Priest at Funeral: 18 Year Old may be kept out of heaven over suicide (paradise, salvation)
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Besides the total unknown in the afterlife, when someone commits suicide...ultimately they are not able to feel the relief they are seeking by killing themselves in the first place.
This to my mind is about the only reason to believe in an afterlife. When I was contemplating suicide at Cornell one of the RA's, who was Jewish said "how do you know it's not going to be worse" in the afterlife. Even though neither of us particularly believed in the afterlife the uncertainty was a factor in persuading me not to "gorge out", or leap into one of Cornell's scenic gorges.
This to my mind is about the only reason to believe in an afterlife. When I was contemplating suicide at Cornell one of the RA's, who was Jewish said "how do you know it's not going to be worse" in the afterlife. Even though neither of us particularly believed in the afterlife the uncertainty was a factor in persuading me not to "gorge out", or leap into one of Cornell's scenic gorges.
Yes, that is a HUGE HUGE risk to take, you could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire...we just dont know.
I cannot believe this thought doesnt enter into the minds of those who commit suicide and go thru with it, they must have some expectation that killing themselves will relieve them and/or make them feel better...right?
A priest laid it right between the eyes at a funeral, to the mourners as well as to the parents; the 18 year old youth, a Straight A student, who committed suicide was not going to go to heaven. I am uncertain whether the priest had any control over the matter, but apparently, it does not matter how the person lived their life or what drove them to the point of desperation.
Most of the leaders in my particular religion, thankfully, believe that the right question to ask is not whether the person is going to heaven or down below, but what kind of life they lived, and who they've helped, in the living world. But to me, this is no way to comfort mourners. It is a public shaming, and why?
Clearly, some people "know not what they do." This is heartbreaking and I hope the boy's family doesn't let one person's insensitivity and ignorance get in the way of their healing. (By the way, your link doesn't work.)
Oh, I agree! Extreme insensitivity...and ignorance, yes...in addition to arrogance. The family and friends have a right to be angry. I am angry on their behalf.
Priests are silly twits. Who cares what a silly twit says or believes?
The answer of course is... the silly twits that listen to them.
You have a very good point. Yes, there is a contingent that hangs on every word a priest or other minister says. And then there's the rest of us who basically think...they don't really know anymore than we do about such issues.
For me, it was the words of three priests that put priests in general on a rather low platform when it comes to who I listen to. One was a priest who told me that I was not allowed to go to a close friend's wedding and be a member of the wedding party because I was catholic and my friend was methodist. To which I responded, "Hell no". Another was a priest who told me what I was required to believe in terms of a political position on abortion. Again, my response was "hell no". But the first, when I was sixteen and a very good catholic, was when I went to confession for masturbation, and the old fart of a priest said, "Next time you get the urge, take a **** and forget about it. Now go and sin no more". Instead of following his inane advice, what I did no more was go to confession, and it was the beginning of me walking away from believing I should put much stock in what any old fossil in a black robe said.
But as GreatBlueHeron said in the post just before this one: "Extreme insensitivity...and ignorance, yes...in addition to arrogance. The family and friends have a right to be angry. I am angry on their behalf."
Yes, that is a HUGE HUGE risk to take, you could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire...we just dont know.
I cannot believe this thought doesnt enter into the minds of those who commit suicide and go thru with it, they must have some expectation that killing themselves will relieve them and/or make them feel better...right?
Ending one's existence inevitably relieves a person of ALL ABILITY to feel, permanently. It doesn't stop others from considering the deceased person to have been foolishly weak and fatality self absorbed however.
You have a very good point. Yes, there is a contingent that hangs on every word a priest or other minister says. And then there's the rest of us who basically think...they don't really know anymore than we do about such issues.
For me, it was the words of three priests that put priests in general on a rather low platform when it comes to who I listen to. One was a priest who told me that I was not allowed to go to a close friend's wedding and be a member of the wedding party because I was catholic and my friend was methodist. To which I responded, "Hell no". Another was a priest who told me what I was required to believe in terms of a political position on abortion. Again, my response was "hell no". But the first, when I was sixteen and a very good catholic, was when I went to confession for masturbation, and the old fart of a priest said, "Next time you get the urge, take a **** and forget about it. Now go and sin no more". Instead of following his inane advice, what I did no more was go to confession, and it was the beginning of me walking away from believing I should put much stock in what any old fossil in a black robe said.
But as GreatBlueHeron said in the post just before this one: "Extreme insensitivity...and ignorance, yes...in addition to arrogance. The family and friends have a right to be angry. I am angry on their behalf."
There are two types of people in the world. The first are the type with the ability to think for themselves. The second type are
Why does it not surprise me to hear what was said to this grieving family and their friends? All my life I've been a Catholic but walked away when I had enough of their brainwashing & lies. I tried looking into other religions, but have come to the conclusion that organized religion is not for me anymore. I still believe in God and my faith has grown. I follow my heart, not what someone tells me.
My son's mother's pastor asked if he could speak at my sons funeral but he was told there was to be no religious talk (out of respect for son who was non-religious) and the SOB went ahead and gave an effing sermon! I was annoyed!
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