PIEDMONT COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY

INTERNATIONAL

Title:

Is Suicide the Unpardonable Sin? Understanding

Suicide, and Salvation through Christian Perspectives

Submitted to:

Dr. George Junio

Dr. Leilanie Junio
Professors

Submitted by:

Mr. Edmark L. Ilaida, LPT

Master of Arts in Theology

September 24, 2022

Philippines
I. INTRODUCTION:
 Suicide is the act of killing yourself…….Self-murder
 Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in U.S.
 More people die committing suicide than in car accidents.
 According to the Center for Disease Control there were 40,600 in 2018, but this number
doesn’t reflect the number of attempted suicide.
 In 2018, 730 people were admitted to hospital because of self-inflected injuries or
attempted suicide.
 78.3% of male and 21.7% of female who committed suicide, because men are more
successful in committing suicide rather than female.
 For young people, 15-24 years old, suicide is the second leading cause of death.
 And the number 1 risk factor for committing suicide is “DEPRESSION”

II. BODY: Defining and Discovering what SUICIDE is…

 Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel,
the way you think and how you act.
o Different types of Depression
 Major Depression
 You may hear your doctor call this "Major Depressive
Disorder." You might have this type if you feel depressed most of
the time for most days of the week
o Anxious distress Disorder. You feel tense and restless
most days. You have trouble concentrating because you’re
worried that something awful could happen, and you feel
like you might lose control of yourself.
o Melancholy. You feel intensely sad and lose interest in the
activities you used to enjoy. You feel bad even when good
things happen.
o Agitated. You feel uneasy most of the time. Talk a lot,
Move for no reason, Act impulsively
 Persistent Depressive Disorder:
 If you have depression that lasts for 2 years or longer, it's called
persistent depressive disorder.
 Bipolar Disorder:
 Someone with bipolar disorder, which is also sometimes called
"manic depression," has mood episodes that range from extremes
of high energy with an "up" mood to low "depressive" periods.
 Seasonal affective disorder:
 is a period of depression that most often happens during the winter
months, when the days grow short and you get less and less
sunlight. It typically goes away in the spring and summer.
 Psychotic Depression:
 People with psychotic depression have the symptoms of depression
along with "psychotic" symptoms, such as: hallucinations, delusion
and Paranoia.
  Peripartum (Postpartum) Depression
 Women who have major depression in the weeks and months after
childbirth may have peripartum depression. Approximately 1 in 10
men also experience depression in the peripartum period.

We can categorize these depressions into two; first is SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION and
second is PHYSIOLOGICAL DEPRESSION.

 Situational Depression:
 Depression based on your past and current situation
 Biblical example for situational Depression is Job.
o He lost all his children, and all of his wealth in the same
day.
 We are subject to experience Situational Depression.
o Ecclesiastes (9:11-12)
11 I have observed something else under the sun.
The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the
strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise
sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily
wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead
successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the
right place at the right time.
12 People can never predict when hard times might
come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught
by sudden tragedy.
 Physiological Depression
 Even if things are going right in a person’s life, but still feel
depressed.
 The main problem is usually a depletion of neurotransmitters
(Serotonin) Happy Chemical.
o The more depressed the person is, the easier it is for them
to sink in hopelessness.

III. BIBLE CAHRACTERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE

 Abimelech called hastily unto the young man his armor-bearer, and said
unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman
slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died (Judges
9:54).
 Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed with all his
might; and the house fell...upon all the people that were therein (Judges
16:30).
 Saul took a sword and fell on it (1 Sam. 31:4).
 When [Saul's] armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise
upon his sword, and died (1 Sam 31:5).
 Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he...got him home to
his house, to his city, and put his house in order, and hanged himself, and
died (2 Sam. 17:23).
 Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the
king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died (1
Kings 16:18).
  Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went
and hanged himself (Matt. 27:5).
IV. CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUE OF SUICIDE.
 The church (Catholic Church) has treated suicide as if it is an unpardonable sin. That
if you commit suicide you can’t go to heaven.
 St. Augustine was really the very first scholar that address the issue of suicide, then
what he taught laid upon the foundation of the church’s position on suicide.
 What Augustine taught is that if a person commits suicide, that person is guilty of
breaking the Sixth commandment which is “Thou Shall Not Kill” and killing is a
mortal sin.
 The catholic church divides the sins into two, Mortal sin and Venial sin.
o Mortal Sin: Means fatal or causing death. The sin is heinous and major sin
that a person committed will be separated from the grace of God.
o Venial Sin: easily excused or forgiven. It is a minor sin and cant separate a
person to the grace of God.
 1 John 5:16-17
16 If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to
death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is
a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those
who commit it. 17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to
death.
 If you commit suicide you are dead, if you are dead you can’t repent, therefore you
can’t go to heaven.
 Why some of protestant churches hold the catholic position on suicide?
o 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the
Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this
temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
o The “You” in verse 16 and 17 is plural in form.
o The Greek word for “YOU” in this verse is

V. CONCLUSION:
a. There is only one sin that can keep you from going to heaven, and that is the sin
of rejecting Jesus Christ.
b. My personal stand on this issue is that, those who accepted Jesus as their savior
will be saved even though they have committed suicide.

VI. GROUP DISCUSSION/QUESTION & ANSWER PORTION.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-types
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9e3T4nRqE4