, because Allah says in a verse in the Quran that Allah does not forgive association with him but He forgives what is less than that. [An-Nisa’ 4:48]

In my view, committing suicide may not be justified. It is not a solution to a problem. It only makes the situation worse! I agree with the three monotheistic religions. Human life is sacred, a gift given by god, he only has the right to take it away, and he chooses when we are born and when we die...NOT US! We must allow our stewardship to end in the way and at the time God wants. Human life should be protected and preserved; we shouldn’t interface with God’s plans by committing suicide. We are entrusted with this body to take good care and to enhance it to the fullest. Each second on earth is important and vital, each one of us is tasked with a role in the society. As the saying goes, “while there is life, there is hope.”

Committing suicide is not right. It is letting down the hope before dying which itself is equivalent to death. Suicide, consequently, is dying twice. I believe that suicide is not an answer for life’s toughened questions, it’s not the only solution for any failure, for victimization of rape, to recuperate the loss of loved one, to combat a severe disease…etc.

Suicide is selfish. The person who commits suicide, thinks that his life completely belongs to him only, and forgets that his life was a gift from God to his parents and this life is nourished and flourished by family members cooperation and love. Suicide, causes much pain for the loved ones left behind, who have to live with many disturbing emotions. A suicider is leaving behind a mess of broken hearts and tears. He leaves behind a father, mother, sister, lover, friends…no matter what he will leave behind someone that truly cares for him and they never get over this trauma, they live with it for the rest of their lives because it is harder to get over the death of a suicide than someone killed in an accident. Also, they may blame themselves for not noticing what he was passing through.

Nowadays, people are more isolated than ever before. It is true that we may be more connected virtually through social media, but that is not the same as face-to-face interaction and friendships. Anyone can fall into a depression, develop thoughts of insignificance, feeling unloved, inferior, unimportant, broken, lost, worthless, and hopelessness. We are living in the middle of a suicide epidemic. That is why everyone should be watching for any cry for help and attention.

We should highlight that living life is always worthy. Negative thoughts can easily lead to people wanting to take their lives, but if they can’t see a reason to live, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t. That is why, we should first understand the importance of life. Every moment that one is alive is extremely valuable not just to himself but to the entire world. The fact that you are still breathing today is not by mistake, it shows that God wants us to live. One must not despair; we must be certain that god can intervene anytime to solve our problems and spare what seems to be a sure fate.

According to the end of people who commit a successful suicide, I agree that suicide may be a grave sin but I believe that god is merciful enough to judge if this person will go to heaven or hell. In other words, we cannot surely know whether the person who commits suicide was having the capacity to think clearly, or not. God alone is the ultimate judge here; He knows all souls and he knows whether this person truly had any other choice left in his mind and soul. We shouldn’t waste time judging who goes to heaven and who doesn’t, it is only God’s decision. Instead we should spend that time bringing hope, love and mercy into the world. Then in my belief, when a person dies because of suicide, he should have the same privileges of a person who has met a natural death, and we should pray and ask for forgiveness and comfort for his soul.

Finally, the three religions agreed on the same result that suicide is a sin. Taking one’s life is officially a violation of Jewish law, but many contemporary rabbis recognize that most suicides result from struggles with mental illness; In Christianity, suicide is a sin against God as the creator and sustainer of life. It rejects God’s sovereignty; Islam, like other Abrahamic religions, views suicide strictly as sinful and detrimental to one’s spiritual journey.

Therefore, the remedy is hope. Suicide is the antithesis of hope; hope and love are the answer to suicide. Hope and love are central to faith in the three religions, they are the key to a happy and fulfilled life. No matter at what level of despair, depression and frustration we are, we must not give up hope as there is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. The greatest hope is mercy from Allah.

No suicide should be considered a reasonable act, it is always preventable, and there are treatments one can take. Suicidal people do look for help sometimes. Early recognition and treatment of mental diseases is an efficient deterrent. Special centers and organizations for the prevention of suicide can be found in many countries and around-the-clock telephone hot lines provide counseling for lonely and desperate persons in need of help and support. Thus, doctors, advisors, friends, parents, counselors, churches should concentrate on what will benefit that person because helping someone not take their lives is priceless.

All in all, I believe instead of killing yourself and going to hell you should pray and face all the suffering with patience and appreciate this precious and sacred gift of life. Looking at the life from a different angle may sometimes give us the solution to live better. And lastly giving up should not be an option at any cost because to live is tough, but to die is tougher.

References

1. Ltd, B. (2019). Suicide Statistics | Befrienders. [online] Befrienders.org. Available at: https://www.befrienders.org/suicide-statistics [Accessed 30 Mar. 2019].
2. Erlc. (2014, October 14). Suicide from a Christian perspective. Retrieved from https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/suicide-from-a-christian-perspective
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5. Gordon-Bennett, C. (2019, February 20). How Does Judaism View Suicide? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/judaisms-view-on-suicide-2076683
6. Suicide in the Bible by Paul Middleton. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/suicide-in-the-bible
7. Shah, A., & Chandia, M. (2010). The relationship between suicide and Islam: A cross-national study. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 2(2), 93-7. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:9443/docview/763256434?accountid=28281
8. Intelligence, I. (2005). Islam Does Not Advocate Suicide Terrorism. In L. S. Friedman (Ed.), At Issue. What Motivates Suicide Bombers? San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Jihad, 2005, 1-11) Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010329215/OVIC?u=ndul&sid=OVIC&xid=1118abcf
9. Islamic Rituals for the Dying and Deceased. (2013, March 07). Retrieved from http://christicenter.org/2013/03/islamic-rituals-dying-deceased/
10. Suicide. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://academic-eb-com.neptune.ndu.edu.lb:9443/levels/collegiate/article/suicide/70200