The following is "my" response to a question from a guy named {Bill} who asked, on a message board, for our opinions on suicide.  And this is mine, you may or may not agree and that's ok, you're allowed to disagree - and truly, it won't affect my opinion one way or the other!!! {grin} Let me add that "I know in whom I believed..."  But if you feel a need to inform me of my wrongness {or rightness!}, then feel free... The Father said, "Come let reason together..."  All "I'm" trying to say is why are we so quick to condemn people to hell? Why is the church and Christians the first to condemn in grievous situations?  I'm just asking where is the Church in the midst of all this?    Well anyway, onward...

Posted by 'Bill':  >>>He told me this morning that his cousin committed suicide this weekend and his wife and others say he is going straight to hell. What does the bible say about this and what are your opinions?<<<

Well, I know it's a little late {from your original post} to be answering you Bill but off the top of my heart, I'll give you my opinion. {grin} 

I find it hard to believe that every person who takes their own life
is going to straight to hell. 

Whew, there I said it!  There is absolutely no support for this in the Bible, Bill.  There are those who will vehemently disagree with me but it falls under the same reasoning as the "rapture."  Prove to me that there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture!  Prove to me there won't be a Pre-Trib Rapture!  And there they stand arguing never getting anything done for the Lord.

So it is an endless, vicious circle with people judging others in what they absolutely do not have a clue about. God is the only one who knows the contents of our hearts. Period. Those who truly know the Lord will NEVER, ever condemn someone to hell... so Bill, right there ought to be your first clue!!

My view on suicide is that only the Father knows what went on in that person's mind for them to be SO distraught that they would take their own life. My Bible says that we are to lift up the hands that hang down, not to condemn them to hell AND to strengthen the feeble knees, not cut them out from under each other.  

Off the cuff here... could this be why the suicide rate is so high? Where are the Christian's when it comes to suicide??  We are the ones who supposedly has life within us... you know... a city on a hill that cannot be hid?!  But we do hide and we do condemn instead of walking in love TOWARDS THEM THAT ARE WITHOUT love!!  Without hope, without Jesus, and without love.  The good Samaritan's it seems anymore, are in what we call 'the world.'  The church has forgotten to care for lowly, the abused, the sick, the sin-sick, the terminally ill {aids!}, the suicidal, and they have even forgotten to stop lecturing {preaching} and just listen.  I have a new Christian friend who confided that when she has needed to talk about her problems, she goes to her worldly friends because she knows she won't be judged there.  What a legacy for the Church to leave behind.

Why is this, church?  Oh, but I can hear most of the church now saying, "They don't like what they'll hear!" or "They've got pride, or a spirit of rejection, or even, they can't bow to authority."  Give me a break!!  Why do people feel the need to go to a counselor?  Because they LISTEN!!  Did you know that the majority of counselors don't give advice?  They might ask a question or two BUT the majority of that 50 minutes is spent listening to the one who is hurting.

IF we truly believe in a hell and we truly believe that people who commit suicide will go there when they die... why, WHY then aren't we falling on our faces before God pleading for mercy for their souls????  NO!!  Instead, well meaning Christians are heaping even MORE fear and MORE grief on the families of those dear departed ones by informing them that they are now in hell... and for eternity at that! 

God have mercy on us and the destruction we ignorantly leave in our paths! 

We, the Church, are called to Isaiah 61.1-3:

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign GOD is upon me; because the He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Hmmm Bill.... does that sound like what's going on to you? Does the God that you have come to know in the last year condemn as freely as His church seems willing, able and happy to do?

Bill, you've got to go on the God that you have come know!! Because everyone has their own interpretation of Scripture, but it comes down to 'let the God that answers by fire... be God!!' Let Him answer by the fire of His Holy Spirit unto you and then 'you' stand on it and don't let anyone move you!!  God be with you!

Peace unto you,
Lisa

P.S. Here is one of my favorite quotes:
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The ratio of illiterates to literates is unchanged from a century ago,
except now the illiterates can read and write.
---Italian novelist Alberto Moravia