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Martinsville, Ohio | That is a very deep and serious question all of us have pondered over our lives. I respect the views of those here and around the world who don't believe in God, religion, Heaven or Hell. I do however, and this explanation of the Catechism of the Catholic(Universal) Church explains better than I can fully understand.
"Suicide
2280 Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.
2281 Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
2282 If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.
Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.
2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives. "
I have lost several acquaintances to suicide. One was a close friend in 04 that really bothered me, bothered me for two years. He let me pull his tractor at the Highland County Fair in 1971, before I graduated from college. We were fairly close ever since. His list of life's battles and misfortunes would bring out your sympathy and even empathy. He set everything up so it looked like it had it all sorted out and caught us all off guard. His family and friends really took it hard.
I do not know the answer to your question but these are the best explanations I can give you or anyone.
Ed | |
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Religious Question ~
