Suicide

Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for all Americans, the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, and the second leading cause of death among college students. However, the highest rate of suicide deaths in an age group is in men over eighty-five; about 54 out of every 10,000 people in this group will commit suicide. In fact, more people die by suicide than by homicide.

             73% of people who kill themselves are white males. However, more females than males attempt to kill themselves. Males tend to be more successful in committing suicide because they are often more aggressive and violent than females are.

            There is a large number of ways in which a person can kill himself. However, more than 55% of suicides are committed with a firearm. The second most popular method is hanging or suffocation, which accounts for about 20% of suicides. The third most popular method is poisoning, which accounts for about 17% of suicides.

            About one out of every eight high school students suffers from depression, but it is often misdiagnosed, and so it is not treated. Some warning signs that a person may be considering committing suicide include: depression, anger, hopelessness, withdrawal, loss of appetite, preoccupation with death, giving things away that were once valued, excessive substance abuse, and absence of school or work. If you suspect that someone you know might be considering killing themselves, you should get help immediately.

            Famous people who have committed suicide include Adolf Hitler, Marilyn Monroe, Vincent Van Gogh, Judas Iscariot, Hannibal, Nero, Ernest Hemmingway, Cleopatra VII, and Marc Antony.

The Catholic Church teaches the suicide is a grave injustice toward God, in fact one of the gravest sins that a person can commit. This stance comes from the reasoning that only God has the power to choose whether someone lives or dies. A person’s life is a gift from God, who owns all of our lives. By killing themselves, people who commit suicide destroy God’s property. Suicide is contrary to the principles of self-preservation and a just love of self. It is also an obvious infraction of the fifth commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” Furthermore, by committing suicide one does not harm only himself. Through suicide, a person unjustly breaks the ties they have with their family, their friends, their community, and society as a whole, and often inflicts great suffering on others.

However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. 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.” (2282-2283) That is to say, although suicide is a grave sin, a person who kills himself may be so emotionally disturbed that he is not entirely responsible. With the help of God’s forgiveness, a person who commits suicide still has hope to make it to heaven.

Many other religions have similar teachings regarding the sinfulness of suicide; however, few are as willing to forgive a person who kills himself. Some Protestants believe that God can forgive suicide, but a large number believe that a person who kills himself goes straight to hell. In Hinduism, killing oneself is just as grave a sin as killing another. Most Muslins view suicide as highly sinful and detrimental to one’s spiritual journey. Jews view suicide as one of the most serious sins, and it is forbidden in all cases in Jewish law.

However, in some Asian cultures, such as China, India, and Japan, suicide is tolerated. In fact, sometimes ritual suicide is encouraged and seen as a form of honor. Many people who live in these cultures would rather kill themselves than suffer dishonor.

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