On Suicide, pt. 1/3

We’re living in a time when it doesn’t only feel as if suicide is on the rise, it is. While suicide has always existed in the human experience since the Fall, it has steadily been on the rise in Canada since the 1950s when it was only 5 deaths/100K. Today it is 15+ deaths/100K (this is similar to a peak in the 1970s).[1] In the USA it has increased 36% since the year 2000.[2] The stats are also eschewed because attempted suicides are not recorded, a higher category amongst women, and also because MAiD isn’t considered suicide by StatsCan. As of 2019, most suicides happen amongst those middle aged, though there a variety of factors why certain groups or individuals succumb to suicide.[3]
​
However, statistics shield the reality that each represents a person. Today, hardly anyone or any family escapes suicide’s tragic effect. Whether it be MAiD or classic instances, suicide has even been described as a present epidemic, being one of the leading causes of death in the USA.[4] Clearly, we must be informed on the subject, as hard as the reality may be.

This is not a mere intellectual exercise either, nor should our experience or emotions be the primary guide. I don’t write here emotionally detached, from as early as high school I was confronted with suicide amongst friends. My own childhood friend committed suicide as an adult, there have been attempted suicides in my extended family and I’ve had youth and adults connected to my churches kill or attempt to kill themselves. While this doesn’t make me an expert it does, along with professional training, provide an opportunity to comment on suicide from a theological perspective. Christians must be equipped to deal with suicide, which sadly given the state of our culture and like many other things, is only going to get worse.

This multi-part blog series will seek to answer:

What is suicide and what does the Bible say about it?
How can we help minister to those considering suicide/or who suffer as its result?
What about a profession Christian who commits suicide?


[1] https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11293-8

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html

[3] https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html