Do you go to hell if you kill yourself?

[ididnotconsent]

From the perspective of an atheist.

From a Christian theological perspective, Original Sin dictates that all humans are born in a state of sin, which, without redemption, would lead to damnation. However, many Christian denominations believe that infants and innocents who die before reaching an age of moral accountability are granted salvation through God's mercy. This is often seen as a "get out of jail free card" in the sense that they are not held responsible for sin they did not consciously commit.

For those who reach an age of accountability, Christian doctrine typically holds that salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal saviour. This belief is rooted in the idea that Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity—an act commemorated at Easter. Those who do not accept this salvation are, by many Christian interpretations, condemned to hell.

A key theological issue arises from the Christian understanding of God as omniscient and omnipotent. If God is all-knowing and sees the outcome of every individual's life before it happens, then the concept of free will appears paradoxical. This leads to the idea of predestination: if God already knows who will accept salvation and who will not, then the fate of each person is seemingly predetermined.

An extreme historical example of last-minute salvation is found in the experiences of convicts on Tasmania's west coast. In the brutal penal conditions, some prisoners resorted to murder with the expectation that they would be hanged in Hobart. The rationale was that, before execution, a priest would grant them absolution, ensuring their salvation. This raises questions about the moral and theological consistency of a system where a lifetime of sin can be absolved moments before death.

Christian doctrine varies widely among denominations. Some emphasize grace and mercy, while others stress divine justice and the necessity of faith in Christ. The interpretation of hell also differs: some see it as eternal punishment, others as separation from God, and some even view it metaphorically.

Heaven, traditionally depicted as an eternal existence in God's presence, is sometimes criticized for its portrayal as an eternity spent in worship. This raises existential concerns: would such a state be fulfilling, or could it become monotonous?

Ultimately, belief in sin, salvation, and the afterlife is subjective. If one believes they are destined for hell, that belief shapes their perspective on the afterlife. Christianity offers a framework, but interpretations vary widely, and the logical consistency of its doctrines remains a topic of theological debate.

I hope that helps

The whole concept of "belief" in the abrahamic religions makes no sense. If you don't believe, it's because it doesn't make sense to you. How can you possibly be damned for following your own conscious?

This is with the brain god himself gave you by the way.

 

[avalonisburning]

If a suicidal person goes to Hell but someone who kept slaves or fought in war goes to heaven just because they bent the knee and asked God for forgiveness before they died, that's a twisted religion. If that's the way it works, I don't want to see what their heaven looks like, and will take my chances with the suicidal in Hell. I don't think you have to worry about that though, since Hell isn't real.

 

[redtrafficlight]

The whole concept of "belief" in the abrahamic religions makes no sense. If you don't believe, it's because it doesn't make sense to you. How can you possibly be damned for following your own conscious?

This is with the brain god himself gave you by the way.

Again-another paradox for Christians.

 

[Unspoken7612]

God, the responses in this thread (not all of them) are really a distillation of the worst of SaSu. The nihilism, trying to encourage people to kill themselves, bad theology (multiple people who don't understand the differences between Judaism and Christianity beyond what they learned in primary school), it's all there.

OP: I personally think there is compelling evidence that there is no afterlife. However, if your fear of a "negative" afterlife is the only thing keeping you alive, it would be deeply unethical of me to convince you that you're wrong.

I do think anyone in the exact opposite situation - wanting to kill themselves to "go to a better place" - has to be told in no uncertain terms that it won't happen. So I will say that if you kill yourself, you definitely won't go to Heaven.

If your faith is important to you, the only way to keep your faith is to remain alive.

 

[DarknessWave]

I don't know, kinda looks like we are in hell already.

 

[easypeasy]

in judaism, christianity, and islam, yes, you automatically go to hell.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17:
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple."

If that is true, in my case…the person that would go to hell is the surgeon who butchered me and ignored the scans that proved the negligence that put me in a position suicide is viable. I think it's unrealistic that we'd be punished for eternity for shooting to end this around the clock physical pain.

 

[SovietSuicide]

We're already in hell, most people are suffering most of the time. Probably just come back here.

We just don't assume it's hell because it looks pretty.