Ok, so I know that suicide is a mortal sin. I am doing a paper for school and I was hoping that someone could help me...I know that suicide is wrong because only god should be able to say when it is time for us. I have done alot of looking around and I looked through the catechism but no where will it tell me where in the bible is there any reference to suicide itself...If someone could give me a scriture or something even...It is a really long book and I don't have time to read through everything before the paper is due...Anyway thanks so much if you could help me out. Denise

-- Denise hill (chi38@hotmail.com), September 20, 2003

Answers

Thou Shall not kill--comandment

-- Unknown (Zebraz15@aol.com), September 21, 2003.

Denise, take another look at the Catechism -- specifically articles 2281, 2282, and 2325. The last one mentions the fact that suicide, being "self-murder," is against the Fifth Commanment [see Deuteromy 5:17].

Go to an Internet search engine (e.g., www.yahoo.com or www.google.com) and look for helpful essays, conversations, etc.. To get a list of things to glance at, enter these words on the search-argument line: "Catholic" "suicide" "sin"

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), September 23, 2003.

Many people who are proposing euthanasia (assisted suicide) try to confuse Catholics on the issue by pointing to the Cross as though Christ - or martyrs, committed suicide.

However the big distinction to be made is this: Christ and martyrs are killed by others. Suicides kill themselves. Christ and martyrs were put to death or accepted execution rather than surrender truth to lies, justice to injustice, goodness for evil. Their intent and goal was not death, but life.

There is also a big difference between dying to protect or save some else's life (such as in rescues in the WTC or a fire or war, and killing yourself.

When soldiers jump on grenades to save their buddies - that's not suicide: their intent is not to die, but to protect others.

Martyrs intent likewise is not death, but witness to the truth about God and man. If the Romans or Barbarians or Communists or rabid atheists don't kill them, they keep on talking and teaching.

Psychologically and spiritually there is also an essential difference: the martyr is focused on the greater good of other people - whether it be God or human beings, even to the point of surrendering life itself. The suicide typically is not focused on others as much as himself (his pain, his suffering, his anguish, his will, his frustration, his pride and anger...)

The martyr is not judge, jury and executioner of himself, but a victim of murder - he forces no one to kill him. The suicide unfortunately however if "sane" takes it upon himself to decide the value of his own life. If insane (which is more typical) the poor person is victim of a type of split personality in which he or she loaths the self to the degree that a judgement is handed down on the victim and then enacted by the self as executioner.

Most teenage and young people kill themselves in a mixture of dread and loneliness, sickness and distorted view of reality and morality.

Consequently we see that the therapy for those with such self- destructive tendencies is found precisely in the example of martyrs: they forego THEIR WILL, for the sake of the good of others. No amount of pain, suffering, anguish, frustration, etc. makes them want to "quit life" because their heart and mind is focused on doing good for others and life is the first condition needed to continue helping others...even if by just offering up our suffering for them.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), September 23, 2003.