Sermon Tone Analysis

Suicides in the Bible

How many suicides are noted in the Bible? 4

Who were they?

Judas Iscariot, King Saul, Zimri & Ahithophel

And all circumstances were completely different, let’s explore them in detail.

Judas Iscariot

What does it mean “his own place”?

Was it heaven or hell?

What could we imply from what Christ says in these verses?

Does this mean all those who commit suicide go to hell?

No

References are very specific to the one who would betray Christ.

King Saul

Was Saul to end up in hell?

No

What does Samuel prophecy about where Saul and his sons will end up?

Zimri

How long did Zimri reign?

7 days

He conspired to take the kingship but when his plan backfired he knew his fate would be death and he burnt the king’s house with himself inside.

Ahithophel

Why did Ahithophel conspire against king David?

Absalom was a pawn he could easily maneouvre

What relation was Ahithophel to Bathsheba?

He was her grandfather

Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s granddaughter - was there some resentment against what David had done to Uriah?

A wise counsellor who knows his impending doom, having not his advice followed, knew that Absalom would be overthrown and the least that would happen to him would be a demotion, which he could not live with.

His own pride was his downfall.

Euthanasia

Notice there's no emotion with Ahithophel.

It's quite clinical.

Somewhat like euthanasia today - if people don't want to live for whatever reason and this is their decision then so be it.

There was a story in the paper the other day about a man who was 104 years old and who hardly ever got sick, but now just didn't want to live.

So he flew to Sweden and took a lethal injection.

How would you respond to someone who tells you that they plan on taking their life very soon?

Jordan Peterson’s Response

Source:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/there-is-always-tomorrow-jordan-peterson-offers-four-reasons-to-choose-life/news-story/b7947b3acdb9cfc8c67f520ed6382570?login=1

Jordan Peterson was asked from an audience member, Chad, who asked:

"I plan on taking my own life very soon.

Why shouldn't I?"

Jordan Peterson thought about his response for awhile.

Peterson hesitated before deciding to answer, telling the crowd that he wasn’t sure he could give the question the care and attention it deserved.

Reason 1: Other People

First, anyone contemplating suicide should “think very carefully through the consequences for other people”, Peterson said.

“I have clients in my clinical practice who have never recovered from the suicide of a family member.

Decades later, they are still torturing themselves about it.

“Believe me, you will absolutely wipe them out in a way they will never recover from.

You cannot fix someone’s suicide.

You’re stuck with it.

The problem is, you might be dreaming out that.

Maybe you think life is beset against you.

Maybe you’re thinking people deserve to suffer for the misery they have imposed upon you.But I would say: Think very, very carefully before you go down that route, because (suicide) will absolutely devastate, in ways you can’t imagine, the people you leave behind."

Reason 2: You Owe it To Yourself to Explore All Possible Alternatives

“If you haven’t talked to a psychologist, talked to a psychiatrist, if you haven’t tried antidepressants, if you haven’t revealed to your family that this is how you’re feeling, if you haven’t been to the hospital, well, explore any possible avenue before you take a final step,” Peterson said.

Believe it or not, there are treatments for depression, and some of them even work.

“For some people, antidepressants work,” Peterson said.

“They don’t work for everyone.

I’m not claiming they are a panacea, but they certainly beat the hell out of suicide.

Even if they have some negative side effects — and they do, quite frequently they do — the negative side effects aren’t fatal.

So try that.

“You owe it to yourself to try everything else.

“A wise man that I once worked for — a psychologist at the maximum-security prison in Edmonton — he used to say: ‘You can always commit suicide tomorrow.’

“That’s a flippant statement, but he meant it in a very serious way.

With suicide, you only get to decide once.

And you can put it off.

So I would say: Put it off, and see what you can do to put yourself ­together.

What the hell do you have to lose?”

Reason 3: consider the possibility that your existence matters in ways that we as human beings, being puny in thought and exiguous in understanding, can’t quite grasp.

“Consider that your life has intrinsic value,” Peterson said, meaning you can’t just opt out, because to do so will leave a “hole in the fabric of being itself”.

That’s going to be tough for a depressed person, who perhaps can’t see the goodness they’re bringing to the table, but consider it anyway.

Reason 4: You are not your own

“Don’t be so sure that your life is yours to take.

You don’t own yourself the way you own an object … you can’t just casually bring (your life) to an end because, the fact is, suicide is wrong.”

Now, you may take umbrage, but on this, if nothing else, all the major faiths agree: it’s morally wrong — no excuses, no exceptions, no further explanation needed — to take your own life.

Chad's response:

His tweet went like this (I’ve kept the typos in, for charm): “Hey Dr Peterson.

It’s Chad … I don’t really believe in fate, but I have never felt my adrenaline rush like I did tonight Never in a million years would I expect you to actually get to my question.”

Job

Did Job ever contemplate suicide?

No