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Featured Discussion on Suicide

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Salty, Dec 1, 2016.

  1. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Have a couple of questions - that came up in a FB discussion

    1) is Suicide a sin

    2) If a person does commit suicide - then are they dying with unrepentant sin?

    Going have to think about this for awhile.
     
  2. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    1) Yes, with some exceptions (like falling on a grenade in combat)

    2) Yes, but you aren't saved by having all your sins confessed, etc. It would only matter if you believe you can lose salvation.
     
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  3. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    [1] Yes, suicide is a sin. Just like lying, gossiping, and all the rest.

    [2] Yes, a person who commits suicide dies with unconfessed/unrepentant sin. ALL people died with unconfessed/unrepentant sin. There no possible way to be consciously aware of every single sin we have ever committed in our lives. Plus, many sins are multi-faceted. If two deacons standing in the foyer of the church one Sunday morning - "greeting" members and guests - are gossiping about the preacher and how they think the church is paying him too much money and speculating on how much his new car costs compared to theirs - just think of how many sins are involved in just that 15 minute conversation.

    Some people will die and go to hell.

    Some people will die and be with God.

    ALL people will die with unconfessed/unrepentant sins.
     
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  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Yes it is, as one is taking right of God to end their life
    No, as the only sin God canno forgive is rejection of Jesus
     
  5. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I agree with the others that yes, it is a sin and I believe that obviously if it is a sin, the person dies with unconfessed/unrepentant sin. But I also know a number of people who have taken their life and I know that it was not a rash decision nor was it a decision that came out of "sane" thinking. I'm not saying that they are "insane" but that they had issues going on whether they were chemical or emotional that were just too overwhelming for them to see hope. It is such a heartbreaking place to be and I know that this choice isn't done to spite God or anything. I do believe that if one is a believer and kills themselves, God has covered that sin and will welcome them to His arms although I also know that they will be held accountable for what was done.

    I really pray that NO one would ever get to the point where they feel that this is a possible good choice. My heart breaks for those who struggle with depression/bullying/anxiety/mental illness.
     
  6. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Thank you for all your responses.
    Let me emphasis - that I am not aware of anyone who is in this situation.
    It simply came as FB response - to an unrelated question.


    Very informed dissicssion - Thanks for all the input.
     
  7. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    I wholeheartedly agree with your post. Suicide is a sin. The sin of blotting out the image of the Living God in our own lives. But God forgives sin. Even the horrible sin of self-murder.

    In dealing with people, over the past 50 years or so, who were contemplating suicide, the one thing I noticed, in almost every person, was the idea of "I just don't see a way out of this." My only response is "But we can't see everything. We can't see all of God's Plan."

    1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
     
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  8. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    If done with full understanding and clearness of mind, yes. It is self-murder.

    If done without rational understanding in a time of mental illness, maybe or maybe not. It might be considered something live manslaughter to oneself. That's for God to decide.

    Perhaps, but for those who are in Christ, sin is not held against us. It damages fellowship with God, but it does not affect our eternal destiny. We do not have to be "saved" over and over through repentance. We repent from our sins because we are saved.

    Suicide is a crushing tragedy to all those who are affected by it. I have lost a family member and a number of friends to it, and have had to help a number of others put the pieces back together when their loved ones ended their lives.

    It is never a good solution.
     
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  9. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    GREAT point that all will die wt some sin still on them, big question is will Jesu be covering that sin debt, or will we!
     
  10. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    .
    That is indeed NOT thesolution Gd will have for us, bunk God He knows all that went into that decision...
     
  11. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    At our lowest point is hn the Devil will shout to us, but really need to tune into the still voice from God...
     
  12. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    For the Christian, Jesus covers our entire sin debt.

    But that should never be a rationale for suicide - or any other sin.

    As others here have said, many truly, truly are convinced in their mind (sane, ill, or otherwise) that their families will truly be "better off". They will not. Most of us know that suicides leave grave burdens for family and friends to bear for years. I've personally seen two former students attempt suicide (and fail) in their adult years long after a parent did. The effects are terrible and long lasting.

    Suicide, those not unpardonable, is NOT the answer to any problem - no matter how disastrous.
     
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  13. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Yes....
    God will always provde asolution, just in His time and way...
    Thank God that He aso knows what was goingon at time of the suicide, and trust that He will do the righ thing in each case....

    Thank God tha there is also hope for thoe left behind, as trust in the grace of God...
     
  14. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    Some 'grey' area on this topic?:

    My mother had late stage Alzheimer's when she decided to give it up and just stop eating. There's not a doubt in any of our minds that it was a deliberate decision on her part that it was time to go. She and Dad had already stated in their living wills years earlier that no feeding tubes were to ever be used for life support, due mainly from the awful experiences of their own mothers in the nursing homes. The Catholics that run the nursing home she was at were fit to be tied because we were determined to honor her wish.

    It took her four days to pass. We stayed at her side the whole time. She wouldn't even take water but we did put ice cubes to her lips to keep her mouth from drying out.

    I know of a man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer many years ago who did the same thing. His doctor provided him with the morphine in oral form that he needed to control the pain. The cancer never killed him, he starved himself to death.

