Summary of Taboo too: Suicide
Preamble
Brent starts by discussing recent events in Ontario, with the attempted suicide by 11 children. Brent then shares a story from his grade 10 year in high school. He explains how his friend committed suicide that year. 3,500 suicides occurred in Canada last year. 500 of those were in British Columbia. What is more shocking is that for every successful suicide there are 20 attempts that aren’t successful. Men are three times more likely to commit suicide after they turn 40. Women are more likely to commit suicide after the age of 50. This isn’t just a teenage problem.
Interesting fact
- 80% of people who commit suicide show signs, but that means 20% of people don’t show any signs at all.
- Talking with someone about their suicidal thoughts does not cause them to make the attempt.
- A large per cent of those who die from suicide have either a diagnosed or undiagnosed battle with a mental illness (such as depression)
The cause of suicide is very complex
Even though we have lots of stats and research on this subject we have no way to determine why a person starts to contemplate suicide.
Why is suicide considered Taboo
Many major religions forbid it. Christians believe it is a sin. What we as Christians think when we see someone commit suicide we believe they are putting themselves in the position of God. The person is determining the destiny of his or her own life. That is God’s job.
Can a person be a Christian if they commit suicide?
This is the past a common view of many Christians is that a person who loves Jesus and had a relationship with God could not commit suicide.
Romans 8:38-39 points out that even death cannot separate us from the love of God. As Christians we need to be reminded that our hope is only from the love of Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. There is no action that we can do that can separate us from Jesus once we accept his gift.
Hebrew
What is SouthRidge’s call to action?
Love your neighbor as yourself. When we see warning signs we need to ask and then, if they confirm our suspicions, we must act and create a sense of community. Community is very important for everyone. But it is important to remember that we cannot control the outcome.
About this Message Series
This is a message in a series called Taboo Too. This series was started in April, 2016, with the purpose to bring to light all the topics we like to hide in the dark. This is the second Taboo series of messages that covers the most awkward topics in church culture.
About the Speaker
Brent is the lead pastor here at SouthRidge. He and his wife Pam were part of the original church plant.