Discussion Does religion make people less suicidal?

[WornOutLife]

So, I went for a walk/run and in a moment, I crossed paths with a Christian guy who yelled at me: "JESUS LOVES YOU. HE'S YOUR FRIEND AND WANTS YOU TO LIVE AND BELIEVE IN HIM. " and I was like "Damn, how does this guy know that I don't believe in Jesus or any God? Do I have an atheist/agnostic face?" Lol

Anyway, he was so happy that I thought, "wow, guys like him love life and Jesus so much that they will probably never ctb. "

Of course, there are many religious people who ctb no matter what, but, I bet the non-believers are more.

Thus, I wonder, does religion make people less suicidal? Fearing a God who will probably punish you if you kill yourself (depending on the religion) helps believers to keep on living?

I wish I could believe in something (well, I believe in the simulation theory LOL), I mean, in a God who's taking care of me and saving all those little children and innocent people who die but I just can't. I just gotta see in order to believe but I wonder...would I be less suicidal if I got my faith back again? (I used to be a Catholic and was really scared of hell haha)

 

[Makko]

It does. Religion gives your life a purpose. Suicide is a lot less appealing when you have a purpose to fulfill.

 

[Symbiote]

Organized religion is a cancer, but if you practice religion and believe in a God in the sanctity in your own home that's okay. I guess if you had the belief that suicidal people go instantly to hell, you be less likely to kill yourself unless you deserved that hell. Fearing a deity that will punish you for eternity for even destroying the image that he created just for you and then foiling his plans for you is far fetched, especially the "God's Plan" part. The mere insecurity of powerful man that he would damn you to suffer in fire for just messing with his plans. You exited the simulation before he could end it for you, that just sends rivulets of rage down his spine. That's what the religious people want you to think. Plant the seed of fear in young impressionable minds so they become enslaved to a cult for all their time on Earth.

 

[SkarletWitch]

I think it makes people less suicidal, but, in my opinion not because of fear but because of believing that there is something that is worth living for.

Also religion helps people explain thing that are happening. It helps fighting with struggles and problems, cuz they believe there is always someone with them, they're never alone, be it God, guardian angel etc. And they always have someone to tell their worries, or someone to point finger at when they are down.

For this reason I respect theoretical aspects of religions - they help people with everyday struggle.

That being said I'm not religious myself, I don't believe in that stuff, but I understand why some people like to believe it.

 

[Life_and_Death]

im wiccan and kind of have my own little thing going on. since were speaking about god ill give my, probably different view on it.

i am my own god. i dont believe in some being. i dont believe in any of that. my thoughts of afterlife are not of heaven and hell but instead mixed views. since i almost died i believe in nothing. however i hope for a few years in peace so i can watch over my loved ones.

has being my own god helped me? i personally feel it has in the same way that it helps 'normal' religious people. it gives me something to believe in, something that i personally find a little more believable. i cant deny me.

 

[WornOutLife]

i am my own god

This sounds awesome!

 

[Life_and_Death]

This sounds awesome!

aside from having to deal with the constant thought that people might take it completely wrong and think i have a god complex, yeah its pretty cool lol

 

[SkarletWitch]

This sounds awesome!

Oh, yeah, very awesome, gives you some kind of inner power :D

 

[Symbiote]

Oh, yeah, very awesome, gives you some kind of inner power :D

It allows you to control your fate and destiny. You have the power to make plans happen or not. Don't need God to do it for you.

 

[RainAndSadness]

It gives them comfort and a false sense of hope. If you believe that an invisible skydaddy with unlimited power will protect you and has some kind of spiritual plan for you, it's easier to endure the pain and struggle because you believe there is some kind of purpose behind it. And if you're brainwashed into an ideology that considers suicide a sin, which will be punished by eternal torture in hell, it's very easy not to commit suicide, I think. I don't believe in fairytales because the cruel nature of this world is a direct contradiction to his existence, as explained in the Bible. But of course, everyone is free to believe in whatever. Freedom of religion is important. I just don't find the idea of God very appealing. If there was a God, why does this forum has 17'000 members with people that have valid struggles and obviously a very shitty life, suffering to the point that they want to take their life? Why are so many millions if not billions of people all around the world suffering? It doesn't make sense but I'm not here to spread atheist talking points.

