Why do all abrahamic religions condemn suicide?

[apearl]

What the title says,

What I do know is that god made life so it's disrespectful to god to throw it out but like is that it or is there more nuance to it then that?

 

[Apokryphiel]

I wish I knew. I feel so afraid knowing suicide is the path I'm taking, despite being Christian. I plan to repent with a priest prior to the act. I'm unsure if the laws of confession can be overwritten by report mandates. If they are, I guess I'll just have to hope my God knows what has lead me up to this point.

 

[deus_ex_machina]

I wish I knew. I feel so afraid knowing suicide is the path I'm taking, despite being Christian. I plan to repent with a priest prior to the act. I'm unsure if the laws of confession can be overwritten by report mandates. If they are, I guess I'll just have to hope my God knows what has lead me up to this point.

from my knowlage, suicide is a sin that gets you to hell no matter what you do. sorry friend. could be 100% wrong though

 

[Apokryphiel]

from my knowlage, suicide is a sin that gets you to hell no matter what you do. sorry friend. could be 100% wrong though

I'm so unfortunately aware. But I have to ask myself if I would prefer eternal damnation over this.

Almost makes me wish there isn't an afterlife at all.

 

[LeavingEarly]

I can't find suicide mentioned in the Bible. Just says you must believe in God to make it to Heaven.

 

[JayJay]

I'm a Christian and was just thinking about this now. If I died, why should my eternal reward/punishment be based off the opinions of others? Isn't that heresy? You're basically playing God when you condemn people that kill themseleves. That's why I'm not really religious but spiritual. If suicide wasn't a forgivable sin, why isn't it mentioned anywhere in the Bible. I don't think people that say "Christians that kill themselves go to hell" are practicing the true faith. It is probably a sin, but I think there is a lot of nuance that religious folk forget. I don't think it's an automatic ticket to hell like those old school preachers would say.

Galatians 2:16 "Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."

So you are justified by faith. God would mostly judge the heart not the act. The "suicide = hell" idea often stems from fear-based theology, not scripture. It's rooted in medieval efforts to control behavior when life was cheap, and mental health wasn't understood. Even today people still have this mentality for some reason. Suicide usually stems from a place of illness, not a rejection from God.

 

[DoomCry]

You know, in Christianity, suicide is seen as something that goes against the value of life, which is considered a gift from God. The Bible teaches us that life has a deep meaning, and only God has the right to determine when it ends. Even though suffering is part of our human experience, it's never seen as a reason to take our own life. Faith and hope in God are always the answer, even in the hardest times. Let me show you a few verses that explain this perspective better:

Exodus 20:13 (Deuteronomy 5:17) – "You shall not kill."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Psalm 139:13-16 – "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Matthew 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 27:3-5 – "Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' They said, 'What is that to us? See to it yourself.' And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself."
John 14:1-3 – "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

These verses remind us that life is precious and that, even in difficult times, we can find hope in God without falling into despair.

 

[JayJay]

You know, in Christianity, suicide is seen as something that goes against the value of life, which is considered a gift from God. The Bible teaches us that life has a deep meaning, and only God has the right to determine when it ends. Even though suffering is part of our human experience, it's never seen as a reason to take our own life. Faith and hope in God are always the answer, even in the hardest times. Let me show you a few verses that explain this perspective better:

Exodus 20:13 (Deuteronomy 5:17) – "You shall not kill."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Psalm 139:13-16 – "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Matthew 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 27:3-5 – "Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' They said, 'What is that to us? See to it yourself.' And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself."
John 14:1-3 – "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

These verses remind us that life is precious and that, even in difficult times, we can find hope in God without falling into despair.

I agree with this. I believe our bodies are a temple and we should glorify God with them. Suffering is also just part of the human condition and it usually brings meaning but I think suicide is not just an automatic ticket to hell. I think if a true Christian commits suicide, he may lose some rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. But enlighten me if you something else to say.

 

[aiyuxhan]

Religion is a coping mechanism for death anxiety or fear of death.

 

[divinemistress36]

I thought Christanity is starting to realize some people ctb cause of mental health issues and so its not their fault as long as they accept christ when they go to afterlife?

 

[bananaolympus]

Well not only abrahamic view suicide as negative buddhism and hinduism also do and in christianity thats a hot topic some believe you go straight to hell others that you are saved as long as you accepted jesus as your lord and savior and in catholicism there is purgatory a place where your soul is cleaned so it can enter heaven free of sin

 

[Blurry_Buildings]

If you are Catholic the Vatican has decreed that suicide victims can go to heaven, especially since they are considered mentally unwell when they kill themselves. I think some protestant denominations leave the bible to your personal understanding, but the bible never explicitly says not to kill yourself, unless you interpret killing yourself as murder. That's my understanding of it at least.

