Is there ever a time when it's okay to commit suicide?

Question

That is, is suicide always a bad thing? Must we always consider life as something that is precious and worthwhile, even when it is so bad and pointless? Can there ever be a time when suicide is neccessary, or okay?

Answer 1

When one signs a "Do Not Resuscitate" form, and the very next day, they are critically injured in some sort of accident, and at the hospital, the doctors do nothing to save them, that is a form of suicide. So yes, in that situation, I believe it is okay. DNR's are usually for elderly people, though, who do not want to be revived should they have a heart attack or go into diabetic shock, or whatnot. I believe those who have a terminal illness, such as cancer, should be able to choose if they want to live or die. If their illness gets to the point where they have basically no quality of life, they should have the choice. But kids just killing themselves because they are depressed, or because their boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with them, or because they are a drug addict, now THAT is plain old GIVING UP, when there is so much help out there that suicide shouldn't even be a choice.

Answer 2

No, because who has ever been "okay" from the act of suicide?Of course, the one who commits is dead, but consider those immediately affected by such an action-- regardless of what brand of ethics you subscribe too, chances are, nothing about a suicide will ever feel okay.
There was the sociologist named Durkheim who listed various types of suicide, and the only "okay" version was what he termed "Altruistic Suicide" in which the person sacrifices their life for the greater good of society, like for instance, jumping in front of people to prevent them from getting shot.
So only preventing the loss of other people's lives is only acceptable cause, but suicide should never be considered no matter what you think of the world. Life is precious even if we do not always consider it to be, never let the temporary ruin the timeless.

Answer 3

That is a very personal decision. Who's to say what is pointless or not? This debate has been hot in the courts for many, many years. Should someone who is terminally ill, and will die in severe pain, not be able to chose the end of their life? You know, if people say that suicide is always a bad thing, then those who stop medical care by removing a feeding tube or turning off a respirator are guilty of murder. I don't think that a satisfactory answer to your question will ever be had.

Good question, though.

Answer 4

Wow you got a lot of responses *******!
Its due to the seriousness of the question ain't it?
Relying on sympathy to get answers is that useful?
When is suicide acceptable? Always and whenever.
This should only be good for a little section of people because I do have a difference of opinion and I dont share well with others. If its death that you what, then so be it. I should mention that its illegal to kill anyone! That includes yourself, so do us a favor and conform to the standards and leave us free spirits alone. Life is a gift, I guess its your choice to respect the giver or not. Do me a favor ask your mom this question and see what kind of response you receive.

Answer 5

good question. no, suicide is not always a bad thing. If you think i'm horrid for saying it, folks, fine, but honestly if you look around, there ARE people living in a life closer to h=== than if they were to commit suicide. No one wants to see it. no one wants to talk about it, no one wants to hear about it. People blame others, blame themslves when it happens. Schools, work places, wives, boyfriends. Kids. They're the reason why it's considered a bad thing. If you can't find any reason to live anymore for yourself, then they're the ones you must hold on for. Can there be a time..?....no. Because someone's always going to fight for you. always.

Answer 6

I saw a film about a young fellow in China who had recently become a Christian. (I dont recall the title, but you may be able to find it.) He was taking a train trip with some friends of his when the car they were in (the rear car) decoupled from the rest of the train and started rolling backward down the long winding hill they had just rode up. No caboose, as we have in America.

He realized that they would roll all the way back down then derail and crash and be killed. So, before the car had built up much speed, he threw himself bodily off the back of the car and onto the tracks. The car went over him and he was killed, but it was derailed right away and nobody else died.

So, I want to emphasize, this is an extremely rare situation, and not one that I would ever expect to see again. But this young man exemplifies Jesus' words: "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

It also reminds us of the words of one of the Christian missionaries killed by the Auca Indians of South America: "He is no fool, to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Though this young man did deliberately kill himself, it seems clear that he would have died momentarily anyway. And he saved lives doing it. I think that God must have welcomed him with open arms.

I am not sure that this answers your question. This does not deal with people who are ill, in pain, suffering and perhaps bored. There are probably other accounts of people sacrificing themselves in combat, or in disasters, to save others. I can't really think of a situation in which I think it would otherwise be unequivocably right.

(And, it was not my intentions to stir up a can of worms, but there are some circumstances in which people are attacked and they have the right to use force to defend themselves.)

Overall, what makes the difference...? I think it is the courage and self-sacrifice that these people showed.

We usually think of people who have suffered for a long time. We do not hear of those who kill themselves early, giving as their reason: "I'm not going to wait until I start suffering, I know this is incurable and I want to save my family all the useless money they'd spend on hospital bills."

If one is trying to escape something (pain and suffering), it seems like there is not that much courage involved. I am not speaking of any specific persons here, only the general case. I suppose that a lot of people must start out with the intention of hanging on courageously as long as possible and then change their minds later on.

We even more rarely hear of those who kill themselves and then change their minds later on. This is no joke; read on.

Among those who have had deathbed or near-death experiences, there are many who scream with extreme fear and claim to have seen judgment, flames and torments awaiting them. These experiences are, understandably, not mentioned very often by the family or the hospital staff.

I recommend a book on the subject, To Hell and Back. Sorry, but I can't recall the author. We are so accustomed to hearing of the bright lights and soft, pleasant near death exoerience, that we have (again, understandably) put aside the possibility that there might be an alternative. Some of these may have been suicide attempts that were denied and returned in order to warn us. It would be foolish to discount the possibility entirely.

I hope this covers what you wanted to know. This was an excellent question, thank you for asking.

Answer 7

It's never ok to commit suicide.
If you really can't solve your problems, then the best thing for you is to pray to God, because he really listens, and wait for a response. I'm sure a solution will present itself one day.

You have to hold on. There were times, I was thinking of committing suicide. My problems just kept growing and growing with no solution. But I'm still here, and why? Because being patient and always keep trying for a solution is the best thing. There's a solution to everything. So keep on looking for your solution.

Answer 8

No matter how hard and pointless life is, its never a good idea to commit suicide. Nobody knows how their future could turn out if they stayed on. Many have had hard pointless lives persevered and ended up being great people. Life is sacred.

Answer 9

If you have come to the point where life is bad and pointless, use your intelligence to turn it around, it can never be to bad, or you'd be already dead. Besides, you are the one who makes life wothwhile, it's you who manage your life, so it's up to you wether to make it worthless, or to enjoy it to it's full extent. So I'd say, no, it's only a coward's way to go, it doesn't take guts to "pull the trigger", it takes guts not to!...... If you feel like you can't give the "turn" at the situation, it's always good to go and look for therapy, that's why it's there for.

Answer 10

I believe that our seeming "problems" do not magically end with our last breath, so ~ no I don't feel there is ever an okay time to commit suicide. One will just find them self on the "other side" with the same scenario to fix....for as long as it takes and as many lives as it requires.