Hi there, I had a mother with cancer , after all the medication she was on to stop the pain she eventually went schisophrenic, and became very delusional. Eventually after many attempts of taking her life, she finally succeded. Now I know people that are strong catholic belief and they tell me that all people that commit suicide go straight to hell. I dont want to believe my mothers in hell. She was a wonderful mother until the cancer. She was so giving and loving. Foster parenting to kids, volunteered her time in shcools to help ones that were falling behind, volunteeering in jails -playing cards and checkers with the inmates. She went to church on sundays when she wanted to and did such wonderful things for people. I dont believe that shes in hell . These people seem to think thats where she is.... i will not believe it one bit.. they say the bible says so.. well i think there are many things in the bible that arent' true.. and do not fit todays thinking.... and how do people know that the bible is all true anyways.. old transcripts?how do we know if its fact or fiction.. i have faith and i know my mothers not in hell.... and thats what im gonna keep thinking. no matter what!
My mothers in Heaven!

[Shuffty]

Hiya

In theory i'm supposed to believe that all people who commit suicide go to Hell, because i'm Catholic. But i don't think your mum's in hell, if she was a good person, lived her life the best she could, and loved her family.

I get that you're supposed to go to hell because you take a life that God gave you and it wasn't technically yours to begin with...etc, but people who are ill and dying, people who's entire family has been wiped out, people with mental health problems, people who feel like they're worth nothing, people who - in short - can't take anymore, and see no other way out. I really don't think that, in their darkest hour, when they need someone the most, God would turn his back on them. I think he would take them in his arms and tell them they're suffering is over, and it's ok now.

Most people can't help what life throws at them, and sometimes we need forgiving instead of punishing, for being only human, like God made us to begin with.

That's what i think anyway...

[quankanne]

Suzi, I am sorry about the loss of your mom, and I hope you've got a good emotional support system in place to help you through this grieving you're going through.

at one of the RCIA classes, Father Joe told the folks who were there to learn about the Catholic faith that the Church's belief about suicide is no longer "take your life and go straight to hell," simply because no one but God and the person who died know what that person was thinking at the point of death. That sometimes a decision to take one's life is made when a person is not fully cognizant of what they are doing ...

God is a loving, forgiving God above all else, and we mortals do not know his mind. If you believe in prayer, pray for your mom's soul, that it is at eternal rest, and don't worry about what people tell you about her suicide. Like I said, no one but God knows what was on her mind when it happened.

hugs,
quank

[grace2005]

I offer my condolensces about your mother also. Grace & peace to you. Actually the bible does not teach that suicide is the unforgivable sin. The only unforgivable sin is blaspehmy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ God's only begotten Son died for the sins of the entire world on the cross. His sacrifice was of such value to take away the sins of the whole world. Suicide was one of those sins that was paid for on the cross. So if a person goes to hell it won't be because of suicide. There were a couple of men in the old testament who took their own lives but we find no record that God held it against them. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

[grace2005]

I don't really belong to any particular religion or denomination. I am just someone who has a faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't go to church but I do read and study the bible from time to time. I don't like to rely on denominations to interpret the bible's meaning for me. The bible should not be interpreted in light of denominationl teachings but rather vice versa.