    I can't blame anyone in this predicament for doing this.
     
  15. revmwc

    revmwc Well-Known Member

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    As a pastor this was a question I was asked to answer. For our Wednesday night service at church I had a box placed where people could drop any question concerning life and biblical things in it. I would then for a message for the question I draw out and that will be our Wednesday night services message.
    I'll put some excerpts from that message here,
    I. Understand the bible doesn’t contain the word suicide.

    A. There are several places in scripture where someone took his or her life.
    1. In Judges 9:54 Abimelech commanded his young man to slay him, virtually committing suicide.
    2. Judges 16:29-31 We see Samson, now having had his eyes put out and mocked
    3. Brought into the temple to be made sport of
    4. Made one last request of the Lord
    5. See in verse 28 he starts his prayer
    6. But in verse 30 he request that God would allow him to die with his enemies
    7. Notice that very thing happens
    8. God gave Samson his strength back and killed his himself and himself.
    9. Then we see 1 Samuel 31 in the heat of battle Saul in lieu of being captured choose to die, he too commanded the armor bearer to kill him but when he wouldn’t Saul fell upon his sword and the armor bearer then fell upon his own sword.
    10. 2 Samuel 17:23
    11. 1 Kings 16:18 we see Zimri
    B. We see from scripture those who have committed suicide.
    1. Their reasons, thoughts and expressions are the same as many of those today who contemplate suicide.
    2. Feelings of hopelessness and despair
    3. Utter disappointment,
    4. Pride,
    5. Anger
    6. And frustration call all be present.
    then another section
    A. So would a believer die and go straight to Heaven?
    1. Certainly
    2. Romans 8:2
    3. Galatians 4:5 The Greek term huiothesia is a term for adopting a child A legal term and in the days of Paul once a child was adopted you could never cut that child of or deny a child you adopted.
    then another section:
    IV. But you might ask how could, a child of God do this!
    A. Because as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are subject to the same temptations as the lost.
    1. No temptation
    2. No Trial in our life as a believer is too Great.
    3. God can make a way of escape
    4. As believers the way of escape is not Suicide.
    5. Prayer can be a way of escape
    6. God can answer our prayers and does.
    B. How does any child of God commit any sin?
    1. 1-John 1:8 We still have a nature in us to sin, Romans 7
    2. 1 John 1:9 is also a way of escape after we have sinned
    3. Samson again comes to mind
    4. As we said earlier a prisoner of the Philistines
    5. He asked God for one more time of great strength
    6. He wanted to avenge himself of being blinded by them.
    7. He committed suicide in dying with them although it was an act of war.
    8. God gave him that strength and allowed him to die with his enemies.
    C. Yet understand something her something very important
    1. Samson was saved
    2. He believed in the savior who was coming
    3. He believed in Christ who was coming
    4. How do we know you might ask
    5. Hebrews 11:32 tells us so
    6. He is listed in the believers Hall of Fame.
    D. Those who want to say suicide is unforgiveable are contradicting God.
    1. They elevate suicide to sin that is higher than God’s compassion and mercy can forgive
    2. The say God cannot forgive it
    E. There are problems with believing suicide can’t be forgiven and that those who commit it will go directly to hell.
    1. The first thing we must understand about that stance is that it limits God.
    2. It virtually places God in Box
    3. The second is that scripture is clear,
    4. There is only one unforgivable sin mentioned in scripture as we saw
    5. Matthew 12:31 as we saw
    6. Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.
    7. Jesus says every other sin is forgiven
    8. So yes a believer who commits suicide can go to heaven.

    This fairly well from scripture answers the question.
     
  16. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Actually, often times with terminal diseases, the body shuts down and food cannot be processed any more. I've seen numerous people die from cancer and at some point towards the end, they just stop eating. Their body is finished and if you tried to force them to eat, their body would reject it anyway. :(
     
  17. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    <Sigh>

    This was not the case with Mom or the man with terminal cancer. Their bodies did not 'shut down'. They simply refused to eat. I know, I was there, every day, I fed Mom every day and was intimate with the entire ordeal all the way through. Deep down she decided she had had enough.
     
  18. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I still think part of it is their body just not working to digest and process the food anymore. My mom was the same way. I would bring her favorite ice cream and try to get her to take a bite or two but she wanted nothing. It was kind of a conscious decision but not fully because they just didn't WANT to eat - not so that they would die but because their body no longer craved or needed food. I remember that being so hard and I tried EVERYTHING I could to get her to eat but I'd say it was about the last 6 weeks of her life or so that she was just done with food. :(

    I found this from cancer.org and I underlined what I was speaking of:

     
  19. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    The medical term is "cascade organ failure." My wife and I cared for both my mother and her mother toward the ends of their lives. Both went into cascade organ failure and stopped eating and drinking. They no longer experienced hunger or thirst. It is the body's way of saying, "it's time." Both drifted off to glory peacefully.
     
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  20. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Right TC - It's not a conscious decision to kill themselves by starving but instead their body's way of beginning/continuing the dying process.
     
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