Does committing suicide mean one burns in Hell?

[Decarow]

Some points I have to make before I start this-

• I am NOT wanting to commit suicide
• I don't want this to turn into a religious war
• I understand everybody is not a Christian
• I am a Christian... nondemoninational as a matter of fact

Ok, I just wanted to know everybody's points on this. While this is from a Christian site, it brings up both sides of the argument.

This is the site

Anyways. If you don't want to read it, I'll summarize it.

Catholics believe that only the Church can forgive sins. So when you commit suicide you miss out on your last rites and are therefore dead without being forgiven so you burn in Hell.

Protestants believe that Jesus can forgive sins and that if you believe in him all your sins (past, present, and future) are washed away.

The Bible doesn't really address suicide as being a mortal sin that can't be forgiven. So it's about interpretation.

What do you think?

 

[I hate those Christians]

Well it’s hard to bring Religion into this because this is all about what people believe. I do believe that God created us all and God has the right to tell us when we have to go. I think it really depends on the person and the suicide. I am catholic myself, but if someone is ill and not all there, I do think there will be some forgiving but I could be wrong.

I know that we are suppose to believe that you will burn in hell but I would hope there is compassion to those that are ill and ended up killing themselves.

Now to those that simply just take there life away and don’t care. Such as drinking constantly etc, I think they will burn in hell.

 

[RockFan89]

This topic can really only be discussed by Christians since you are using the Bible as the basis for the discussion.

My opinion, if someone kills them self because they are in severe pain and dying is the most humane way out of it, then I don't think they are going to Hell.

But if someone kills themselves over emotional issues, then I don't think they were really saved to begin with.

 

[gd]

Christ, what a thread. Christ.

I'd say as a rule of thumb committing suicide doesn't really help you out in any way. In other words, you shouldn't do it. You're ending your life. Like, forever. I wouldn't recommend it. How do ya think that coversation would go?

God and or whatever other wordly being you may believe in: "Hey man what's up? You trying to get in heaven or something?"

You: "Uhh, ya. Sounds like fun."

GAOWOWBYMBI: "Wait a sec, it says here you just committed suicide. I gave you a pretty sweet ass gift called life and you decided to return it to the store. Not cool, man. You're going to hell."

You: "Shit."

I'd imagine that's how it would go. In other news, it's only a matter of time before this thread turns into more of a mess than the abortion one.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" is one of the Ten Commandments. In an act of suicide, the act of "killing" is certainly taking place.

So, yeah, you would go to Hell. Not only for killing yourself in the first place, but for bringing pain and suffering to the people who liked you, such as your family, friends, etc. Whenever a murder takes place, it's not really about the person themselves, but rather about the pain and suffering of the loved ones, people who depended on the victim. So, when you commit suicide, you're willfully putting those people under undue duress as well.

So, between the act of killing yourself, and the collateral damage involved, you buy yourself a one-way ticket when you die.

 

[hurleyworld4]

I just took a look at an article on wikipedia called Religious Views on Suicide. Very informative.

The word of the Islamic prophet Muhummad suggest damnation for Muslims that commit suicide, "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Fire (Hell), and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself, he shall keep stabbing himself in the Fire (Hell)."

Hindu scripture states that one becomes a ghost and wanders the earth until the originally appointed time of death if a person commits suicide.

Jains value suicide as an honorable act, especially for a particular cause.

Buddhists believe harming life, including your own, negatively affects your karma; therefore, suicide would be a detriment to one reaching Nirvana.

Christians believe, as you stated in the opening post, that if you accept Christ as your Savior, your sins past/present/and future are forgiven. I, being a Christian, believe that no matter how dark and desperate you are, no matter how hopeless your life seems, you should cast your cares upon God. But if you don't, and you choose to end your life, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you will open your eyes in Heaven and be present with the Lord. He may be pissed, but you'll be there.

 

[Lee]

Wow no Christian bashing yet, I like it.

All in all it depends how you view suicide. Suicide can be committed by very ill people with depression and what have you, something that at the end of the day is an illness. I for one do not believe that Jesus would punish someone as a result of sickness.

All in all even biblically it's a weird one. Numbers 11:12-15 Moses prays to be killed, Judges 16:29-30 Samson kills himself, 1 Samuel 31:4-6 Saul asks his armour bearer to kill him, 1 King 19:4 Elijah asks to be killed and in Jonah 4:1-11 Jonah asks to be killed. Neither of which are condemned for it.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

All depends on what you believe particularly.

Roman Catholics, as you noted, believe that suicide is a mortal sin and that anyone who commits the act damns themselves to hell because they can't be saved by being read their last rites.

Other denominations may believe otherwise, but it's impossible to know one way or another, as even the denominations themselves don't agree – it's not possible for them to, as the Bible is too interpretive for that to be accomplished.

 

[Dressler]

Well as I don't plan, and I don't think anyone on these forums (At least I hope not), plans on trying to figure out the actual answer to that question, I think it all depends on what you believe in. Like what was said before me, if you are of the belief that you will burn in hell and that is what is said in your religion (Whatever that may be), then that is what "Will happen to you". If your religion states otherwise, then vice versa the last answer. In all, no one knows, but it all depends on what book you're reading for religion.

