Questions for Christians?

Question

According to your religion suicide is a sin and people who commit suicide go to hell. So now I have a couple of questions for you...

1. Is your god really so cruel that he will have somebody tortured in hell for eternity because they were mentally ill when they were alive? Mental ILLNESS is what makes people commit suicide. Is your god going to punish some people for being ill?

2. Let's say person A was being held captured, tortured, raped and abused on a daily basis by person B for 10 years and finally reached a point where he just couldn't take it anymore and committed suicide. Are you telling me that B is going straight to hell and that A might still get into heaven if he just regrets what he did???

Answers please. Thank you!

Sorry, I mixed up A and B in the second question. I meant "Is A going straight to hell and can B still get into heaven if he just regrets what he did?"

Sorry about the mistake.

Answer 1

Okay...the best way to answer both of these questions is that to begin with, Christians are mistaken too. We are not perfect and we get so hung up on telling people to accept Christ or you will wind up in a much more unpleasant place.
Here is the truth... suicide is a sin like any other sin. Murder, lying, decieving etc...(the ten commandments). The part that has been mistaken is that for so long...it was believed that suicide was the "unforgivable" sin. This is not true. The bible clearly states that the "unforgivable" sin is in the denouncing of the Holy Spirit.

So... in fact, someone who commits suicide is not subject to eternal hell unless of course he/she is not saved. (Accepting of Christ as their Savior). It is my belief that in most cases the last words uttered before one takes their life is that of "God forgive me." I also believe that when we see heaven we will all be surprised to see Judas there.

I hope this helps. Keep asking good questions. This was well thought out. To answer yet another question...No, God is not so cruel. Try to remember that God gets unjustly blamed for most everything. This is Satans work. War, babies dying, cancer, drunk driving, diseases, hatred, drugs. Sound familiar? It's an old trick of his that still fools us eh? (No, I'm not Canadian lol) Use wisdom and seek who God really is. The Lord is the creator of Love.

Answer 2

You have a legalistic understanding of sin and a hollywood understanding of hell.

1) God gets to decide who was open or closed to love. Suicide is an indication of hopelessness. Christianity has historically considered hopelessness a sign of being closed to the goodness of the world. It is God alone who decides. Suicide is viewed as murder and one could view all murder as at least a temporary mental illness.

2)Again, you are quite legalistic. This case unfortunately happens way too often in the world. Christ was himself abused and then murdered, I doubt He would not have sympathy to another in the same position. Can person B get into Heaven? It isn't regrets that are sufficient, regrets are a sign you are open to humanity and understand what you have done. It is that openess to loving others that is important. Person B certainly can get into Heaven because Christianity is an amoral religion. Good people don't get in and bad people are not kept out. It is love of neighbor and enemy that ultimately decides and it is God alone who decides and he is most merciful.

Suicide is an action of a desparate person. God is the God of the oppressed. He is the God of desparation. It is improper to decide for God who gets in and who does not. I suspect very few people are not allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Answer 3

According to the most Christian religion, suicide is a sin, just as murder is.

But, what most of them fail to mention is, just as you pointed out, that mental illness does play a part in a number, if not all, suicides.

In that case, a God of Love (1 John 4:8) would take that into consideration, don't you think that that would make sense?

Answer 4

The Bible specifically says that the gift of God is eternal life to say then that those who are going to hell will burn forever and ever is not Biblical or true. Who lives longer those in hell or those in heaven? The Bible clearly says that Satan, sin and sinners will be destroyed forever and ever - Hell was not created for humans it was created for Satan and His angels that is why God sent his son Jesus to redeem us from that faith. You can always setup scenarios but the fact of the matter is that all through the Bible you can find a example of each and what God did but you cannot say for certain who or who will not go to heaven - judgement belongs to GOd and He is a merciful God. However, we are told to believe and be baptized to be saved.

All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe. This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation. (Rev. 12:4-9; Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-18; Gen. 3; Rom. 1:19-32; 5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6-8; 2 Peter 3:6; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 1:14.)

Answer 5

I believe that God Takes extenuating circumstances into consideration when making Judgements.

Of course this would depend also on

1. Was this person a Christian when the event caused them to become mentally ill? ( If it was from birth then they wouldn't be held accountable because they had never reached the age of accountablity)

2. Was this person a Christian before these events transpired? What you are describing here could be considered a form of mental illness and wanting out of the predicament they have been forced into.

Answer 6

Not all Christians believe that people who commit suicide go to Hell. My understanding is that the Catholic church leans in this direction, because murder is a mortal sin and suicide is seen as self murder. Not being a Catholic I don't want to speak for all of them though.
As a Protestant I do Not believe that suicide is a ticket straight to Hell. I believe that God is gracious and that he understands, loves, and sympathizes with those who are suffering so greatly that the best option that they can see is death itself. I also believe that he calls us to do what we can to reach out to and help those who struggle with suicidal thoughts.

Just an interesting side note -- some believe that in Philippians 1 Paul may have been contemplating suicide:
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me."
Not sure if I agree with that interpretation, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Answer 7

In truth, no one but God will determine what happens to a soul.
We are given guide lines of what to expect.

For a "normal" person to commit suicide it is hell.
but for a "normal" person to live a perfect life in the Law to go to hell is also unthinkable but Christ did.

You look at the Law and if it is broken it is hell and death! black and white! the law is the law!

But there are individuals, who can break half the laws all day long and will never go to hell!

God will do what God does!

Answer 8

Suicide is not a sin.
But you can go to hell for it.
God is a fair and just God who will not judge you for the fun of it.
He knows what went on in the person's mind before he committed the suicide.
It's not for us to judge whether or not the person is going to hell or not.

Answer 9

Nowhere does it say if you commit suicide, you go to hell. Murder is a sin, just like any other. Not being born againis the only way to go to hell.

Answer 10

The bible doesn't say suicide is a sin. SORRY.

If someone has a mental condition that causes suicide, then God will fairly judge.