Editor’s Observe: This week’s mini-series on the Grace and Reality weblog is a recap of our 2024 BCC Annual Management Summit, which was held in December at Nation Lake Christian Retreat in Underwood, Indiana, and addressed the subject “Suicide: Hope for the Hopeless.” Our first article, written by Curtis Solomon, is an outline acknowledging the disaster. In different contributions to the collection, Rush Witt explores the motivation of these contemplating suicide, Shauna Van Dyke discusses approaching the intervention, Josh Weidmann considers organizing the postvention, and Garrett Higbee shares about comforting the caregivers. Whereas our Annual Management Summit is proscribed to the BCC Council and some particular company, this December, we are going to host our International Management Summit, and you’re invited! Study extra and register right here.
Introduction
“There’s a approach which appears proper to a person, however its finish is the way in which of loss of life” ( Prov. 16:25).
This proverb isn’t meant, particularly and solely, to deal with suicide. The broader that means addresses the distinction within the e book of Proverbs between the lifetime of knowledge, which fears God and seeks to stroll in His methods, versus the lifetime of foolishness that rejects God and His knowledge. Suicide is maybe probably the most acute and highly effective manifestation of the truth described right here. Irrespective of how suicide happens, the one who takes his personal life has deserted the knowledge and approach of God for a path that appears proper within the second. Maybe a path that appeared like the one possibility accessible to him on the time.
After all, we all know the concept suicide is the one approach out of an excruciating state of affairs is a lie from the pit of hell. In a second, I’ll share alarming statistics in regards to the standing of suicide on the planet and the horrifying rise of suicide amongst sure segments of our inhabitants. We should take into account that these numbers symbolize souls of males, ladies, and kids created within the picture of God.
The struggle that rages between God and the enemy has many fronts. Deaths of despair, fueled by lies from the deceiver, comprise a major battle on this struggle. If the enemy can persuade unbelievers to finish their lives, it’s not solely their earthly lives which have ended, but in addition souls which might be ceaselessly separated from God. Believers who take their very own lives will enter into eternity with God, however the ripple results of that call can’t be measured.
As we contemplate this darkish, evil downside, we should not permit the darkness to overwhelm us and drag us into despair. We should bear in mind to maintain our eyes on Jesus, the creator and perfector of our religion (Heb. 12:1-2). Whereas it’s good and proper to weep and grieve over suicide and the lives misplaced or broken by it, we should additionally maintain on to hope and share it.
Suicide All through Human Historical past
Suicide isn’t a brand new phenomenon. Whereas we do not need laborious knowledge or statistics from all of human historical past, we do discover accounts and developments of suicide in literature all through human historical past. In response to one journal, “…the primary recorded suicides have been dedicated by Pyramus and Thisbe, who have been lovers that died in Babylonia, Persia, round 2000 BC.”[1] One other article recounts an episode of suicide almost two centuries prior in an Egyptian account in the course of the time of Pharaoh Ramses II (1303-1213 BC).[2]
The primary account of suicide within the Bible happens in the course of the interval of the Judges (1375-1051 BC), when Abimelech orders his aide to hurry his loss of life by killing him (Judg. 9:50-55).[3] Relying on whether or not or not you depend Samson’s loss of life as a suicide, the Outdated Testomony data 5 – 6 suicides.[4] The New Testomony solely data one suicide, that of Judas Iscariot (Matt. 27:3-10).
Whereas Scripture signifies that God condemned these incidents, there isn’t a simple, express instruction towards suicide within the Bible. Most Christian custom sees the prohibition towards suicide in God’s instructions towards taking human life (Gen. 9:6; Exod. 20:13; 21:12; Lev. 24:17; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11).
Historical Greek writing describes incidents of suicide way back to Homer, however probably the most well-known and influential suicide in historic Greek literature is the loss of life of Socrates as described in Plato’s Phaedo. This account is central to the continued dialogue on suicide in antiquity and is even picked up by Augustine in The Metropolis of God.
