Suicide ... what are your thoughts on it? Religions have forbid it, laws have made it illegal. How free are we, if we cannot even choose to end our own life?

For starters ... I believe there are different ways to think about suicide. For some, suicide is the ultimate "solution" to their problems ... it is extreme escapism.

As with other forms of escapism, I believe that it is the wrong choice to make; its not solving problems, its running from them. For this reason, I can see why it has become taboo, why it is discouraged.

However, I very much disagree with it being illegal.

I see laws forbidding suicide in the same light as laws against homosexuals being able to marry, laws against woman having rights, prohibition, segregation, etc ...

In other words, its just assholes pushing their beliefs on everyone else. Believing that they are correct, and everyone else is wrong.

Crimes, IMO, are committed when someone causes another harm.

Now, someone could argue that suicide does hurt other people. Or drug use can. Or that allowing other races or sexes the same rights as white men will destroy society. Or that allowing gays to marry will destroy society.

But I would say that all those things only have potential to harm others. Just as owning a gun, gives one the potential to shoot someone. But have they committed that crime?

Has allowing gays to marry "converted" all straight people? No. Has allowing women, or blacks to vote destroyed society? No. Does using drugs have to make me an addict, and cause those around me to become deeply concerned about my future? No.

What if someone had no family? What if their family truly did not care if this person was alive or dead? What if they had no problems, were not using suicide as a form of escapism, and just ... decided not to live anymore? Who gets harmed?




Having the choice of whether or not to live or die is, or at least as it appears to be in this reality, would be the ultimate freedom. Religion and society have tried to make us believe we are slaves by forbidding suicide, and believe that we do not have that freedom, that choice ... but, we already are free.

Life and free will are gifts from God. Like all gifts, we are free to do with them as we choose, Some people adhere to determinism and thus give back their free will. Others choose to commit suicide. There is nothing wrong with this. When and how we leave the material plane is up to us and us alone, and NO one has any business trying to mitigate that right.

That said, being that suicide is one of the more drastic options we have, it is best not enetered into lightly. And committing suicide when there are others depending on one is probably grossly irresponsible, ill-considered and unwise.

Wrong, no.

Right man. I hope nobody confused what I wrote with a promotion of suicide.

Suicide might be illegal, but it's certainly not punishable. Unless you fail at it, or get caught in the act...

I have a very split-in-two opinion about suicide, but it's hard to articulate without getting emotionally puffed up and aggravated. I do believe that one human being owes it to another to try and convince them to just stick it out. They've managed to make it out of the birth canal - they might as well just keep on keeping on, see what happens!

If someone (of sound mind and body, unrestrained) were determined enough to end their life, they could do it. Those I feel sorry for are the ones at either the end stages of life, or the extremely physically or mentally debilitated who are stuck at the mercy of others with either religious or political ideals that force them to live despite their wishes to die.

Under any other case other than the above, I believe it's one of the more cowardly, gutless actions a person could take.

I agree with laws that promote getting help to someone who wants to kill themselves, but if they really want to do it, you WILL NOT stop them.

What I do not agree with is laws against assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, or laws that force a brain dead vegtable of a woman to starve to death.

Suicide does nothing at all for you. I can't really explain it because its not really a formed thought. hmm. but. it's. hmm.

I'll get back to you on this.

If someone (of sound mind and body, unrestrained) were determined enough to end their life, they could do it.

That freedom is ours.

I believe religion being against suicide has some history behind it.

I don't have any proof for this, probably could dig up a tiny amount, but follow me:



Heaven is awesome. After death a perfect life of joy begins. Most religions speak of the afterlife, and speak highly of it (only if you obey the church's law without fail of course).

I imagine that the proto-religions that laid the foundations and spawned every other religion, started off as a way to explain the unexplainable...this includes death. I can almost see the consternation on the faces of the village elders, the medicine men, and the stargazers who invented religion, as they watch suicide cults spring up and head off to paradise. Or as they watch grief stricken family members waste themselves.

