Is Suicide Ever Justifiable?

Every year, tens of thousands of people take their own lives. In 2013 alone, more than 40,000 suicides were reported by the Center for Disease Control. It is estimated that one person takes their lives every thirteen minutes in the United States, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the country. There are countless reasons a person may decide to take their life and many that we will never know or understand. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major reason for suicide attempts. Other factors that may lead a person down this path include substance abuse, high levels of stress, mental health diseases, and serious or chronic health issues. In 2013, there were in excess of 400,000 hospital visits by people inflicting harm upon themselves. Whether each person was attempting suicide or not, that is a scary number to look at.
Is suicide ever the answer when you feel like you need a way out? There are many debates on whether suicide is justified or not. It is our body and our right to do what we want with it, correct? Some would say that is true, others would say that it is not true.
The Bible plays a large role in a person believing if suicide is justifiable. God created you, and taking your life into your own hands is to go against God’s will. However, the Bible does not condemn suicide. In fact, there are seven noted suicides that take place in the Bible for various reasons. A verse from the Bible makes note that your body is not your own and that essentially belongs to God by stating, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, New International Version).

Suicide may also be seen as unjustifiable because it is considered a crime. Most states deem the act of attempting or committing suicide a “common law” crime, which means there is no specific basis in legislation for the crime. The court and judge in a specific town, city, or state solely handles a common law crime. In addition to this, assisted suicide is illegal in almost all states. An assisted suicide is one that is carried out by a medical professional on a patient that is suffering from a painful, debilitating illness or an incurable disease in most cases. Assisted suicide is also know as “dying with dignity” and has become a popular topic in current events because of the heated debate on the legal stance and morality of suicide.
Another reason that suicide is unjustified is due to the immense amounts of pain and suffering that would be inflicted upon family, friends and the community. A life is taken without notice and that is a disheartening shock. Loved ones are left in the dark about why it happened and are left wondering if there was anything that could have