Historical Roman tradition was stricken by suicide. The traditional thinker Seneca advocated in favor of the liberty to commit suicide, seeing it as the best triumph of a person over destiny.[5] Seneca pushed past needing particular permission from the gods to finish one life to a proper to die for all human beings. In his work On Anger, he states:
“In any type of slavery the way in which lies open to freedom. If the soul is sick and due to its personal imperfection sad, a person could finish its sorrows and on the similar time himself … In no matter path you flip your eyes, there lies the means to finish your woes. Do you see that cliff? Down there may be the way in which to freedom. Do you see that ocean, that river, that effectively? There sits freedom on the backside. Do you see that tree …? From its branches hangs freedom. Do you see that throat of yours, that abdomen, that coronary heart? They’re methods of escape from slavery. Do you ask what’s the path to freedom? Any vein in your physique! (On Anger 3.15.3–4).”[6]
Robust Christian opposition to suicide happened within the 4th century when Augustine attacked what was described because the “suicidal mania” of the Donatists. His work and the next work of church councils into the 7th century moved suicide from one thing celebrated and sometimes wanted to one thing decried as sin and against the law that Christians should oppose.[7]
Standing of Suicide Right now
Suicide surrounds us. In response to the World Well being Group, greater than 720,000 folks commit suicide yearly.[8] In 2021, nearly twice as many individuals died by their very own fingers than have been killed by others.[9] These statistics are why some are declaring an epidemic of suicide in the US.[10]
Suicide Amongst Working Age Adults
The 2021 suicide charge amongst U.S. individuals of working age is roughly 33% increased than it was 20 years in the past.[11] In 2021, analysis discovered that 30,177 lively obligation personnel and veterans who served within the navy after 9/11 have died by suicide, in comparison with the 7,057 service members killed in fight in those self same 20 years.[12]
Suicide Among the many Aged
In 2022, charges have been highest for adults ages 85+ years (23.02 per 100,000) and subsequent highest for these 75 to 84 years (20.26 per 100,000).[13]
Suicide Amongst Youngsters and Adolescents
Probably the most alarming developments is the rise in suicide amongst youngsters.
“Roughly 2 million adolescents try suicide annually. Amongst U.S. pediatric deaths, greater than 25% are by suicide. It’s the second main trigger of loss of life for youngsters and younger adults ages 10 to 24, inflicting extra loss of life than any single main sickness and second solely to unintentional accidents. Every year, some 6,500 deaths on this age group account for 14% of all suicides within the U.S.”[14]
Amongst younger folks (ages 15-29), it’s the third main explanation for loss of life.[15] Suicide is the eighth main explanation for loss of life in youngsters 5-11.[16] “Little one suicide charges rose 150 p.c over the earlier decade.”[17]
Standing of Biblical Counseling Literature on the Matter
One option to gauge a self-discipline’s dealing with of a subject is to assessment its literature on the subject. Whereas there may be undoubtedly extra being mentioned and accomplished within the biblical counseling motion associated to suicide, a literature assessment of our motion demonstrates a dearth of assets on this necessary subject. At the moment, there are not any full-length books written by biblical counselors on the subject of suicide. I discovered six mini-books, six articles within the Journal of Biblical Counseling, and about 25 blogs from totally different biblical counseling organizations.
This demonstrates that we have now not ignored the subject, however there may be additionally a terrific deal extra to be accomplished.
Objectives for Biblical Counseling and Suicide within the Future
The above-noted dearth of biblical counseling assets ought to encourage us to jot down extra on the subject of suicide. I’d like to see a e book that explores the numerous features of the expertise and motivations that lead folks to ponder and try suicide. That e book also needs to embrace sensible hope and assist to all these affected by suicide from inception to completion, in addition to aftercare. It ought to contemplate all these concerned, each the one who is wrestling with suicide, his household and mates, church neighborhood, and direct caregivers like biblical counselors.
Along with writing extra, we have to create assets that will likely be simply accessible and utilized by folks in want. Some will learn books, however many who don’t learn will take heed to assets or watch movies addressing the subject.
Our coaching additionally wants to enhance and develop on the subject of suicide. Counselors and those that prepare them must be ready to acknowledge potential indicators of suicide, assess somebody’s suicidal considering, intervene within the midst of an try, look after a person and their neighborhood after a “failed try,” and counsel these dwelling within the aftermath of a accomplished suicide. We additionally want coaching in caring for ourselves and different biblical counselors when somebody in our care ends his or her personal life.
