(Dec 22, 2016 09:57 PM)Syne Wrote: [ -> ] (Dec 22, 2016 03:52 PM)Ben the Donkey Wrote: [ -> ]The Church (pretty much all of them) have always argued against suicide primarily because after millennia of trying to convince people that some form of paradise awaits after death, they are now faced with the conundrum of having to prevent people from wanting to go there a little earlier than intended. Which, you know, if you think about it, would be exactly what all believers would want to do... were they not informed it was a heinous sin.
That's both oversimplified and a gross generalization. Suicide is most often associated with depression...not hope for an afterlife...
So if you're raised in a high suicide rate culture, you're much more likely to approve of suicide...and perhaps consider it yourself.
Syne, when I mentioned that it was a short reply due to lack of motivation then it should be fairly obvious that it was somewhat tongue in cheek. Are you one of these people who needs to be slapped in the face with a cheesy yellow emoji or something?
When I say "somewhat", though, you should bear in mind it seems far easier to convince someone to strap a bomb to themselves and detonate it in a crowded marketplace when they're assured that won't be the end of all things for them. Of course there is a link between suicide and depression... just as, sometimes, there isn't. We could get into a discussion on whether or not extreme religious belief is evidence of a clear and intelligent mind as well, but you appear to be a fairly bright spark so that probably isn't necessary.
With regard to the bit in bold, I could say much the same thing though, regarding oversimplification. I've actually looked into suicide quite a bit, and what you said just there is also a gross generalisation. I broached the subject somewhere before, actually, might have even been on this forum. Was reading a study on suicide rates among young black folks in America.
Zin actually has a point in that post above mine. That depression is often linked to suicide is not evidence in and of itself that depression is the root cause. It just makes it a more agreeable solution to the sufferer.
You just need to realise that depression is more a symptom than a malady in itself.
My spell checker picks up the "z" in generalisation as a spelling error. Goddamned yanks. Although I did read somewhere your scientific community, at least, has finally agreed to start pronouncing "aluminium" correctly. It's a start, I suppose. .
My (brief) take on the subject? Suicide isn't a tragedy in itself. There are 7 billion people in the world, give or take, and quite frankly this "value of human life" thing has gotten entirely out of hand. Objectively speaking, we simply do not need so many of us running around, and if a few want to opt out, it's really no loss to anyone unless an emotional connection is involved. Trump, Clinton, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard could all off themselves tomorrow and, quite frankly, it would probably make me feel a little better... if anything at all.
If someone like Einstein or Da Vinci were contemplating it, though, I'd probably do my beast to talk them out of it. I prefer quality over quantity.
Well, maybe Amber as well. Face like that, could forgive the woman just about anything. One of the most annoying things about being male is that beauty is a smokescreen for all kinds of evil. Playing medieval 2, I found myself quite joyously assassinating the Pope at every opportunity, but one princess running around trying to marry one of my best generals? My finger just didn't want to click that mouse button.
Dammit.