If it says "Thou shalt not kill myself" (Or any other saying to such) then well you'd have to be under the belief you'd go to hell, and the other way 'round.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I don't really know where I stand on the issue of hell, but I'll assume it does exist. It all depends on the circumstances, in my opinion, although I don't have a big list written out, and suicide isn't something I'm against outright. But, if I were the person who decided this, Anyone who committed suicide but who has young children depending on them would rot in hell. The fact you could cause that much pain to people who DEPEND on you, and completely turn their world around, is sick. Your children are the things that mean everything to you; that you would DO anything for. What problem can cause you to leave that? The answer should be none, or you shouldn't have kids.

 

[Razor]

Considering that I believe Heaven is what you make of it, as is Hell, then suicide wouldn't take you to Hell automatically.

Premise One: Heaven is what you want it to be. Hogwarts Castle, a land of gumdrops and lollipops, whatever.

Premise Two: Hell is what you want it to be. Being stuck on a stationary bike forever, listening to your mother-in-law whine on and on forever, or the good ole classic of burning in the eternal flames for eternity.

Considering those two premises, it would also follow that the premises for entry into Heaven and Hell are dependent upon you as well. At least, to me it follows.

If your morals allow for suicide, then by all means. You get to Heaven.

If your morals disallow suicide, and you do it anyway (barring instances of illness as Lee so rightfully claimed) then you go to Hell.

Simple enough. I for one have never considered suicide when I was, you know, healthy. And if I were to think about it, the moral fallout of my killing myself would be grave. I'd probably send myself to Hell once I saw the harm it caused my friends.

My Hell? Never thought about it. Probably a dark hole all by myself. It makes me shiver just thinking about it.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Some religions believe if you kill yourself you will go to hell while others find that you will be reincarnated into a snail or something of that nature. Some believe that if you kill yourself and other people in the name of God that you will have 72 virgins in heaven. You could also go to purgatory depending on your beliefs. It's hard to know what to believe since there are so many instances in which you could go to hell depending on your religion.

I'm not religious but I do believe in karma as in what goes around comes around. It doesn't always happen, but I think as long as someone lives their life for the greater good without harming anyone then they will be rewarded. If someone helps someone terminally ill commit suicide, does that mean both people go to hell?

I don't know. I really find it hard to believe in heaven or hell. You will probably find more traces of heaven and hell in life then in the afterlife. The way religion puts it, it sounds like a lot more people will wind up in hell then heaven.

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

I believe the argument is something like... you don't own your life, so if you take your own life, you're still taking a life, which is a sin, and you won't have a chance to repent for it, so you go to hell. I mean, if you assume that the Catholic religion is true, then it logically makes sense. I'm not religious, so I can't really comment on what any religious movement determines to be true or false, but I believe that's the sentiment.

 

[Xemmy]

In the Chrisitian sense I think that yes, you would burn forever. Killing a person is a mortal sin. If you kill yourself it is a sin. You can't be forgiven of something you haven't done yet, and it's a little late afterwards. So logically....

It doesn't matter, that just the way I would see it IF I was a Christian.

 

[enterkey]

Now I'm basing this on the movie "Constantine" starring Keanu Reeves in a surprisingly good show of not sucking. Being a Catholic myself we were never taught the consequence of this sin and instead they chose to just flat out tell us "Don't do it or you're fucked." Now I'm just paraphrasing but I believe that they could be onto something there as in the movie mentioned before the woman that commits suicide at the beginning of the movie was a devote religious woman that was egged into committing suicide by a bunch of demons and all the scary supernatural shit she saw with her super physic powers and was seen in hell by Constantine when he purposefully went to hell to talk to her and figure out why she did it and she was just chillin there alone with the nuked out background. Constantine stated that despite her beliefs and all that she was in hell because it was an unforgivable sin or something to that effect. So based on the great story which is Constantine you would be fucked and probably end up being the Devil's butt buddy if you were to commit suicide.

On another note: did anyone else think that the hell in Constantine looked like the past world of Stephen King's "The Langoliers" got nuked and that the Langoliers were waiting in the wings to wreck shop?

 

[kissfan85]

I do think that you are doomed to burn in hell for suicide.
You not only committed murder on your self but just knowing what it does to the people that love you. I think it is a very selfish thing to do and I think any religion that thinks it is a mortal sin is right on.
My moms world would never be the same and she wouldn't have any real purpose in being here at all if I would kill myself, and a lot of parents blame them selves then and it's just a bad situation. It doesn't matter what your going through it's not a fair thing to do to the people in your life

 

[JJsGirl]

Well, as I don't believe in God, Heaven or Hell I don't think you go to Hell for committing suicide.In my view, you have to be pretty desperate (and possibly miserable with your life) before you decide to kill yourself. Personally, I wouldn't commit suicide but that's because I'm a wuss.

 

[Dhays9]

This is going to be wierd response since I am part athiest part believe something is out ther but not god.

I will provide two parts of wisdom from the book dillydaff.

If your god is suppose to be ever benevolent and to be all forgiving then he must forgive your sin of suicide and accept you into heaven. Though if god is ever benevolent and all forgiving there should be no hell as he should of forgave lucifer when he turned on him. Also, if there is a hell then no one should go to hell as stated above god is suppose to be forgiving.

However, christian doctirine teaches us that if you sin you will go to hell. This is just one of the meany things that contridict themselves which probably left me to be athiest but thats a topic for another day.

Part two: taken from a college essay. I love this logic as it is true.

As for souls entering hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, then you will go to hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and souls go to hell.