For personal reasons I'll always deeply resent the abrahamic religions, but I've wondered the same.

 

[MathConspiracy]

To all religious people, don't worry, god doesn't exist for me so it likely doesn't exist for you either. Restricting suicide is simply an act of control which religions are known for, many people who are against suicide want to play the hero (and thus get heaven credits).

 

[sadistsister]

The Christian Bible has multiple instances where suicide is discussed. Most famously Judas. Remarkably, there is not a single passage that damns the act of suicide itself. The people who committed or attempted are damned for their sinful behavior while alive(I.e. betraying Jesus). In each passage there is no verse that condemns the act of suicide.
The church, most notably the Catholic Church has been very vocal in their interpretation and have condemned suicide. But that's not surprising because it is widely condemned by most in society.

 

[Linda]

Christianity only started to condemn suicide in about the 4th century. Before that christianity had the same attitude as the rest of the Ancient World: in some circumstances suicide is acceptable; in some circumstances it may even be the right thing to do.
Remember that religions change their attitudes on anything, depending on attitudes in the surrounding culture and on the need to keep money flowing into the collection plate. They pretend that their moral views are absolute and unchanging, but that's a lie, and anyone who has studied some history knows that it's a lie.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I don't know but logically speaking, doesn't it point to God being a sadist? Either your life contained suffering that God inflicted on you. Or it contained suffering that God was powerless or unwilling to stop. Regardless though, they are now going to punish you further for trying to escape from it... forever. What an amazing father/ teacher.

What I find more confusing is why people are so eager to be under their rule again. Why do they imagine heaven will be so great if it has the same creator? I'd much rather not go to either personally. I'm hoping God doesn't exist.

As to the reasoning. Like others have said. Our lives are maybe a 'gift' that God feels insulted if we return them. Again- imagine the type of being that throws such a hissy fit! You tell your mother or father that you're not keen on the sweater they bought you for your birthday- can you return it? So, they shove your face into a fire pit. Charming. Why on earth do people believe God is all that nice? I think they just cherry pick put the nice bits or, the parts that suit them.

Truthfully, I'm not at all knowledgeable on the bible. I've heard it said that it isn't categorically said that suicides go to hell there. I wonder if it is in the old testament though. That version seems more along the lines of an angry, sadistic God.

It feels like our newer forms of religion are watered down versions. To my view, whether they are based on real God(s) or not, our religions work the same as any other form of entertainment/ service- they need to attract customers. I suppose as people want more freedom- they want to be able to express their sexuality, they'd rather not risk getting pregnant each time they have sex etc. They are less likely to follow very strict rules so, rather than have their followers turn their back on them, religions start to bend to accomodate its followers. I which case, is it even God's will now? Surely, it's more the will of the people now? But then, perhaps it always was.

Perhaps no Gods exist and religion was just a bunch of moral stories people kept telling one another. Perhaps prophets did exist. Perhaps they were genuine representatives of genuine Gods. How can we still be sure that the texts we have now are their words and their intentions though? How much has been lost, modified, added over the centuries? I believe in Christianity, the first gospel was written 20-40 years after the death of Jesus. That's an awfully long time. Imagine having to convey in detail a lecture you heard 20-40 years ago! Imagine how much an original speach could be changed if it was gossiped about for 20-40 years before anyone started writing it down.

Regardless though, if hell does exists and, you can end up there for one misdemeanor or another, one thing seems clear: God doesn't mind it being ambiguous. They are ok with you gambling your chances on condemning your soul to a firey pit forever. Surely, they could make us aware of their presence and, what they truly want- seeing as a race, we're obviously confused! There are estimated to be 10,000 distinct religions worldwide. Some of us are even atheists. But, they're not bothered. They'll even (presumably) let someone be born into very likely believing the 'wrong' religion- if they happen to be born in an area where a 'false' religion holds sway. So- God presumably has favourites and other souls/ people they are willing to very likely sacrifice.

Perhaps it's about challenge though. Does God deliberately test some people more than others? What if they are born and indoctrinated in a 'false' religion to start with? They are then expected to somehow find the 'truth' themselves maybe? Are we tested in other ways. Is illness a test? Is temptation? It's a weird teaching style though- no? A bit like the army maybe- try to break the person.(If that does happen.) How people then see God as loving, I just can't fathom.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

That´s not true! If someone does nothing to avoid his crucifixion, thought it would have been possible, I would call it suicide. What about all these martyrs and suicide bombers?

 

[Praestat_Mori]

That´s not true! If someone does nothing to avoid his crucifixion, thought it would have been possible, I would call it suicide. What about all these martyrs and suicide bombers?

I wanted to refer to this.

Isn't it also kinda suicide to disturb the peace like Jesus did knowing very well that he will be crucified?

