A Christian Perspective on Suicide

The question of suicide produces divided and conflicting opinions even among Christians. The Bible itself remains almost silent on the subject. The Jews apparently had a strong prohibition against it, based on the Sixth Commandment and the prohibitions regarding the shedding of blood. While the Bible does not use the word suicide as such, it does prohibit killing, and suicide at the most basic level can be considered self murder.

Most theories of morality allow for suicide in certain specified cases, such as to save the lives or safeguard the well-being of others, to deliver oneself from a situation in which life would be intolerable, or to relieve others of duties which they would perhaps be unable to carry out, for instance, when an injured individual takes his own life in order to insure that other persons in an expedition can reach safety without being hindered by his care.

The fundamental principle of making ethical decisions is that we must treat ourselves and others as rational creatures. Thus, the question arises whether a person can be considered rational if he/she becomes so despairing of life that no solution seems possible. Since survival is the first law of human nature, the person who reaches a point of no longer desiring his/her own survival (except in situations such as described above) could in some sense be considered no longer rational.

Yet on the other hand we have the clear teaching of Scripture that God is the Author of all life. It is he who maintains control and it is not ours to take away the gift which he has given. This means that God alone has the right to decide when a situation is beyond remedy. Despair may lead a person to say, "My situation is beyond the reach of God's ability to save and redeem." With our rational minds, we know this cannot be so. But if a person is distressed by problems, fatigue, or illness, there may come a point at which the ability to perceive and trust God's saving possibility is no longer present.

Whatever the motivation or circumstances of the suicide, we do have the firm assurance of God's love and forgiveness in every situation. There has been a tendency among some groups to view suicide as something akin to the unpardonable sin. This appears to be based on the fact that after the act of suicide a person is no longer able to ask forgiveness. Yet it seems inconceivable that a God who loves humanity so much that he sacrificed his only Son as a means of reconciling persons to himself could snatch away salvation as the last breath left in a person's body, a person who may be gripped by despair, fear, pain, even mental or emotional imbalance. God assures us of his love and understanding, which takes into account our human frailty.

This is not to condone suicide nor to say that it does not matter to God. But there are other equally serious ways in which people abuse God's gift of life: driving recklessly, overeating, drug or alcohol abuse. The point is that all of these situations are within the scope of God's power to redeem and transform. "His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting." (Psalms 103:17)

This is the word of grace which the person who is contemplating suicide or has attempted suicide needs to hear. "Behold, the arm of the Lord is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear" (Isaiah 59:1). The loved ones who are left in grief can take comfort from knowing "it is not the will of the Father that any of these should perish" (Matt. 18:14). We have the promises, "He does not deal with us after our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10) and "My Father is greater than all...and no one is able to take them out of the Father's hand" (John 10:29). In the face of these great mysteries, we can assure ourselves, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen.18:25).

HELPFUL READING

The first and most important resource for any need is God’s Word, the Bible. We have suggested some Scriptures which apply to this topic. For additional suggestions, see our page, Where to Look in the Bible.