|
|
"Amid the sufferings of life on earth, suicide is God's best gift to man." Such was written within the first published encyclopedia, Natural History, by Gaius Plinius Secundus in AD 77 (Smithsonian 1). Clearly, suicide has intrigued many throughout the history of the human race. It has been and continues to be one of the most disputed topics within the philosophical and religious studies. For example, the question as to whether or not suicide is a sin has caused much-heated debate between those of the Catholic faith, as well as clergy. The Bible is essentially the law for the religion, and yet it is so incredibly ambiguous that it leads to many interpretations. Not only can this argument over the deceased's fate be found in real life, but it is also a frequent topic in literature. My Antonia by Willa Cather devoted a lot of time on the subject, revolving around the patriarch of a Bohemian household, Mr. Shimerda (Cather). His suicide and his reasons for killing himself are also equivocal, and it is essential to dissect them in order to figure out whether or not, according to Catholicism, Mr. Shimerda would have committed a grave sin and be put into Purgatory or even Hell. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, suicide is, in essence, a serious sin (Catechism 13). The Church claims that human life is not owned by the human, but by God. Life for man is supposed to be one of service to God, and lived out, to be taken away when God chooses to do so. Law number 2280 states that human life, "is not ours to dispose of" (Catechism 13). "Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self" (Catechism 13). The Church feels that suicide not only breaks the fifth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," but also offends the love of the neighbor. "It [suicide] unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations" (Catechism 14). Basically, after killing oneself, the world that once surrounded them will become plagued with grief, and chain effect of responsibilities members of the family must oblige to comes to being. These obligations include the payment of bills, cancellation of accounts, consoling other family members and friends, arranging funeral service, survivor's guilt, and possibly even discrimination for being related to the deceased. Overall, violating a commandment in itself is a sin, and suicide a selfish act as well. The Catholic Church also discourages despair of the salvation of those who have taken their own lives. "By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance" (Catechism 14). Therefore, as Ambrosch in My Antonia found himself doing, one can pray all they want, as well as the Church.
|
