is this suicide justified?, 85 year old man shoots himself Options

[illumineering]

An 85 year-old man committed suicide in my town last week. His wife died about 4 years ago from cancer. His daugher-in-law died 6 years ago from cancer. His son had a heart attack and died last week. His only living relatives were his only son's 2 children. They asked him to move near them so they could be closer together. They said they would build him a house near them in Philadelphia so they could take care of him.

After he buried his son, he took his dog to the kennel the next day, returned home, and shot himself.

Was this man justified in doing this? Is this an overreaction to a difficult situation that he could have accepted over time? Was he placing his grandchildren under a more difficult situation because he was feeling sorry for himself? When his granddaughter found out, she almost miscarried her baby because she was so emotional. Doesn't the bible say suicide is a sin? (He was a Christian.)

Because he didn't want to burden anyone and had lost everyone that he was close to, was his decision acceptable? Let's face it, the best years of his life were over and he has the right to decide when and how he should leave this earth. His actions should be respected.

I'm having a hard time resolving this. Although I can respect his right to decide what he wants to do with his life, I also feel that his actions were somewhat selfish.

What do you think?

[zepfel]

why should others decide when i end my life?

it's my life. i should be able to decide exactly what i do with it (you know i don't mean murdering people here).

"f**k everyone who says they love me, i don't care. i'm a rational person, and have come to the decision to end my life after weighing up the pros and cons. i have spent a substantial amount of time considering it, and feel it is the best option." yet you say i should not be able to do this?
if i wanted to quit my job (i'm not supporting anyone with the job, just me) and live on a desert island alone and secluded from everybody else for the rest of my life, i wouldn't be stopped. why can't my lifestyle choice be not to have a lifestyle?

[HiddenSmile]

why should others decide when i end my life?

it's my life. i should be able to decide exactly what i do with it (you know i don't mean murdering people here).

"f**k everyone who says they love me, i don't care. i'm a rational person, and have come to the decision to end my life after weighing up the pros and cons. i have spent a substantial amount of time considering it, and feel it is the best option." yet you say i should not be able to do this?
if i wanted to quit my job (i'm not supporting anyone with the job, just me) and live on a desert island alone and secluded from everybody else for the rest of my life, i wouldn't be stopped. why can't my lifestyle choice be not to have a lifestyle?

Well, you could say the same thing about murdering someone... "f**k everyone who says they love him, i don't care. i'm a rational person, and have come to the decision to end his life after weighing up the pros and cons. i have spent a substantial amount of time considering it, and feel it is the best option."

What are you talking about? The fact that he did it is the inhernt justification. That does not imply or suggest an endorsement of his action as I said before.

I didn't say it did, but what you ARE saying is that just because someone did something "inheritly justifies" it.

[illumineering]

Well, you could say the same thing about murdering someone... "f**k everyone who says they love him, i don't care. i'm a rational person, and have come to the decision to end his life after weighing up the pros and cons. i have spent a substantial amount of time considering it, and feel it is the best option."
I didn't say it did, but what you ARE saying is that just because someone did something "inheritly justifies" it.

Yes, it's clear that the commision of an act is an inherent justification. For the man that committed suicide that is obvious, otherwise he would have made a different choice. That does not suggest I am personaly condoning or condemning his action.

An external judgement by an outside observer is a different issue. This issue is not about murdering another person. It does involve the inherent right of an individual to determine how and when their own life should end.