Where does it say in the bible that suicide is wrong?

Question

Im doing a project on assisted suicide. Im battling with morals here...Im a christian but I just don't understand where it EXACTLY says in the bible "thou shalt not commit suicide" A little help?

Answer 1

It doesn't. But, the Bible does say, "Thou Shall not kill". But, that does not specify your own life.

Answer 2

More like suicide reflects the ultimate act of selfishness and despair. Sin is doing our own will instead of God's. Suicide doesn;t consider what God would have us do for the good of others, how others will be affacted, etc. It is completely concerned with my own pain and my own relief.

Contrast this action with that of Jesus knowingly, voluntarily going to his death and I think you'll find something very different at work.

Romans 6 and 8 contains a great deal of writing about selfishness and ego (a.k.a. the sinful nature) being opposed to the grace of becoming a new creation.

Answer 3

Thou shalt not kill.

But christianity is a religion built on a suicide. Your Jesus allowed himself to be taken knowing the outcome would be death. This in my book is no less suicide than blowing your own brains out. The only diference is that Jesus could have somebody else blamed for it..!!

Answer 4

thou shalt not kill has ZERO to do with suicide much less assisted suicide.

thou shalt not kill, is vague, killing is not necessarily the taking of your own life, nor is self-defence.

if self-defence is permitted- then there must be other exemptions or the bible is completely unriliable as it contradicts itself in allowing its people to kill in war yet the words cannot be more clear "don't kill".

it doesn't specify human or animal or vegetable (yes chopping a tree is killing a living thing).

this leads to obvious problems in logic, so either everyone has screwed up royally and god wanted people to be the ultimate hippie pansies, or

people interpret it as "thou shalt not murder"

this doesn't provide anything against them either as murder and suicide ar definately two different things.

Answer 5

I don't see it anywhere. It might be construed that "Thou shalt no murder" applies, but that would mean that to a particular person, wouldn't it?

The thing about being a Christian is that whatever God says is true, and all else takes a back seat to that, yes?

And who knows what goes on in the heart and minds of those who are so willing to end it all, is it a complete and damnable lack of faith? Or is it that they are tired of their mortal bodies living in this sinning life that we all live in, sickness being only one symptom of it, so therefore want to go on to live with God through His promise of eternal life?

Why can't it be up to God and a matter between the person and God? We all know that it is wrong to murder another person, but what about the self?

As you might imagine, I do not see it as a "mortal Sin", but to those who see it that way, it might be, so they had better not ever do it. But for those who do not believe that, and trust God through it all, what about them?

I am afraid that those who are polarized through the politics of it all tend to be swayed in the direction of the Roman Catholic Church, or the conservative movement, or the 'church' view, I am not so swayed.

Answer 6

All human life is sacred from the moment of conception to natural death
The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. The murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance

Euthanasia

Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.

Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.

Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of "over-zealous" treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.

Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.

Answer 7

The way I've always interpreted it is this: Jesus said that the one unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the holy spirit. To me that means dying without believing that the holy spirit (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit...all the same) can save you. To commit suicide is to give up all hope and have no faith that the holy spirit can save you from whatever crisis has brought you to the point of not wanting to live any longer.

Answer 8

Thou shalt not kill. Ten Commandments.

Answer 9

"Thou shall not kill" is in the bible and assisting in a suicide you would be guilty of that.

Agnosticvamp; Reading your comment I can just give a quotation, "Never complain about old age, it is a privilege denied to many".

Answer 10

as others have said, there is no "thou shall not commit suicide" commandment.

Because of that, you will have a hard time using the bible to convince people that suicide is wrong. What you would have to do is examine the character of God as revealed in the bible.

For example - the commandments are summed up as love God before all else and love your neighbor as yourself. So it's assumed you love yourself and that your primary purpose is your relationship with God. Suicide is counter to both.

There are passages that talk about being fearfully and wonderfully made by God and passages that talk about God knowing the number of hairs on our head. We are important to God. Killing yourself is counter to any plans God has for you.

Etc.

By the way, these verses:

Ecc 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Ecc 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?


aren't about suicide - they're about shortening your life by your actions, whether it's sin or taking on too much responsibility.