If religions give you comfort and help you to overcome your struggles in some way, all power to you. Just don't abuse it to take down others, for example the LGBT community. My community, which is often targeted by religious fanatics.

 

[lostmyself]

I think in all religions regardless of religious belief there is suicide as mental illness doesn't discriminate. However different religions have different views on suicide. For instance some religions believe the person wasn't in their sound mind so they somewhat accept suicide I guess or the parents of those who committed look as if they were going to be taken anyway so the act itself was just a means of getting there. And absolutely nothing wrong with looking towards religion if it gives a more positive outlook on life.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Not when it's time to defend it.

 

[Zhontafly]

Read the bible and use your logic and reasoning to come to the conclusion for yourself on whether or not its valid and true - or as the believers say, the perfect infallible word of God.

There's so many things I could point out here, but I choose not to right now cause I would like everyone to think for themselves and come to the same obvious conclusion.

 

[Makko]

No matter how I've turned it, and I've turned it every which way over my whole life, atheism is the only world view that is not logically defensible. Somewhere all the way back in the chain, there's going to be something that is not dependent on anything else for its existence. I'm not going to call it God because westerners will reframe everything I'm saying into Christianity which is beside my point. So let's call it "the X-factor". I can't tell you what it is, why it made us, and what it wants from us, but it exists somehow, and it wants something. Otherwise we simply wouldn't be here.

Settling for "life is pointless and existence is an accident" you choose the least likely explanation, and one that makes the least sense of all. Of course I'd want to kill myself much more if I thought that. Thankfully I don't.

 

[WornOutLife]

No matter how I've turned it, and I've turned it every which way over my whole life, atheism is the only world view that is not logically defensible. Somewhere all the way back in the chain, there's going to be something that is not dependent on anything else for its existence. I'm not going to call it God because westerners will reframe everything I'm saying into Christianity which is beside my point. So let's call it "the X-factor". I can't tell you what it is, why it made us, and what it wants from us, but it exists somehow, and it wants something. Otherwise we simply wouldn't be here.

Settling for "life is pointless and existence is an accident" you choose the least likely explanation, and one that makes the least sense of all. Of course I'd want to kill myself much more if I thought that. Thankfully I don't.

It is not my intention to start an argument about whether God exists or not. I just wanted to confirm what I thought: Believers or people who believe in something, like you, are less suicidal. I wish I could be like that but I can't so, I'm trying to deal with life (in recovery actually) without the need of believing in "it". It's very hard but not impossible.

I don't care if I'm right or wrong. If there's some kind of overpowered being and I see him once I'm dead, I'll just say to him ""Hi, nice to meet ya. So, you exist huh?"

That would be it!

Hugs

 

[Idledays]

Statistically speaking, being an active member of an organised religion massively reduces your chances of severe depression, suicide, and increases feelings of contentment and gives you a much wider social support network compared to atheist /agnostic groups. There's lots of studies that support that.

As an atheist, its not like I can make myself believe in a divine creator just for some perceived social benefits, but it certainly makes me think it can be a blessing (as well as a curse for some!) to be part of a religion.

That said, the pressure of an almighty God judging my actions and inner thoughts each day sounds like a huge burden to me!

 

[Makko]

It is not my intention to start an argument about whether God exists or not. I just wanted to confirm what I thought: Believers or people who believe in something, like you, are less suicidal. I wish I could be like that but I can't so, I'm trying to deal with life (in recovery actually) without the need of believing in "it". It's very hard but not impossible.

I don't care if I'm right or wrong. If there's some kind of overpowered being and I see him once I'm dead, I'll just say to him ""Hi, nice to meet ya. So, you exist huh?"

That would be it!

Hugs

Wasn't starting an argument either. Just demonstrating the basic reason of why being a non-atheist resolves some of the main problems that make people suicidal, those problems being a lack of purpose and a sense of meaninglessness.

 

[Birdie]

Even indirectly... I'm far from being a religious person, but sometimes I fear the punishment for CTB in afterlife even though I know it's unlikely to happen.

