Suicide

Question 1

what is suicide

Answer 1

Suicide is when a person
takes or ends his or her
own life prematurely.

Question 2

reasons for suicide

Answer 2

Divorce – the loss of a
family or break up of a
relationship.

Money worries – either
personal or business.

Loneliness – perhaps
brought on by the death of a
loved one.

Redundancy – with the possibility of long-term
unemployment and little chance of finding work.

Old age – the loss of physical or mental faculties.

Depression – brought on by illness, alcohol or drug
abuse.

Incarceration – long period of imprisonment, no
chance of parole.

Mental illness - for example untreated schizophrenia.

Being victimized – domestic violence, rape, assault
etc.

A feeling of not being accepted by family, friends,
society etc.

Question 3

christian

Answer 3

There were seven suicides in the Bible, for example Judas Iscariot, Saul, Samson etc. According to the theology of the Catholic Church, death by suicide is considered a grave or serious sin. The chief Catholic Christian
argument is that one’s life is the property of God and a gift to the world, and to destroy that life is to wrongly assert dominion over what is God’s and is a tragic loss of hope. Evangelicals and Pentecostals have often
argued that because suicide involves self-murder, then anyone who commits it is sinning and is the same as if the person murdered another
human being.

Question 4

what are the 7 suicides in the bible

Answer 4

1. [Abimelech] called hastily unto the young man his armour-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A
   woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died (Judges 9:54).
2. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed with all his might; and the house fell…upon all the people that were therein
   (Judges 16:30).
3. Saul took a sword and fell on it (1 Sam. 31:4).
4. When [Saul’s] armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died (1 Sam 31:5).
5. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he…got him home to his house, to his city, and put his house in order, and hanged
   himself, and died (2 Sam. 17:23).
6. It came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s house over him
   with fire, and died (1 Kings 16:18).
7. [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself (Matt. 27:5).

Question 5

hindu

Answer 5

In Hinduism, committing suicide is often considered
equally sinful as murdering another. Scriptures
generally state that to die by suicide (and any type of
violent death) results in becoming a ghost, wandering
earth until the time one would have otherwise died,
had one not committed suicide.

Question 6

islam

Answer 6

Islam views suicide as one of the greatest sins and utterly detrimental to one’s spiritual
journey. A verse in the fourth chapter of the Qur’an, An-Nisaa (The Women) instructs;
“And do not kill yourselves, surely God is most Merciful to you.” (4:29) Most Muslim
scholars and clerics consider suicide forbidden, including suicide bombings, and often
cite the aforementioned verse in the Qur’an as a clear commandment forbidding suicide.
Some Muslim scholars even classify suicide as an unpardonable sin, the equivalent of
eternal sin in Christianity. The prohibition of suicide has also been recorded in authentic
statements of the Hadith, sayings of Muhammad. For example; “He who commits
suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Fire (Hell), and he who
commits suicide by stabbing himself, he shall keep stabbing himself in the Fire (Hell).”

Question 7

jewish

Answer 7

Suicide is forbidden by Jewish law. Judaism has traditionally viewed suicide as a
serious sin. It is not seen as an acceptable alternative even if one is being forced to
commit certain cardinal sins (murder, idolatry, forbidden sexual relationships) for
which one must give up one’s life rather than sin. Assisting in suicide and requesting
such assistance (thereby creating an accomplice to a sinful act) is also forbidden, a
minimal violation of Leviticus 19:14, “Do not put a stumbling block before the blind,”
for the Rabbis interpreted that verse to prohibit any type of stumbling block: theological
(e.g., persuading people to believe in false doctrine), economic (e.g., giving bad
financial advice) or in this case moral stumbling blocks, as well as physical ones. Just
as in Hinduism it is accepted that souls of individuals who commit suicide are denied
access to the afterlife but rather remain wandering in this world.