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?

[sadolakced acid]

^ sex brings about life.

the purpose of life is to perpetuate life. thus, sex.

it's the reason for life, not the reason of life.
don't think i'm trying to say that there's no need to do anything but have sex then die.

i'm saying that that's the human's obligation to the species. he has grandkids- he's furfilled his obligation, he can die if he wishes.

[Olive]

^  sex brings about life.

the purpose of life is to perpetuate life.  thus, sex.

it's the reason for life, not the reason of life.
don't think i'm trying to say that there's no need to do anything but have sex then die.

i'm saying that that's the human's obligation to the species.  he has grandkids- he's furfilled his obligation, he can die if he wishes.

Who made him God? Just because he was in the process of making life, gives him no right to destroy it. If you are the slightest Christian (which I doubt since you believe reason for life is sex) like this old man, you would know humans are God's property and that suicide violates the holy scriptures in the 10 commandments especially commandment 6 if i am not wrong which reads thus `thy shall not kill`. Thereby, killing oneself is like deciding your own destiny and no longer leaving that duty on God as your creator. That is not justifiable regardless of how many times he performed sex as he committed a wrongful sin, in which ended his existence therefore, giving up on any purposes of life.

[illumineering]

Who made him God? Just because he was in the process of making life, gives him no right to destroy it. If you are the slightest Christian (which I doubt since you believe reason for life is sex) like this old man, you would know humans are God's property and that suicide violates the holy scriptures in the 10 commandments especially commandment 6 if i am not wrong which reads thus `thy shall not kill`. Thereby, killing oneself is like deciding your own destiny and no longer leaving that duty on God as your creator. That is not justifiable regardless of how many times he performed sex as he committed a wrongful sin, in which ended his existence therefore, giving up on any purposes of life.

I was having a discussion with one of my dad's friends who is a Presbyterian minister. The discussion was based on Jesus dying for our sins. If that is truly the case, then the argument that by committing suicide, the man did no wrong because of the sacrafice Jesus made. All his suicide is under this interpretation is a simple individual choice he made that doesn't violate any commandment. If Jesus truly died for all of our sins, the above argument is invalid.

The other interpretation is that the sacrafice Jesus made is only vaild if we follow Him to the Father. That means of our own freewill we must come to God through Jesus. We are then responsible for following the rules of order established in scripture. It would follow that this suicide is a sinful act under this interpretation.

What's your opinion? This is an issue that I have a hard time resolving. It can validate either position with regard to this thread.

[Olive]

the man did no wrong because of the sacrafice Jesus made.  All his suicide is under this interpretation is a simple individual choice he made that doesn't violate any commandment. 

Jesus' sacrafice frees us from sin, it does not defend us from committing it. It did violate the commandment because despite being a Christian, he rejected the value of life.

Here is the Christian view:
Suicide is against God's will for us. This is rather simple to understand. God always wants what is best for us, so therefore He clearly tells us how we should live our lives so that we will experience the best relationship with Him and therefore the best life on earth and for eternity. Clearly, taking our own life would be contrary to God's best for us.
There are serious consequences in separation from God on earth and loss in eternity. Sin keeps us from experiencing the good life.

For the Christian that is seriously considering suicide, I would first question the reality of their conversion. Perhaps their faith is just something they inherited and is not really their own. For the person that has God in their heart, suicide is not a real option.

Non-Religious view:
However much I understand that reasons for suicide and I feel so bad for these people for thinking about ending their lives, I believe suicide shouldn't be an option. There is always another way out, there is always someone to turn to. There should be someone out there in the world that understands how loosing family members feels.

Pain can stop. Being dead can't.

I agree with this person completely! Suicide is the destroying of life.

Great minds think a-like Optimism and acceptance in fate however painful, is corageous. Suicide is inability to accept fate, therefore is not justified.
By the way, I love your signature!