Posted by fachad on July 22, 2002, at 15:21:40
In reply to A question, posted by Susan G on July 22, 2002, at 13:26:23
There are a few answers to that question. It depends on who you ask.
The Catholic Church has always said that someone who committed suicide was automatically condemned to hell.
The Baptist church that I was raised in said that once you were "saved", you were always saved, and you would not go to hell no matter what you did.
Some Eastern religions say that if you kill yourself, you will be reincarnated as a lower being, or suffer in a future life.
And some religions, like those of Jim Jones or Heavens Gate, teach that god will actually reward you for committing suicide.
The modern viewpoint of Scientific Humanism does not believe that there is a god to condemn you or a hell to go to. Your life belongs to you, and it is up to you to live it in the best way you know how. If you decide to end it, that is your choice.
If there really is a god, I doubt he would punish someone who is in devastating pain for ending their life to end their pain. But then again, if there really is an all powerful god, and he saw one of his beloved creatures in devastating pain, you’d think he could at least help out or something…
> I suppose most everyone is off reading Admin but I have a question to ask. I don't mean to get anyone stirred up by my asking it, I just am not very knowledgable about religion and I know many of you will have an answer to this. I'm wondering what you believe God really feels about those who commit suicide. Do you really think God condemns a person to hell for taking his/her life? I know it's believed to be a sin to do so, but tt's hard for me to imagine that God would do that to someone who is clearly is such devastating pain. Your thoughts are appreciated.
>
> Sue "I Quit Going to Sunday School a Long Time Ago" G.
poster:fachad
thread:617
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20020715/msgs/623.html