 

[imsorrythatimhere]

I know someone who was thoughts of suicide and is religious. When I asked her what she lived for, religion was one of them

 

[Throwmyselfaway]

I was raised in a Christian religion that turned out to be a cult. It made it worse

 

[icarus3/21]

I'm catholic and i really have no doubt in my mind that god is real,however i dont think my beliefs on god are exactly standard doctrine,and have probably contributed to my suicidal feelings and thoughts

 

[TerminallyAlive]

Religion instilled a fear of suicide in me that is mostly absent without it. I wanted to die and go to Heaven, but I thought that was a big no-no. Then I realized my religion wasn't true, and there was no longer any fear of punishment. That made suicide a real option.

 

[lugerepair]

I was like "Damn, how does this guy know that I don't believe in Jesus or any God? Do I have an atheist/agnostic face?" Lol

Some Christians go around shouting that stuff to random people all day. I've encountered several of these people.

 

[finalexit]

"Damn, how does this guy know that I don't believe in Jesus or any God? Do I have an atheist/agnostic face?" Lol

Haha!

I was a Christian for most of my life and was still very suicidal then, fantasizing about killing myself but being hella scared of going to hell. I lost my faith a few years ago but am still very afraid of the uncertainty after death. With or without faith, I've lacked certainty.

 

[SkarletWitch]

To bring our divine talks to earth I would like to bring to all of you another point of view at any religion.

Forget for a moment about all metaphisical stuff that is present in religions, like gods, miracles and stuff like that.

What we get are gathered together rules and advices on how to live your life.
With gods its easier to wrap them into a metaphor that is easly understood by people from all eras.

You don't have to be decided and sure that this god exist or not. Very valuable thing you can gain from Sacred Books of religions is that knowledge, to be used as a guide through ethics and morals, life.

*I'm not talking here about corruption in hierarchy in religious structures and things like that, only about theory that stands behind religious ideas

Anyway like @Life_and_Death said, we are our own gods so it's only reasonable to take them as a guide

 

[watchingthewheels]

Some quotes I just read in the Book of James that made me think of this post...


"2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

and

"7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

and

"19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

 

[Disappointered]

Statistically speaking, being an active member of an organised religion massively reduces your chances of severe depression, suicide, and increases feelings of contentment and gives you a much wider social support network compared to atheist /agnostic groups. There's lots of studies that support that.

Yes, and I think in addition to the sense of purpose (usually a minor factor imo) and the fear (major factor imo) the mere fact of belonging to a group, especially an organized active group, improves people's moods whether religious or not (provided it isn't an abusive group).

 

[Oozzy]

I live in Turkey and here is one of the countries has lowest suicide rate. People are generally not happy but they dont suicide because suicide is a major sin in islam. So I guess answer is yes.

 

[milkyfxck]

i'm sure it brings comfort to many. for some such as Christianity or Catholicsm that could because they know their God loves them eternally, and that if nothing else, they have them to turn to, for guidence through tough measures and the like. also, Buddhism. and not to mention, it's a sin to commit suicide in some religions.

honestly, for me it doesn't make me less suicidal, just very comforted in the fact that i'll be scorching in hell after ctb for my sins and that's okay. it's... salvation.

 

[Kbeau]

So, I went for a walk/run and in a moment, I crossed paths with a Christian guy who yelled at me: "JESUS LOVES YOU. HE'S YOUR FRIEND AND WANTS YOU TO LIVE AND BELIEVE IN HIM. " and I was like "Damn, how does this guy know that I don't believe in Jesus or any God? Do I have an atheist/agnostic face?" Lol

Anyway, he was so happy that I thought, "wow, guys like him love life and Jesus so much that they will probably never ctb. "

Of course, there are many religious people who ctb no matter what, but, I bet the non-believers are more.

Thus, I wonder, does religion make people less suicidal? Fearing a God who will probably punish you if you kill yourself (depending on the religion) helps believers to keep on living?

I wish I could believe in something (well, I believe in the simulation theory LOL), I mean, in a God who's taking care of me and saving all those little children and innocent people who die but I just can't. I just gotta see in order to believe but I wonder...would I be less suicidal if I got my faith back again? (I used to be a Catholic and was really scared of hell haha)

Yeah, I think religion probably does make people less suicidal. But its not for me, so that's that