This coaching must be accomplished wherever biblical counseling coaching is performed—seminaries and schools, counseling ministries, and church buildings. The issue is all over the place; the answer must be all over the place as effectively.
Christians Lead the Approach
The issue of suicide going through our world right this moment is extreme, however Christians needn’t be alarmed. As a substitute, we should lead the cost towards suicide. Identical to Augustine and his brothers and sisters in Christ led the battle towards suicide of their day, Christians right this moment must be on the forefront of the battle for all times. Biblical counselors, particularly, can play a major position in turning again the rising tide of suicide.
Questions for Reflection
- How conscious are you of the rising downside of suicide world wide?
- How outfitted do you are feeling to evaluate and handle suicide if it enters your ministry?
- What roles are you able to play to assist handle the issue of suicide right this moment?
[1] Saxby Pridmore, Jamshid Ahmadi, and William Pridmore, “Two Mistaken Beliefs About Suicide,” Iran Journal of Psychiatry 14, no. 2 (April 2019), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6702281/.
[2] Leonardo Tondo, “Transient Historical past of Suicide in Western Cultures,” in A Concise Information to Understanding Suicide: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Prevention, ed. Charles B. Nemeroff, Pedro Ruiz, and Stephen H. Koslow (Cambridge: Cambridge College Press, 2014), 3.
[3] Gary Stewart, Primary Questions on Suicide and Euthanasia: Are They Ever Proper, BioBasics Collection (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1998), 35.
[4] Ibid., 35-36.
[5] A. J. Droge, “Suicide,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 225.
[6] Ibid., 226–227.
[7] Ibid.
[8] “Suicide,” accessed September 9, 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/element/suicide.
[9] “Suicide – Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being (NIMH),” accessed September 9, 2024, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/well being/statistics/suicide.
[10] “The Ongoing Epidemic of Youth Suicide in America | Psychology Right now,” accessed September 9, 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/weblog/decisions-teens-make/202207/the-ongoing-epidemic-youth-suicide-in-america; “Suicide Charge Reaches All-Time Excessive In 2022, CDC Information Suggests,” accessed September 9, 2024, https://www.forbes.com/websites/anafaguy/2023/08/10/suicide-rate-reaches-all-time-high-in-2022-cdc-data-suggests/; “Suicide Has Reached Epidemic Proportions within the U.S. − but Medical College students Nonetheless Don’t Obtain Satisfactory Coaching to Deal with Suicidal Sufferers,” FIU Information, accessed September 9, 2024, https://information.fiu.edu/2024/suicide-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-in-the-us-yet-medical-students-still-dont-receive-adequate-training-to-treat-suicidalpatients; Erik Raymond, “The Suicide Epidemic Deserves Our Consideration,” The Gospel Coalition, April 29, 2024, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/the-suicide-epidemic-deserves-our-attention/; Hilary Connery PhD MD, “Silent No Extra: Suicide Is Epidemic,” Harvard Well being, Could 23, 2018, https://www.well being.harvard.edu/weblog/silent-no-more-suicide-is-epidemic-2018052314512.
[11] Aaron Sussell, “Suicide Charges by Trade and Occupation — Nationwide Very important Statistics System, United States, 2021,” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 72 (2023), https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7250a2.
[12] “Considerations Rise Over Army Suicide Charges; Right here’s How the USO Is Making an attempt to Assist,” United Service Organizations, accessed November 30, 2024, https://www.uso.org/tales/2664-military-suicide-rates-are-at-an-all-time-high-heres-how-were-trying-to-help.
[13] “Suicide Statistics,” American Basis for Suicide Prevention, accessed November 25, 2024, https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/.
[14] “The State of Pediatric Suicide,” accessed November 30, 2024, https://www.childrenshospitals.org/content material/behavioral-health/abstract/the-state-of-pediatric-suicide.
[15] “Suicide.”
[16] John Sciamanna, “Elevated Suicide Charges Amongst Youngsters Aged 5 to 11 Years within the U.S.,” accessed November 25, 2024, https://www.cwla.org/increased-suicide-rates-among-children-aged-5-to-11-years-in-the-u-s/undefined.
[17] Abigail Shrier, Unhealthy Remedy: Why the Children Aren’t Rising Up (New York: Sentinel, 2024), 26.
