How do religions (other than Christianity) view attempted suicide?

Question

You're answering someone who suffers from depression...so I ask that you answer with respect.

Chicky...I've been getting help for years.
Creatix...I'm not listening to the A**holes, thx hon.

Wow folks, some of you are pretty heartless...I gotta say...the LAST thing I felt several years ago (as a teenager) when I attempted suicide was selfish. What I did feel was a lack of understanding from others & a desire to end the pain.

Answer 1

Cathy, I'm atheist, so I can't offer any insight as to how various religions view suicide, or attempted suicide. I can, however, tell you my views from a very personal perspective.

I see attempted suicide as a call for help. If you have made the attempt, then you know for yourself that you have a great ache or a vast emptiness in your heart. It is my most sincere hope that you call a friend, a pastor, teacher, crisis center....anyone that you can trust.

My fiance committed suicide 23 years ago. There had been many signs over the years, and I caught most of them and did what I could. It was only after everything seemed to be going well that the final attempt was successful.

Suicide changes everyone who had ever known the victim. And I do see people who have taken their lives as victims of extremely unfortunate circumstances.

Those left behind suffer unimaginable guilt, blaming themselves for something they really had no control over. I still blame myself after all these years. The feeling of helplessness and despair suffered by all is crushing, and it forever changes lives.

There is no closure for those left behind because suicide is not a natural death. So anger fills the heart and spirit, and it's an unfair burden to place on anyone.

There is no acceptance, no peace.....just this feeling of failure, guilt, despair and regret. It fades, but it remains.

If you are considering ending your life, I hope you consider the effect it will have on your loved ones. Then please take every step that you can to overcome and find peace. It really is possible, but you can't do it alone.

Reach out to someone before it's too late. Good luck to you, and best wishes.

EDIT: There are some very ignorant people answering this, and I hope you ignore what they are saying.

Answer 2

IMO, ending your life due to depression is different than ending your life due to something like suffering from a painful, incurable disease. Euthenasia might be the right move depending on the situation, but suicide is always wrong simply because depression can be ended without having to end your life as well, though it might take help from others to do it. I hope you are getting or will get help with your depression, you don't have to fight this battle on your own. Good luck.

That being said, I can only say that being Eclectic my religious views are only my own and I don't believe a person would be punished for suicide, but I do believe in karma and reincarnation, and ending your life before natural causes might have could have an affect on how you are reincarnated, not necesarily in a punishing, negative way, just altering the outcome.

Answer 3

To a Buddhist the issue is not one of right or wrong but rather suicide is seen as a pointless act. Karma must be confronted however painful it is, and overcome-only then do we escape it. If you commit suicide you will not face punishment but you will have to reincarnate and go through the same suffering all over again. Life is hard sometimes but we grow by enduring that hardship-suicideshouldn't be an option, although things are different in the case of terminal illness or extreme, continuous physical pain.

Answer 4

I've studies many religions, and am an independent thinker.
I don't think there is any simple answer to that.
I feel religious beliefs about it being wrong are true. I feel we
do reincarnate, but there is no guarantee we will reincarnate,
and we're supposed to get to the point we stop reincarnating.
Suicide will only make us have to come back and learn the
lesson over. Or, I would think, if someone seeks death, they
might actually experience a "deathlike" trance in the spirit
world.
That's what the Bible means about the "dead". They
aren't dead, but very much alive. But have no "awareness"
of their existence.Tthey are ghosts, or worse. Living in a
hell-like reality. I experienced a hell-like reality once. I was
trying to move through fatty, red meat. And had to fight a
ugly being, that I couldn't hurt until I got my faith up.
I also read where a woman learning from a Native woman, went to a place. Natives call it the FEAR. Isaiah 24:18 KJV.
She said she saw a snake wrap around her, and people
appeared and had hateful looks on their faces, and cursed
her and spit on her. Before she got caught up in it, she called
on her guardian spirit and it helped her escape.
That means the Good stuff is true too Baby Girl!

Answer 5

1st of all I want to emphasis that you not finding any Jewish rabies calling for violence against Muslims, doesn't mean there aren't any. I don't have any link on me but I keep reading words said by these in an Arabic news website. You'll never see these words in the media. The media doesn't show the complete truth. The other thing I want to emphasis is that Jews took OUR land. You can't change this reality. Wether it says in your holy book that it's a promised land or not, I don't care. Don't expect Muslims there to welcome you with roses. Don't expect Iraqis to welcome US with roses. Don't expect Afghans to welcome you with roses. I haven't heard a SINGLE Muslim scientist (cleric as you say) justify 9/11. Yet I am not surprised it happened when you see the US polices in the middle east. What would be expected? Muslims are tortured, killed and raped every day under the eyes of the quite world. and above all the media is stereotyping and telling the wrong story. People have nothing but resistance to fight back and protect their lands. Even if there were no cleric preaching, people would still fight back., because it's what every human being would do (Muslim or anything else). Look in history and see the genocides done by Christians under the name of religion against Muslims/Jews. Look at the ware crimes committed by Israel a Jewish religious land. You'll be shocked how ugly is this world. Violence has no religion.

Answer 6

I'm not a religious person, but I'd view it as sad. Depression is so difficult. I read an article on it a couple of weeks ago because a dear friend of mine suffers from it as well and what it said is that depression can be caused from something that was lacking in childhood. ie not respected by parents, or even violence on tv. I think it rings true for my friend anyways. It suggested that the sufferer surround themselves with people who will be encouraging and acknowledge the things that are good about them. I think with the right people in your life, it can be overcome. Life always has it's ups and downs, but I think that overall it is worth living. If you need someone to talk to hon, feel free to contact me. (((((((hugs))))))))

Answer 7

I suffer from depression too, (as well as chronic pain) but luckily I have never wanted to kill myself. I personally understand why people do commit suicide, I have lost a couple of friends that way, but any God-fearing religion sees suicide as a sin.

Answer 8

Well, I'm a theist... I think I have to turn to John Donne on this one:

No man is an island, entire of itself
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls
it tolls for thee.

-- John Donne

What that means is that if you - or anyone else, for that matter - dies, it is a loss to all of us. The world is made less for the loss. So I view attempted suicide as an attempt to steal something precious from the world.

I too suffer from depression, but I see this more because my two best friends suffer from it as well, and if i were to lose either of them, it would be devastating.

I don't have a "religion" to back me up, but just my own beliefs.

Bright blessing, and treat yourself gently.


DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE ASSHOLES ANSWERING THIS. PLEASE.

Answer 9

Suicide is a major sin.

The life that you have is a blessing and you may have in your life what others don't. Even if you find a lot of things that you do not like, you will find many more things that you have overlooked.

For example the ability to see beautiful colours, the ability to feel beautiful feelings like when someone does something good for you. These are very precious things and there are many more.

When you look at a cup half filled with water - look to the full side - not the empty one.

Patience in this life can teach you many things and you must use your life wisely.

Answer 10

Hindu religion says it is a sin.Make up your mind that you WILL not commit suicide.Then you will find ways and means of avoiding it.Personally I tell myself 'Maybe I will die tomorrow -natural death.So why this messy suicide.'
Do you know how many are in need of help which you can provide,however meager your resources .