DON'T SAY SUICIDE

I.	Ethic for life

I do not find suicide, euthanasia, and abortion as justified. And
while I do believe in self-defense, I do not believe that I have
to kill to defend my family or myself.  Does there need to be a
universal ethic for life?

II.	Bible and Provoked Thoughts

I have not found a verse in the Bible explicitly forbidding suicide,
but I find some that definitely provoke questions about suicide.

	A.	You are not your own.

		1.	Jeremiah 10:23 (One's life is not his or her
                        own)

                2.      1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (You are not your own)

	B.	Suicide is a selfish act.

		1.	Leviticus 19:18 ("Love your neighbor as
                        yourself," echoed by Jesus in Matthew 22:39,
                        Mark 12:31; supported by Jesus in Luke 10:27.
                        Is suicide loving yourself as you are to
                        love your neighbor?)

		2.	SELF-ESTEEM:  
			Note:  "AS YOURSELF."  To put yourself down
                        (deface yourself), you must focus selfishly
                        on yourself, and this is self-centered and
                        disobedient.  Jesus calls us to deny
                        ourselves (Luke 9:23 and Matthew 16:24).
                        Further, how can you see God if you are
                        always looking for the negative?  Putting
                        yourself down is negative; you aren't
                        looking towards God when you put yourself
                        down.

	C.	You are of value.

		1.	Matthew 6:26

		2. 	Remember also that every hair on your head
                        is numbered (Matthew 10:30 and Luke 12:7).

                3.      Jesus found you worth dying for on the cross.
                        You are special in His eyes, and how He sees
                        you is all that matters.
		
	D.	Commandment and Obedience

		1.	Exodus 20:13 (Don't kill -- others and self)

		2. 	To put yourself down is to underestimate
                        what Jesus did on the cross.  It's like
                        saying to Jesus that He wasted His time
                        dying for you.  But He didn't.

III.	Assessing suicide ideation.  

Is there a plan?  Does he or she have what is needed (a means) to
carry out this plan?  Is the intent severe?  Ethic to breach
confidentiality to report on the basis of the welfare of the person.

		James Arthur Johnson