Suicide

Suicide – by P.K. Odendaal – December 2018

The conventional wisdom is that people who commit suicide are murderers and murderers do not go to heaven.

As a sceptic and cynic about conventional wisdom, I will naturally doubt that and ponder the opposite notion. I am not saying suicide is okay, but I must consider all its wider aspects. This article is not a license to kill.

I have written an insightful article about the absolute freedom of our free will, and as such I must believe that it is a self-inflicted malady and not the will of God. If we commit suicide, we inhibit the work and plan of God in and for our lives, so there would be serious consequences, but missing heaven ultimately is not one of them.

On an insightful note, I know of no one who has ever been indicted for murder or attempted murder for this action or attempted action. One case comes to mind, and that is the suicide of Judas. I read that God did not condemn him for the suicide, but only for not showing mercy to Jesus Christ!

Psalms 109:16 Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

Are we really in control of our emotions and actions if and when we attempt to take our own life? I think mostly not so. Are there mitigating circumstances for murder if we are psychologically impaired? Yes, I am sure. So why does conventional wisdom not allow mercy for persons committing suicide? I think it should.

Many of us, including myself, have come under severe emotional stress from time, to time to such an extent that our emotions took over and blocked our mind. We, as rational thinkers and actors, sometimes lose it - for sure.

So let us tone down our judgement of such first offenders and give God the opportunity to judge such actions by His unlimited righteousness and grace.
I do not read in the Bible that God ever rejected a soul who committed suicide, but I read a lot of the judgement of other sins which are generally regarded as smaller sins in comparison, of which covetousness and lying are only two.

In closing - why would we misuse our absolute will and bereave ourselves of the ultimate gift God gave us - the gift of life - and life in abundance.