bart@alice.UucP (Bart N. Locanthi) (03/08/86)
some of the recent discussion and bible-quoting on suicide prevention got
me to wondering about the influence of religion on suicide and a culture's
attitude toward same.
it seems clear from recent postings that the christian attitude is both
negative (you'll insult god and go to hell) and evangelistic ("no, don't
do it! call for help!!").
on the other hand, the japanese attitude seems quite different. far from
preventing it, their attitude comes across as 1) understanding that suicide
is something one does when living with shame is far worse and 2) the duty
of one's best friend is not to prevent the suicide but to help one carry
it through as honorably as possible. i'm sure it takes a substantial load
off one's mind to know that one will die even if one screws up doing it.
it seems a good deal to be able to join one's ancestors sooner and build
up a bit of honor in one fell swoop (so to speak).
since most japanese are shinto regardless of their religion, it may be
fair, if inaccurate, to classify it as more superstition than religion,
particularly given the ritualistic nature of some shrine activities (ie,
tying prayers around tree branches). whatever shinto is, it is certainly
not evangelistic.
apologies in advance if this analysis of shinto offends, but i offer it
only as background to ask the following question. does anyone out there
know what the official moslem position on suicide is? being both patently
evangelistic and superstitious, my only guess is something characteristically
nutty like hacking fingers off surviving suicides as punishment for the sin
of suicide, hacking up bodies of successful suicides so they will be crippled
in the afterlife, and hacking up attempted suicides until they get better.
i am curious to learn what the real story is.