don't think it was originally in the rule book

[evilgrins]

10:28 PM 4/3/10 · In the past year I've lost a few friends, one of which was suicide. Now I know insofar as Christianity goes this is a direct line to Hell, for those of them that believe in it, or at the very least a roadblock from Heaven

Comments

[girlwithgloves]

They get held in bardo/purgatory. Depending on how forgiving of a god of whichever brand of faith (Catholic, various Christian faiths), the soul eventually is released to be judged/forgiven by their form of god.
If one believes reincarnation (a concept that also was voted out of the Bible), you come right back, don't pass go in Heaven, don't collect $200, get thrown right into another life.

For the bible:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sui_bibl.htm
For Reincarnation and the bible:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen03.html

[raven_moon]

I know in the Roman Empire, even into the Christianized Empire, suicide was not necessarily a big deal, particularly as a 'noble' act, or when one would otherwise face some sort of disgrace.

But it was a pretty major sin by the high Middle Ages. Witness, Dante's treatment of suicide in the Divine Comedy, for example. I also know that in general, Christian chroniclers recounted with horror and disbelief the suicides of large numbers of Jews faced with 'baptism by force' under the crusading armies in 1096.

So I believe the doctrine developed in the middle ages, but I don't know the exact derivation. It is, however, a matter of theological interpretation, rather than an explicit commandment, unless you count it as a form of murder.

[jorowlingrocks]

My vote is that it's not in the bible, although I haven't read it cover to cover. Like you said, if suicide wasn't a sin, there'd be religious nutters jumping off bridges all over the place ready to be welcomed into heaven with open arms.

[dragonbat2006]

"Thou shalt not murder" applies to yourself as well as to others.

[evilgrins]

Small problem there, the definition of murder is to willfully kill another person.

[dragonbat2006]

The original Hebrew doesn't make that distinction. All human life has value including your own.

[evilgrins]

human life has value including your own
I'm a little fuzzy on how being unable to murder oneself denotes value