Atheists: Against suicide or don't care? You don't believe in sin, so who cares, right?
by 
jae3214
ANSWERS: 48
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That's right. For that matter, atheists don't care about cold-blooded murder either. Yes, that's sarcasm. So yet again, let's consider the positions of these godless atheists. The only attribute that can be applied to all of them is that they have no belief in gods. That's it. An atheist's morals do not extend to any other atheist any more than his love of ham does. For the record, THIS atheist doesn't care much for suicide, as it is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. However, if a person has a permanent problem, such as a painful terminal illness, then I believe he should have every right to end that pain through suicide.
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I think it can destroy more lives than it intends to. Morality and ethics aren't unique to Christianity (rather, they are more often distorted by it), we learn and suffer too. That being said, I'm an Agnostic, not an Athiest.
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The only thing Atheism defines is lack of belief in a god or gods. It does not mean someone 'doesn't care' about other human beings. Atheist views on this will vary from individual to individual you can't make a blanket statement on their morality because Atheism has nothing to do with that. Some Atheists will believe that suicide is wrong, others will say it is acceptable under some circumstances and some may very well 'not care' as you put it.
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oh yes.. just because we dont believe in sins means we dont believe in right and wrong. STUPID. its not like we want people to die either.
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I'm not pro or con suicide i think that is a choice that you make on your own regardless if you are atheist or not. I'm an atheist and as you said i don't believe in sin but i do believe in right and wrong so if i feel that what I'm doing is wrong i wont do it.
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Your Q leans toward the idiotic, to assert the assumption that atheists lack compassion for their fellow man, just because they do not believe in a diety is absurd if not just plain ignorant of the facts. One does not have to believe in a God or religoin to show compassion or concern for his fellow man.
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Atheist do not use the word "sin", because that has theological connotations. But they tend to be against hurting people in any way. And suicide usually hurts people all around, which an atheist regards as bad. My own personal interpretation of sin is "hurting people", so I would say I am against sin. But theists tend to say that people living together without getting married are "living in sin" and it is a sin not to go to church on Sunday, or to use certain rude words. Since I a mot against those things (well, I don't like the words, but I do not regard them as evil) I would say that I am not against sin /in the way that theists use the word/. I am against sin in the way I use the word.
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because morals are outside religion, it's still a touchy issue
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It isn't sin that makes suicide tragic, it's the loss of the only life you've got. Since heaven, hell, reincarnation, or other afterlives are extremely unlikely to be real, I think most atheists value life more than those who delude themselves with pretty wishful thinking about second chances. However, suicide to avoid an otherwise unavoidably painful death, however, is something I'd consider myself.
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Generalization-It's the new cool thing!
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suicide has nothing to do with atheism...suicide is a loss..period.
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Wrong. This conclusion and association doesn't say much for your logic and reasoning skills, to say nothing of your power of observation. This is based on a premise that you only value life if you believe in one or more deities, and that is patently and observably untrue. Further, there is a underlying assumption that suicide is a sin. I find that highly suspect. I think that an omnipresent deity (such as the one that sin is associated with - Yahweh) would know all about mental illness, etc. Finally, you have a really callous, disturbing underlying assumption that the only reason one would care about suicide is because it is a sin...not because of the pain someone went through that would drive them to such an act, not the loss experienced by the person's friends and family, not the loss of that person and his/her talent and contributions to the world... The only thing you have focused on is the sin aspect.
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I don't think they're damned but I generally prefer people while they're alive. I will try to keep people from killing themselves. Just like any other biophilliac. However, in the even that I or any other individual is in irreversible pain (be it physical or emotional or both)then he or she has the right to opt for suicide. For example, a terminal illness. But again, I like the living.
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There are many, many other meaningful activities for one to enjoy life doing without concerning oneself with the existence of a diety. Life isn't quite that black-and-white for most thoughtful folks! ;-)
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Atheist: evil, right! WTF!!
