I find the topic of suicide to be on of a very dear concern. It is a sin that will forever rob us being with the Lord in his kingdom. Unfortunately it is very high among the elderly, military personnel, those suffering economic hardships, and other specific catagories. Suicide is the 11th leading cause in the United States in 2006. This article addresses America's youths, and it attempts to plant the seed in their mind that suicide is not a good option for inner turmoils. It is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
As we have been taught in our classes, one must always ask a client in distress if they are considering harming themselves or others. Captain America is an American Icon that has been popular for generations thus far. The comic book itself was written by a psychologist and it is called "A Little Help". The article is found at http://www.wellsvilledaily.com/news/x549730293/County-using-Captain-America-to-fight-teen-suicideThe title is interesting because those considering suicide may just need a helping hand or a push in the right direction to see things clearly. While there are many other cases that are more complicated, this is an excellent means to put out the word to American youth that suicide is not the right method of action.
The bible directly addresses the act of committing suicide; "Human life is sacred, since we are created in God’s image" (Gen. 1:27). Having been created in God's image, we also take another quote to point out that: "God as the Creator has power over all existence. He alone should control life, whether it continues or stops" (Job 1:21; 1 Cor. 6:19). It concerns me to see that hardships and personal battles do in fact cause such a terrible solution to be conceived. The comic book may be geared towards the younger age of American culture, but the message that is in existence has gained momentum in the media and is now something that may be carried in places as simple as a waiting room. I know that I read magazines and comic books that I find in the waiting rooms, and hopefully it can help a random person in need to do something as important as calling the national hot line for suicide for guidance.
Interesting post: it's great to see people stepping up and taking action against the tragedies of society. I wanted to camp out on one statement that you made: "It is a sin that will forever rob us being with the Lord in his kingdom." Are you arguing here that people who commit suicide will not go to heaven? I might have misunderstood, but that is what I took that statement to mean. I have heard this argument before, but I have to wonder where it came from. I have not come across any Biblical evidence to support the statement that people who commit suicide will go to hell. In fact, if suicide is a sin like murder and people who murder can go to heaven, then I would think that people who commit suicide can also go to heaven. Suicide is terrible and tragic, but not bad enough for God not to forgive.
ReplyDeleteI like this post, even though it opens up sounding a little Catholic. I do not believe that a person who commits suicide is going to Hell. I hope that is not what you intended to say. If so, where do you draw that conclusion from? I do really like the idea of using Captain America to help the youth of America fight this huge struggle. You have found a creative idea to help fight a serious problem which is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post, but I am wondering why you say that Suicide is a Sin that will rob us of the opportunity to spend eternity with God.The way that I have come to view it, (and this is just a personal opinion that may be incorrect) is that it is a send like any other it may just us taking control of our physical life or death. I do think that a lot of times we as humans try to get the most results with the least amount of effort. I believe that suicide is simply another example of this.
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