Paul Derengowski, ThM
It is difficult to assess, but it seems that on an increasing basis, almost daily, someone takes his/her own life amid some kind of scandal.
Whether it is a family or domestic dispute, a teacher getting caught having a sexual relationship with an underage student, or a showdown with law enforcement, more and more people are committing suicide to escape civil justice—or at least, so they think.
Most recently, for example, a 47 year-old Middle School teacher in Colorado was approached by police for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a male student, who is now in High School, and before she was even charged, she killed herself in front of them—at her front door!
The rising plague of self-styled injustice is akin to so much going on lately, whereby the lawless and the lawbreakers are intent on pushing whatever anarchic agenda they subscribe and no one is going to tell them what to do, regardless of the consequences.
Frequently, a clash takes place between them and the police, with the police being impugned by a left-leaning media and the riotous ending up lionized as a heroes, while lying dead in the street.
What is running through the minds of those who kill themselves before trial-by-jury is anyone’s guess.
What is clear is that the decision to self-terminate had been considered long before the act actually took place, although one would have to wonder just how well thought-out the decision was, if the occasion arose.
Although there are instances of suicide in the Bible (1 Sam. 31:4; Matt. 27:5 cf. Acts 1:18, it is never prescribed as a solution to any temporary problem.
In fact, in the cases where suicide was carried out, the victims were convicted of their own sin and rather than repent, they chose to sin all over again against God and kill themselves.
Some suppose that an immediate death sentence in hell is the penalty for suicide, although no such judgment can be found anywhere in Scripture.
That said, however, it surely cannot be pleasant to stand before one’s Creator moments after committing suicide.
If the person is a Christian, then a deep-seated regret surely must be the experience, as the Almighty renders his verdict for a job not well-done.
If the person is a non-Christian, then extreme selfishness and hubris would be turned to an unexpected surprise of eternal proportions, as judgment is passed and the spiritually dead is cast into the abyss, only to await the Lake of Fire later.
Nevertheless, it is the “new normal,” as more and more people demonstrate a lack of fear of God, whether in their actions leading up to suicide or simply the decision to commit suicide when the time comes.
The new normal, though, is extremely short-sighted and dangerous.
As I have told my students in the past, many of whom were still trying to find themselves after only graduating High School a year or two before: DO NOT MAKE AN ETERNAL DECISION BASED ON A TEMPORARY PROBLEM! BECAUSE IF YOU DO, THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS. THERE IS NO GOING BACK. THE DECISION IS FINAL AND YOU WILL REGRET IT.
A better solution is to fear God and keep His commandments. For by doing so, even amid trials and tribulations, there is forgiveness and the opportunity to start over.
Life is short enough as it is without shortening it by exacerbating a previously bad decision with an even worse one.
By committing suicide, the problems never go way. They are etched in the minds of everyone who ever knew the victim.