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Well you've managed to insult a few people. Good, christian work there sonny. Just what jesus woulda done. You could have asked the question far more politely. Still. I am ambivalent toward suicide. I certainly do not think that a person committing suicide goes straight to hell and should be buried outside consecrated ground and other such superstitious nonsense. The advice I have given people contemplating it (I've been on suicide watch for a couple of friends, talked a girl off a bridge and carried one out of a tree in the middle of the night over the years): Hang on, just this time. You do it now and you cannot ever change your mind, ever. You hang on to life this week, you can always choose again next week. Well, that and reminding them that they are significant to someone, or we wouldn't be here asking them not to go. In the end though, it is their choice. We, the living, will have to deal with the consequences which ain't that fair, but who said life was fair?
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I am completely against suicide because i believe every human life is important, even more so that religious people because of the fact that i believe this is the only life we will get, there is no afterlife, and everyone should live it to the fullest. So are you saying that the only reason you disagree with suicide is because the bible tells you its wrong?
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Well dear, sin is about making you feel guilty and believe me, a lot of guilt comes around when you think of suicide. Except that being an atheist you feel guilty about hurting the ones you love instead of feeling guilty for breaking some random rule.
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Your are right, there is no god so the concept of sin is irrelevant. I feel suicide is acceptable in certain situations (terminal illnesses, etc). Having said that, suicide, like murder, ends the life of an conscious, intelligent life. That is a loss, and it should be avoided.
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as utterly insulting this question is, i'm going to answer it. suicide is selfish & cowardly. i would never encourage or support it. so no, you're wrong. i'm an atheist & i care about human lives, religious or otherwise.
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Not exactly, no. You are right in asserting the irrelevance of sin, although I'm not really sure if religious people value life in relation to sin either, but I value life in terms of the individual, their family & social networks, their experiences, their potential to do 'good'. Even in a situation in which I felt a person was justified in ending their life I would still council against it.
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Despite your loaded and judgemental question I'll answer. You're right - there is no such thing as sin outside the religious mind. But just because something isn't sinful doesn't mean it's smart. In most cases I think suicide stupid - a permanent solution to a temporary problem, as they say. But in cases where someone is in a permanent decline, in pain that will not ever end, or something like that - I haven't a problem.
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Why would an atheist think that suicide is okay? Atheists don't believe in an afterlife so this life is all they have. They cherish this life more than believers. I would say believers would be more likely to think of suicide as okay since they think there is more after this life.
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An atheist should worry more than a religious person. Your question makes no sense.
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You religious freaks are all such equal opportunity dumb asses!
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Don't put words into my mouth, Theist. I care, all life is important, Religious or not. And I do believe there are times that suicide should be an option.
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Kill yourself. I honestly don't care. Usually I would care, but for you I'll make an exception.
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Suicide is the pussies way out. Our time on earth is all we have so we'd damn sure better make the most of it. I don't believe in heaven, but I wouldn't mind seeing the earth come close to its description.
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Just because a person does not believe in a higher power does not mean he or she does not care about life and other human beings. That makes NO since whatsoever.
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What a stupid fucking question. so, what you are saying is that the only reason people don't commit suicide because it's a "mortal sin?" What planet are you from? You know, Christianity is relatively new and ther eare other people on this planet that existed before Christianity that have committed suicide. The Japanese and Harakiri, 'ellooooo? How about this, Einstein....I am FOR living and AGAINST taking my own life because I like living. Gasp, what a concept!
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If someone wants to kill themselves then it's there choice, I couldn't care less either way.
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Suicide is a personal decision. I wouldn't commit suicide, but I am suicide pro-choice. It's up to the individual if they wish to continue to live or not. I would not try to help or stop them.
