Author Topic: What is ѕυιcιdє? (Read 2736 times)

Peter15and1 · « **on:** November 05, 2015, 09:02:50 AM »

I know and fully assent to the Church's teaching on ѕυιcιdє; that it is a mortal sin. However, what exactly is ѕυιcιdє? What is sinful, and what isn't?

Obviously, things like hanging oneself or throwing oneself off of a bridge are clearly ѕυιcιdє and are sinful, as are things like physician-assisted ѕυιcιdє. But what about other things?

For example, what of an old person saying that don't want any more medical treatment, which is necessary for their survival? Taking it further, what of a person with unhealthy or dangerous habits that, over time, will likely kill them? In both cases, I don't think the people necessarily want to die, unlike the clear cases of ѕυιcιdє above, but the end result is that they are, in fact, causing their own demise.

What does the Church teach?

Ladislaus · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:54:34 AM »

It's always been permitted to refuse "extraordinary means" to prolong life. That's not ѕυιcιdє at all but just an admission that death is inevitable and resigning oneself to it. There can be some gray area in terms of what constitutes "extraordinary" means and what does not. Refusal of ordinary means could be considered tantamount to ѕυιcιdє.

Clemens Maria · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:34:27 AM »

Here is what the Catholic Encyclopedia says about it. Note: It is safe to ignore the things which the maintainer of the New Advent site wrote at the top concerning the Conciliar church's catechism.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14326b.htm

Matthew · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2015, 11:25:31 AM »

No, smoking and eating red meat are not "ѕυιcιdє". The danger of death is quite remote, and far from certain. You gotta die somehow. If you somehow avoided heart disease, cancer would get you. Or some other disease.

Risky "sports" like skydiving and bungee jumping are sinful though, because there's no reason to risk your life in that manner for the sake of "fun" or "a thrill". These sports are proof that society has reverted to paganism. These activities are pagan, and would never develop in a truly Catholic world.

They do bungee jumping in Africa as a test of manhood -- they arrange it so that the head hits the ground just enough to hurt, but not enough to snap your neck.

We also have tattoos, body piercings, promiscuity, human sacrifices done for material success (it's true -- abortions are committed so a woman will be "blessed" in her career and have material prosperity) and other pagan trappings. See? We've become pagan again.

George3 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2015, 11:57:38 AM »

Is someone on hunger-strike committing ѕυιcιdє?