Heaven for people who take their own life?

[righteousdude2]

I was asked this question, and I thought I'd ask you folks to give me your point of view. My opinion is down below!

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I responded to that person as such: "That is a question that only God can answer! However, as a pastor, I'd like to believe that suicide is a form of mental illness, and God has never denied a born-again person from heaven for dying from an illness!"

 

[JonC]

I do not see how suicide could send one to Hell. If it's a forgivness issue, what about a drunk who runs off the road and is killed, or a man who dies in a fire before praying for whatever sins may be left unconfessed?

Like you, I think most of the time suicide is a mental health issue (often accidental as well).

 

[Alcott]

I...before praying for whatever sins may be left unconfessed? .

That's one of the 2 reasons that suicide has been seen as a sin that keeps one from eternal life. The other, less overt, is to keep the workforce-- slaves, peasants-- from mass suicide out of a miserable existence, or they would no longer be there to grow the food, build the palaces, clean toilets and chimneys, et al.

I've said this before, including in Bible study groups, and it gets the laughs, though it's not a joke-- if you have that concern but you're still determined to end your life, then don't shoot yourself or ingest cyanide; jump off a tall structure, so that way you can confess on the way down, even though there's no way then to prevent the act.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Every Christians who has passed away and every Christian who WILL pass away has died and will die with unconfessed sin.

There is no way on earth we can be consciously aware of every sin nor confess every sin individually.

Suicide does not send the Christian to hell. BUT you have to be very careful how you answer this question to an individual asking it [not talking about the OP].

Some people are asking permission as a Christian to kill themselves. We've seen that right here on the BB [thank goodness it didn't happen] and I've seen it on two other forums.

The question looks like an innocent one ["Does suicide sent you to hell?"], but after talking to the person - it becomes clear that they are talking about themselves.

 

[Hollow Man]

If a person is born again, they don't lose their salvation because of something they did as a result of mental illness or a moment of duress.

I heard someone say once about Christians who commit suicide, "God may not have called them home, but He will welcome them home". I don't think the first part of that statement is great, but I believe strongly that God will welcome His children home, even if they died by their own hand.

 

[Ziggy]

The Roman Catholic church considers suicide a mortal sin, and refuses burial in a Catholic cemetery to the victim. I don't know if Francis has altered that at all, but that's the way it used to be.