So the stargazers came up with a solution.......God says don't do that. Not saying it was very creative, just saying it solved a problem of people not wanting to wait for paradise. I believe most laws in religious doctrine came about by this type of trial and error dynamic.

That freedom is ours.

"Freedoms just another word for nothin left to lose" (Kris Kristofferson) and that could be the case in suicide? Marcus Aurelius advocates suicide as an honourable death in some circumstances, the Japanese have hari kari, also an honourable death in some circumstances; and the modern day suicide bomber is regarded in some circles as honourable also, even tho suicide for strategic reasons is nothing new.

In the Chinese Red Army's Long March it's recorded that a soldier loaded himself with grenades and leaped from a height into an enemy gun emplacement that was slaughtering the reds in a near impassable mountain ravine. What courage! Gilligan(no not the island:D ) reported that many prisoners in US jails commit suicide out of fear, that is they chose to end their own lives at a time and of a method of their own choosing rather than endure the tension of waiting to suffer a probable grisly death! Others suicided because they were so angry with another person they wanted to kill however they either lacked the courage, means, or had a moral problem.

Go figure! How could any person judge another? For mine the main question is karma. Is suicide a cause or an effect? If a cause, what could that lead to for not only any 'life after life', but also what effects would it have on one's family and friends? If an effect then it seems inescapable therefore, beyond human judgement?

As if something being illegal really stops people.

I could take my life right now, (although I wouldn't) and no one will arrest me because, I am already dead. I could take a bb gun and point it in my eye and pull the trigger, I could take a butcher knife and thrust my head into it, I could jump of my roof, I could kill myself so many ways before the cops even come... The only dying thought/feeling i have would be guilt.

I would be against, the "legalization" of that right to die, not because, I am imposing my beliefs but rather, fear, fear of coercion. What if some guy threatened to kill your family, unless you "legally" terminated your own life. What if your the type of person who cares more about others than yourself, surely he couldnt take the blame and this sick man who coerced you would win either way, especially if he killed your family after you killed yourself.

As if something being illegal really stops people.

Exactly. We are free.

Fundamentally, the only basis any legal system has is that it can fuck around with your body. You can do anything you want; they'll just try to shoot you for some of it.

That's why the idea of a "Social Contract" is bullshit. No individual ever loses any of their human rights. Suicide is a great example of that, because no matter what it will always be something that will spit in the face of those who wish to oppress and suppress humanity.

BrokeProphet is probably right, by the way. It isn't productive if everyone kills themselves, and since death is better than life to a theist, suicide is probably an extremely attractive option.

Just like everyone else has said, I could end my life right now. We all have the freedom to do that.
What I have an issue with is the trend (especially around where I live) of these angst-ridden teens that think harming themselves and suicide is cool.
I don't think it's the music or any of that crap, I really think that they just don't have anything better to do and they want this attention because no one in their families will pay attention to them.

Am I a hypocrite to think that these kids are wrong?

Just like everyone else has said, I could end my life right now. We all have the freedom to do that.
What I have an issue with is the trend (especially around where I live) of these angst-ridden teens that think harming themselves and suicide is cool.
I don't think it's the music or any of that crap, I really think that they just don't have anything better to do and they want this attention because no one in their families will pay attention to them.

Am I a hypocrite to think that these kids are wrong?

No, they're idiots to think they're right.

Just like everyone else has said, I could end my life right now. We all have the freedom to do that.
What I have an issue with is the trend (especially around where I live) of these angst-ridden teens that think harming themselves and suicide is cool.
I don't think it's the music or any of that crap, I really think that they just don't have anything better to do and they want this attention because no one in their families will pay attention to them.

Am I a hypocrite to think that these kids are wrong?

There was a story here on Long Island that a teen tried to prove his manhood by lying down in the middle of the road while cars are passing by, now the kid is paralyzed for life, now he is unable to walk because, he tried to prove something he is not. The point being is that its society thing, to PROVE YOURSELF that kids do stupid things... Same goes for the superficial bullshit that is popularity and the need to be accepted into a bunch of pretentious group of so-called friends.