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Why would anyone deem a personal philosophy as opposed to a relgious belief indicative of callousness? I no unnerstand (other than the overt self-superiority built right into the question!)! ;-)
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jeez, see that's the problem with some religious folk, they think that just because one doesn't walk around with a rulebook from some deity that they have no morality. There's nothing good about suicide for those who lose someone, I lost my father, he committed suicide, I am an athesit..it sucked. As for myself, I wouldn't want to have my life come to a point where I would not want to live any longer, that too would suck...especially if I thought death was the only escape. Now from my point of view, suicide is even worse for atheists because there is no afterlife, or at least not a religious one..it's game over, no afterparty. Wheras the religious can (if they don't think you burn in hell for eternity for it) hope they or their loved one who offed themselves, might go to heaven and be happier. But in the end I think it's my life, my body and if I should find myself wanting to do me in, well then it should be my choice to do so.
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Must you egg them on? Why does it bother you so much?
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I don't believe in Alien Anal Probing but I still would hate to think someone would have to suffer it. However, I am willing to make an exception for religious authors of inflammatory questions!
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I am all for atheists and others commiting suicide if it will get a seat at my local pub.
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I normally don't answer questions with 40 answers, but this one is important, and maybe I'm lucky and someone will actually read it sometime. I don't care if people commit suicide as long as it's the best choice out of all choices. Sometimes people really don't have much choice and are suffering, then they should end the suffering. However, I'm against suicide in most cases because the people don't fully grasp what they are doing. There often is hope left, and especially if one kills oneself at a young age, this is horrible because there is so much of life left and time for things to become good again.
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I'm not an atheist myself, but I know very well that atheism means "without gods" and not "without conscience" like you seem to presuppose with your question.
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I'm not an Atheist, however I imagine the pro-suicides can not answer this question for obvious reasons.
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You haven't really thought this through, have you?
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Once more, all together now, the only thing that atheists have in common is that they don't believe in a deity. Whether someone believes in sin is not something that the label 'atheist' is applied to, just as the issue of whether or not to wear makeup isn't an atheist issue. I know you want to group atheists together into some sort of organized club so you can have something to attack, but it's just not like that. This is like asking whether people who don't play football are opposed to colorizing old black and white movies. That question just doesn't make sense. Now, most atheists that I know are opposed to suicide. For ethical reasons. You do understand that people can ask ethically without some ancient book to tell them what to do, right?
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Against suicide in most cases -- it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
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Oh, the old chestnut: atheists have no morals! I wouldn't describe it as a 'moral' but no I don't agree with suicide. I don't agree with it because of how it hurts those you leave behind, the pain and betrayal. And as for people who throw themselves under trains or buses, traumatising the drivers and bystanders and leaving people to clean them up in pieces afterwards, well that is shameful. That said, I understand that people are often not in their right minds when they do this - and I have compassion. I am also pro assisted-suicide for terminally ill people who want to die. After all, we put animals out of their misery. There is this idea that people who are not Christian cannot have morals. Morals vary - religions and societies across the world have always created their own, and atheists also create their own, based on human ideals such as not causing hurt and helping others. Those kind of beliefs are not solely the prerogative of religious people. If anything, I believe it is better to come to them yourself, than to be 'moral' or charitable because 'God' ordains it.
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Before i start, I am Agnostic, NOT athiest. I don't see that the subjects of religion and suicide are even connected (they may be to you, if your religion considers this a sin) Your question is ignorant. Atheists may not recognise this as a sin, but this does not mean they don't have a good understanding of right and wrong, good or bad. You seem to think because they have no religion, that they also have no morals or values. This is not true. it seems to be religion people, that are ignorant and intolerant towards non-believers, just because they do not blindly submit to the word of god (which conveniently was written by man)
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As an atheist I am internally motivated to care about life and others. I care because I want to, not because I'm afraid I'll wind up in hell for breaking one of Gods rules. Of course the flip side of that coin is when I don't care about something it's because I don't want to and I have to take personal responsibility for that. You should try it.
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Who the hell are we to decide for you to live or die! You have to decide it by yourself. If you don't care about your family and dependent.. what an atheist can do...
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Suicide doesnt have a thing to do with religion. However, religion has been responsible for millions of deaths.
MrJosh 
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