Why is suicide frowned upon by the Church?

Question

How can u be punished in Hell for a 'sin' against yourself. It doesn't make sense.

Answer 1

I dont know but I think people in general frown upon suicide because at one point we have all thought about it but we choose to fight instead.

Answer 2

Because life itself is a gift from God. Did you create yourself? Give yourself a soul? If so, do what you will with yourself. As it is, you are not your own maker.

So, discarding one's life is the ultimate sign of disrespect for the gift and a sin against the Giver.

I suppose this doesn't make much more sense to you, either. But, it's just another part of the Church's overall view on the sanctity of life. When you accept the underlying premise, things like suicide no longer 'make sense.'

Hope you find the understanding you seek.

Answer 3

Many of the church's minor laws were designed long ago to keep their society running efficiently with them presiding over it. Suicide could have been as getting out of the situation you were in and the church couldn't be seen to endorse any easy options or the idea that the situation they were creating was terrible enough that it was a good idea. So they imposed the sin that if you did commit suicide you went to hell so it wasn't really an escape and it kept desperate and persecuted people exactly where they were.

Answer 4

suicide should be frowned upon by everybody.we should all do our best to help those who feel so desperate that they want to end there own life. and besides suicide is the cowards way out i have known a few people who have done so and all they do is leave devastation behind family friends children imagine a child phoning home on Xmas day to find a message left on a machine by his father saying by the time you hear this i will be dead. who suffers most the dead or the child who will remember that for the rest of his life. it was at one point illegal to attempt suicide i personally think that those who attempt suicide and fail should be punished

Answer 5

Suicide has historically been seen by the Church as more than just a "sin against oneself."

Since we are part of God's human creation, it's wrong for us to take the life of anyone who's part of that creation, at least not without good reason. That includes ourselves.

In the past, suicide was seen as an act that reflected a lack of trust in God. If someone deliberatelly took their own life out of despair or to escape an undesirable situation, it was reasoned, then it meant that the person did not believe God would be there for them through their difficulty.

This, in addition to God's prohibition against taking the life of a member of his human creation, rendered suicide as a turning away from God in the Church's eyes -- and, barring the presence of severe mental illness, it still is considered to be that.

Today, of course, we know that in many cases, suicides are caused by mental illnesses -- as such, the person cannot be held responsible (at least not totally) for their suicide.

But if a person commits suicide because they don't want to face a terminal disease, or because they have huge debts, or because they don't want to be taken alive by the police during a 3-day standoff, then that's another thing -- a person who commits suicide in such a case is in effect denying God's willingness to be with them during their ordeal.

It's a type of turning-away from God -- and, like all forms of turning away from God, it's a sin.

Answer 6

A quick Bible quote "You are not your own, but you were bought at a price. Therefore honour the Lord with your body". Many Christians use this passage, which i believe is in Corinthians, as evidence for sex as a form of worship as well as a warning against suicide.
Concerning the Thou shalt not kill Commandment, it may be argued by some people that in the original context, this only refers to murder. There are no instances in the Bible of anyone being punished for suicide, but there are for homicide, such as the story of Abel and Cain.

Answer 7

Suicide is taking the decision of your death time away from God's plan. Yes, it is a sin against yourself...usually regretted. But it is also a slap in the face of the creator who gave you a life to live.

Answer 8

Im not Christian but I've studied this:
1) You are created in the image of God, by God. It is therefore not your life to take.
2) "Before i formed you in the womb I knew you. before you were born I set you apart." God has a plan for every life, so suicide is going against his plan.

I think that free will should mean that we can do what we want, and human concience should make us realise that we shouldn't commit suicide - anyone with any brains should realise that, and not need these Christian lies, or teachings as they call them

Answer 9

To take ones own life does not bring joy and happiness to others effected by that choice and our eternal soul is answerable for any choice we make in this physicality that has a detrimental effect on people. This process occurs directively after passing over, prior to assension, which is the place man describes as hell

Answer 10

Because we were all made in the image and likeness of God Himself and His glory is upon us whether or not we choose to believe it. The bible says that God made man in His own likeness and image and called it good. When you commit suicide, you are taking the very life that God has placed into you and being judge and jury over what He alone is authorized to do. Only God has the power to bring life and take life into this world for His own purposes, therefore suicide is looked upon and blatant rebellion and a "spit" into God's face for taking the life or glory that He has placed in you.

Answer 11

It's supposed to be that you're shunning the greatest Gift God gave to humans. Or something along those lines. I have no idea where it is in the bible, so you're just going to have to trust me on this one, but somewhere there's a story about somebody who was fighting a war or something like that (a king I think) and when he saw defeat was inevitable he and his servant kill themselves (actually it was to rob from the enemies the sense of real victory, fairly noble in that sense) It then says how angry God was at the two for losing faith that he would let them win eventually, or something like that.