I feel I can speak to this question and perhaps give comfort. I realize their are many different views on this. I will stay with the view where I can speak with long years of study and thought and hope it helps.
This is my take on this pressing question from a biblical point of view. Notably the word suicide came long long after the bible was written so the word never appears in bible and some of the deaths I call suicide are themselves up for interpretation of the facts presented.
There are, as I count them, about 9 completed suicides recorded in the bible. Two of these were assisted, one of them as I interpret assistance and the other obviously assisted. Also throw in two intervened attempts, a contemplated one, and a suggested one and we start to see that this document, the bible, may be worth a second look on this subject.
The bible never condemns or condones the act. A doctrine of condemnation could be construed from various verses but that would be up to you as to whether you would agreed with this doctrine.
So, do you burn in hell for committing suicide? After closely looking into the details of each suicide in the bible I can only conclude: no way.
My understanding is this: With God, death seals the eternal status of person. By this I simply mean one’s status with God at the time of death is made permanent at the time of death.
I hope this helps you.
In my view it is highly personal and dependent on how the act is committed.
If one has a personal relationship with God, that makes a difference, of that I am sure.
I think the bible is non specific for a reason, which is the personal nature of final judgement. Circumstances differ, which is why judgement is in general left to God.
I cannot however prove that those who kill themselves don’t go to hell.
If there is such a place, the definition of it (biblically) is a place outside the gates of heaven, where one is eternally cut off from God. Well, that isn’t a fucking new feeling for someone with depression, and so has never been much of a motivation to avoid death. The act of setting one’s own death in motion is kind of Karma neutral on it’s own. Yet it is important to think about what one leaves behind. If one’s exit causes quite a bit of pain and suffering, that will have to be answered for on the day of judgement. I don’t know how that will turn out, because if I did I would know if I am really capable of killing myself. The path of God is the path of love, though love can discipline us hard, it is not hate. If one cannot help being the way one is, how can God judge that wrong? Supposedly he made us as we are, he knew the risks.
No. Hell is a concept which our brains are able to grasp and create.
It would be naive to think that we can understand everything with our little brains from our limited perspective.
But yeah, we could talk about this for ages…
Anyway, this is only my (limited) perspective.
What I’m afraid is that if I’d be to kill myself I’d have this revelation moment when I’d realise all the possibilities I missed…but it would be too late….idk
The “hell for those who kill themselves” thing is just bs that religions have come up with. There is no direct doctrinal support in Biblical source material (don’t know about other faiths). Depressed and suicidal people aren’t useful to churches as an institution, so they coded it a sin to terrify members into staying alive and paying their tithes.
Man wrote the bible, and has edited it and censored it to fit his ever changing needs. When someone or something needs to be controlled and existing scripture fails, a quick re-draft and presto change-o, The Almighty has revealed unto us an answer!! Now, burn the heathens at the stake and let’s get on with the business of being good religious idiots. And if “god” decides I need to roast in his special little pit of horrors, fuck him/her/it. Sounds like a royal pig prick to me.
Live clean, and you will reap the benefits (in this life). Live in sin, and you will reap the punishment (in this life).
I mean, look, people who are super boring but save meticulously generally end up with a house they paid off, a car, a family, money left over for vacations.
The rest of us end up on drugs or just single and pathetic or whatever.
16 comments
I feel I can speak to this question and perhaps give comfort. I realize their are many different views on this. I will stay with the view where I can speak with long years of study and thought and hope it helps.
This is my take on this pressing question from a biblical point of view. Notably the word suicide came long long after the bible was written so the word never appears in bible and some of the deaths I call suicide are themselves up for interpretation of the facts presented.
There are, as I count them, about 9 completed suicides recorded in the bible. Two of these were assisted, one of them as I interpret assistance and the other obviously assisted. Also throw in two intervened attempts, a contemplated one, and a suggested one and we start to see that this document, the bible, may be worth a second look on this subject.
The bible never condemns or condones the act. A doctrine of condemnation could be construed from various verses but that would be up to you as to whether you would agreed with this doctrine.
So, do you burn in hell for committing suicide? After closely looking into the details of each suicide in the bible I can only conclude: no way.
My understanding is this: With God, death seals the eternal status of person. By this I simply mean one’s status with God at the time of death is made permanent at the time of death.
I hope this helps you.
What section is that covered in?
Jesus pretty much committed suicide by cop.
When Mel Gibson makes a movie about it, you know it involved avoidable suffering.
In my view it is highly personal and dependent on how the act is committed.
If one has a personal relationship with God, that makes a difference, of that I am sure.
I think the bible is non specific for a reason, which is the personal nature of final judgement. Circumstances differ, which is why judgement is in general left to God.
I cannot however prove that those who kill themselves don’t go to hell.
If there is such a place, the definition of it (biblically) is a place outside the gates of heaven, where one is eternally cut off from God. Well, that isn’t a fucking new feeling for someone with depression, and so has never been much of a motivation to avoid death. The act of setting one’s own death in motion is kind of Karma neutral on it’s own. Yet it is important to think about what one leaves behind. If one’s exit causes quite a bit of pain and suffering, that will have to be answered for on the day of judgement. I don’t know how that will turn out, because if I did I would know if I am really capable of killing myself. The path of God is the path of love, though love can discipline us hard, it is not hate. If one cannot help being the way one is, how can God judge that wrong? Supposedly he made us as we are, he knew the risks.
No. Hell is a concept which our brains are able to grasp and create.
It would be naive to think that we can understand everything with our little brains from our limited perspective.
But yeah, we could talk about this for ages…
Anyway, this is only my (limited) perspective.
What I’m afraid is that if I’d be to kill myself I’d have this revelation moment when I’d realise all the possibilities I missed…but it would be too late….idk
The “hell for those who kill themselves” thing is just bs that religions have come up with. There is no direct doctrinal support in Biblical source material (don’t know about other faiths). Depressed and suicidal people aren’t useful to churches as an institution, so they coded it a sin to terrify members into staying alive and paying their tithes.
I have often thought the same.
Exactly arachno
^ this
It is forgiven. They might just not be as blessed in the afterlife.
Scripture to back that Username123?
I’m not religious by scripture. Did “God” write the Bible? Something I ran into while researching a while back.
Man wrote the bible, and has edited it and censored it to fit his ever changing needs. When someone or something needs to be controlled and existing scripture fails, a quick re-draft and presto change-o, The Almighty has revealed unto us an answer!! Now, burn the heathens at the stake and let’s get on with the business of being good religious idiots. And if “god” decides I need to roast in his special little pit of horrors, fuck him/her/it. Sounds like a royal pig prick to me.
I don’t think you should take it literally.
It makes way more sense that the message is:
Live clean, and you will reap the benefits (in this life). Live in sin, and you will reap the punishment (in this life).
I mean, look, people who are super boring but save meticulously generally end up with a house they paid off, a car, a family, money left over for vacations.
The rest of us end up on drugs or just single and pathetic or whatever.
Oh. Ok.