 

[SVEN]

I'm not sure that they do (I'm no expert!).
Samson had miraculous strength restored to him in the Tenach so that he could commit both suicide and murder, yet is given a mention in the "Hall of Fame" in Hebrews 11. Saul begged his armour bearer to kill him.
I'm always sceptical of folk who seem overly sure of what God's judgement on individual cases may be.

 

[thankyouforthis]

What the title says,

What I do know is that god made life so it's disrespectful to god to throw it out but like is that it or is there more nuance to it then that?

This was always my understanding: it's a sin to do anything harmful to your body because it doesn't belong to you, it belongs to Insert Deity. So basically none of these religions support bodily autonomy, lol.

 

[leandra]

Cuz it aint good when people die

 

[Linda]

Cuz it aint good when people die

Are you sure? Would you really like to live forever?

 

[leandra]

Are you sure? Would you really like to live forever?

If i wasn't severely depressed and my body would stop aging then absolutely i would

 

[nooseknot]

To all religious people, don't worry, god doesn't exist for me so it likely doesn't exist for you either. Restricting suicide is simply an act of control which religions are known for, many people who are against suicide want to play the hero (and thus get heaven credits).

I completely share your take

 

[JayJay]

To all religious people, don't worry, god doesn't exist for me so it likely doesn't exist for you either. Restricting suicide is simply an act of control which religions are known for, many people who are against suicide want to play the hero (and thus get heaven credits).

Your statement, "To all religious people, don't worry, god doesn't exist for me so it likely doesn't exist for you either," is a bold jab, but it falls apart when you dig into the weirdness of reality itself, like the Copenhagen Interpretation in quantum mechanics. This framework says particles exist in a fuzzy superposition—multiple states at once—until an observation forces them to pick a definite state. The kicker? Some argue this collapse requires a conscious observer, not just a machine or a random interaction. If that's true, the universe's very existence, especially in its chaotic, quantum-dominated infancy post-Big Bang, might've needed a mind to "see" it into being. No humans were around 13.8 billion years ago, so who or what was the observer? A cosmic consciousness—call it God—fits the bill as the ultimate observer, collapsing the wave function of the early universe to set its laws and constants, which are freakishly fine-tuned for life. Without this, you'd have no universe to be snarky about suicide in.

Your claim that God's non-existence for you means it's likely the same for everyone else is just solipsistic noise. The Copenhagen Interpretation suggests reality might hinge on observation, and if a universal mind underpins that, your personal disbelief doesn't make it vanish any more than denying gravity stops you from falling. Dismissing God as a control mechanism for suicide restrictions is cynical but misses the mark. Sure, religious leaders can be control freaks—plenty of dogma is about power, not truth. But the anti-suicide stance isn't just about "heaven credits" or hero complexes. If the universe required a conscious observer to exist, it implies purpose, maybe even value, in conscious life itself. That's not control; it's a hint that your existence matters beyond your mood swings or society's bullshit. The Copenhagen angle cracks open the door to a purposeful intelligence behind reality.
You can scoff at religion's flaws, and yeah, some deserve it. But writing off God because you don't feel Him in your DMs ignores the quantum weirdness that suggests consciousness could be woven into the cosmos's fabric. The Copenhagen Interpretation doesn't hand you a Bible, but it makes a damn good case that something bigger than your skepticism might be holding this shitshow together.

 

[Linda]

Your statement, "To all religious people, don't worry, god doesn't exist for me so it likely doesn't exist for you either," is a bold jab, but it falls apart when you dig into the weirdness of reality itself, like the Copenhagen Interpretation in quantum mechanics. This framework says particles exist in a fuzzy superposition—multiple states at once—until an observation forces them to pick a definite state. The kicker? Some argue this collapse requires a conscious observer, not just a machine or a random interaction. If that's true, the universe's very existence, especially in its chaotic, quantum-dominated infancy post-Big Bang, might've needed a mind to "see" it into being. No humans were around 13.8 billion years ago, so who or what was the observer? A cosmic consciousness—call it God—fits the bill as the ultimate observer, collapsing the wave function of the early universe to set its laws and constants, which are freakishly fine-tuned for life. Without this, you'd have no universe to be snarky about suicide in.

