Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

I've been to two Catholic funerals for men who took their own lives. Suffice it to say it was interesting to hear the priests try to talk around this bit of Catholic theology.

Suicide funerals are hard enough without that… Not that I’ve had that experience, but it doesn’t take much imagination. I feel bad for the priests.

Add it to the list of ‘reasons I’m glad I’m Protestant.’

No… better, add it to the list of ‘reasons to love the gospel’!

This was something that we had to recently deal with in our family. I had not studied the subject in the past, but suffice it to say after much study in Scripture, God's grace is not limited by sin.

While it is a sin, it is a much more complicated sin than someone choosing to take their life. Unfortunately it is some of the stigma around this.

dgszweda wrote:

This was something that we had to recently deal with in our family. I had not studied the subject in the past, but suffice it to say after much study in Scripture, God's grace is not limited by sin.

While it is a sin, it is a much more complicated sin than someone choosing to take their life. Unfortunately it is some of the stigma around this.

I agree that there are many complicating factors involved when a person takes their own life, and it seems like we are only recently beginning to make progress in understanding the mental health needs and other influences that often impact such a decision.

You mentioned losing your son in some other posts. I have two sons and I can't begin to imagine the pain of losing one of them. It's a wound which leaves permanent and very tender scars. I pray for God's grace and comfort for you and your family as you heal from this loss.

KenS,

Thanks. It was something that was 100% unexpected with no pre-existing mental health condition, so it has led us down a journey to understand this. In the past, we have often looked at it as someone who has serious issues and chose to take their life, and we have quickly realized that it is much more complex then this. It is not so black and white, and I am not so quick to condemn it as a simple sin. There is no doubt that sin has corrupted this world and there is no doubt that taking a life is a sin, according to Scripture, but the depth of this one is so, so complicated and when it takes a loved one that you have had a close personal relationship with who embraced life, it adds so much complexity to it. I am not 100% convinced that it is always a sin, and I am also not convinced that it isn't a sin. Only God knows at this point and since He is a righteous God, I leave it in His hands. Good Christian people who I have talked to who actually went through this in their life as well as therapists that I have talked to draw it closer to someone "loosing a battle" over something. Just like we say that someone lost their fight with cancer.

I would agree, that you cannot imagine the pain. I definitely could not comprehend it. It is do deep and so multi-layered and so incomprehensible that you are almost left with two choices. Sink into deep depression or throw yourself at Christ and cling to God's grace.

When my coworker's son took his life, my coworker sure was glad when I dropped by to chat. Or, more accurately, listen for a while. I must confess that I was not quite ready for how much he had to say. So if someone near you suffers this tragedy...maybe drop by, say very few words, and open your ears.

Shelly Garlock Hamilton recently wrote a book (2021) that many have found helpful concerning mental health, suicide, etc.

Always, Only Good: A journey of faith through Mental Illness