we had a case here in Dallas last night. dude killed his 8 month old and shot his 5 year old before offing himself. while God may differ, I really think this guy is facing some pretty bad music right now in the hot place.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
God doesn't excuse sin. However, He does have mercy upon whomever He pleases, and it doesn't always fall directly into our logical arenas.
Just as we can't judge the state of a soul definitively in a negative direction, neither can we judge the state of a soul definitively in a positive direction, especially based on our empathy or sympathy toward the person.
As much as I sympathize with those who are desperate, depressed, etc., suicide and murder are selfish acts, and in and of themselves, with no qualifying abnormal mental states, both acts are sin.
I do believe that God will be merciful to folks who have lost some brain cells and consequently, some coping skills. However, to state that all who commit suicide aren't "in their right minds at the time", and thus the implication being that God would be merciful to them because of their choices based on that alone is erroneous.
I know what it's like to have an elderly family member suffer from longterm illness, (and thus his family suffered longterm as well), but I would never have even considered putting myself in God's shoes and taking him out of this world with my own hand. It isn't my place. It would be a heinous sin to do so. Do I want to see someone I love suffer? Of course not. But its not my place to end suffering with a sinful act, no matter how humane my motives may seem.
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
we had a case here in Dallas last night. dude killed his 8 month old and shot his 5 year old before offing himself. while God may differ, I really think this guy is facing some pretty bad music right now in the hot place.
In that case, I would agree. However, the above is vastly different than the thread starter story I posted, and I'm sure you agree with that.
How sad for the family of the children you mention above. I just can't imagine.
God doesn't excuse sin. However, He does have mercy upon whomever He pleases, and it doesn't always fall directly into our logical arenas.
Just as we can't judge the state of a soul definitively in a negative direction, neither can we judge the state of a soul definitively in a positive direction, especially based on our empathy or sympathy toward the person.
As much as I sympathize with those who are desperate, depressed, etc., suicide and murder are selfish acts, and in and of themselves, with no qualifying abnormal mental states, both acts are sin.
I do believe that God will be merciful to folks who have lost some brain cells and consequently, some coping skills. However, to state that all who commit suicide aren't "in their right minds at the time", and thus the implication being that God would be merciful to them because of their choices based on that alone is erroneous.
I know what it's like to have an elderly family member suffer from longterm illness, (and thus his family suffered longterm as well), but I would never have even considered putting myself in God's shoes and taking him out of this world with my own hand. It isn't my place. It would be a heinous sin to do so. Do I want to see someone I love suffer? Of course not. But its not my place to end suffering with a sinful act, no matter how humane my motives may seem.
God is merciful to everyone who repents of his or her sins. Of course, one might argue that every moment a person is allowed to draw breath is an act of mercy because every moment is an opportunity to repent and put one's trust in Christ.
I've read the responses here and for the most part, I agree.
But if suicide at all is not excused by God, what about those who jumped out of the burning towers on 9-11-01? It's fact that they killed themselves rather than die a certain, horrible fiery or crushing death. However, it's also fact that death was imminent. Wouldn't God excuse people in that situation?
I've read the responses here and for the most part, I agree.
But if suicide at all is not excused by God, what about those who jumped out of the burning towers on 9-11-01? It's fact that they killed themselves rather than die a certain, horrible fiery or crushing death. However, it's also fact that death was imminent. Wouldn't God excuse people in that situation?
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