Your claim that God's non-existence for you means it's likely the same for everyone else is just solipsistic noise. The Copenhagen Interpretation suggests reality might hinge on observation, and if a universal mind underpins that, your personal disbelief doesn't make it vanish any more than denying gravity stops you from falling. Dismissing God as a control mechanism for suicide restrictions is cynical but misses the mark. Sure, religions can be control freaks—plenty of dogma is about power, not truth. But the anti-suicide stance isn't just about "heaven credits" or hero complexes. If the universe required a conscious observer to exist, it implies purpose, maybe even value, in conscious life itself. That's not control; it's a hint that your existence matters beyond your mood swings or society's bullshit. The Copenhagen angle cracks open the door to a purposeful intelligence behind reality.
You can scoff at religion's flaws, and yeah, some deserve it. But writing off God because you don't feel Him in your DMs ignores the quantum weirdness that suggests consciousness could be woven into the cosmos's fabric. The Copenhagen Interpretation doesn't hand you a Bible, but it makes a damn good case that something bigger than your skepticism might be holding this shitshow together.

The Copenhagen interpretation is nonsense. (My first degree was in theoretical physics, and I have been thinkng about these things for over half a century.) Trying to use science (or your understanding of science) to justify religion is likely to fail. It will fail for many reasons, but the most basic reason is that science depends 100% on evidence. Religion ignores evidence. Religion relies on gullibility and and wishful thinkng.

 

[JayJay]

The Copenhagen interpretation is nonsense. (My first degree was in theoretical physics, and I have been thinkng about these things for over half a century.) Trying to use science (or your understanding of science) to justify religion is likely to fail. It will fail for many reasons, but the most basic reason is that science depends 100% on evidence. Religion ignores evidence. Religion relies on gullibility and and wishful thinkng.

Science can slide into dogma when it fiercely guards entrenched theories or dismisses unconventional ideas without fair examination. It's not just religion that gets preachy—science can turn rigid, ignoring evidence like the universe's finely tuned constants or quantum mechanics' observer effect when they challenge materialist assumptions. When scientists scoff at anything suggesting consciousness plays a role in reality, they're not following data; they're defending a worldview. Dogma creeps in when egos, funding, or groupthink trump open inquiry, blinding science to the universe's weirder possibilities. The odds of getting all the right conditions for a life permitting universe by chance is .0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%. Or 1 in 10^123. Yea I can't see how everything was made by chance.

 

[avalonisburning]

It's never been confirmed, and likely never will, but I have a conspiracy that Christianity's condemnation of suicide began when feudal lords with connections to the Vatican began noticing that their serfs were killing themselves in large numbers. You don't need to extrapolate too much to know that the life of a serf was hellish and bleak. It makes too much sense that they'd want to opt out of that entirely and skip to the part where they go to Heaven to be with God and their loved ones.

The problem lies in that if too many peasants chose death, there's a risk that the dwindling labor force and social upheaval would send the feudal socioeconomic system spiraling into collapse, and their divine authority would mean nothing.

So they whined to the Pope, and now, thanks to an edict's very liberal and manipulative interpretation of the definition of "murder," not only is suicide a sin, but it's one of the greatest sins you can possibly commit. If you can convince someone that escaping your control condemns them to eternal damnation, they'll stay put effectively forever regardless of what you put them through. Better the devil you know.

Then centuries passed, the quality of life improved, and humanity had free time to moralize and rationalize resilience in the face of suicidal ideation as a spiritual necessity in different ways, like existentialism, stoicism, and modern psychiatry, but they all still carry the weight of that initial spiritual terror. "You must persist, because not to is wrong."

 

[tpboy]

"I agree with this. I believe our bodies are a temple and we should glorify God with them. Suffering is also just part of the human condition and it usually brings meaning but I think suicide is not just an automatic ticket to hell. I think if a true Christian commits suicide, he may lose some rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. But enlighten me if you something else to say"

Here is the part that does not make any sense. If ctb and you are laying there dead, how can you go to hell? You are dead right? Your brain has stopped, and your heart has stopped. There are no electrical impulses. But wait! There is something more. Your essence. Your mini me! Your spirit. Some religions think it resides in your brain. Others think the heart. Still others the whole body. I guess when yo die its supposed to be unlocked and fly free. If you have been bad, it will fly down to the core of the earth. If good and you are lucky it will soar up into the clods into the loving arms of a omnipotent being.

Do people of modern times have any idea how crazy this sounds? If not for all the dogma and brainwashing at a young age they would actually commit you into the psych ward for this. If not for the many bibles that have been published. Somehow now it is actually reasonable and maybe even true. It is all very hard to believe that people are still buying into all this.

 

[wiggy]

As far as I'm aware there is no specific, literal condemnation of suicide in the text of the Bible. It is extrapolated from the condemnation of taking a life, although in context it should be obvious that the ethical implication of killing oneself are wholly different than from killing another person.

As for the reason why Christian institutions and culture later crystallized the idea that suicide should be condemned, I think is up to interpretation. Personally, I suspect it has to do with Christianity's slave morality - you should endure your lot in life, justice will come later. This is in opposition to the attitude toward suicide in Roman and Greek culture and mythology, where it was often romanticized as a way of taking agency over your fate.