Why Is Suicide a Sin? - Rev. Father Virap Ghazaryan, Pastor of the St. Etchmiadzin Church in Tbilisi, responds to the newspaper reporter’s questions.

Act of killing oneself is not just a sin; it is considered the worst sin.

Everyone commits sins, no matter how cautious one may be. The Lord Jesus said: “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven men.” Thus, we may conclude that Jesus calls his people unto repentance. Viewed from this perspective, through repentance we can be cleansed from our sins. If a man takes a life of another man and repents and acknowledges his crime, God will forgive him, while suicide deprives the person of further opportunities of salvation. By taking one’s own life, a man violates the Commandment of God: “Thou shall not kill.” If murder were not a grave sin, it would not be prohibited by the Ten Commandments.

Finally, a self-murderer will be judged as a murderer with no second chance for salvation after one’s death. God gives life and only God can take it away. As only God has the right to decide when life should end.

Could you name common causes of suicide?

There is no particular reason why some people end their lives. Reasons may vary. People, who have attempted suicide and failed, confess confusion and great distress over unresolved issues. They saw suicide as the only escape.

In many cases people, who want to commit suicide, suffer from mental illness. Sectarian instigation, unrequited love and other reasons can also bring one to the verge of suicide.

Hence we may assume that suicide may be committed for personal motives.

How to prevent suicide?

It is important to be a Healthy Christian, because Christianity is a religion of life and living, love and forgiveness, it is about helping others and being merciful. God gave us life through Christ. To my mind, before taking any action, one should talk to a clergyman, as only the clergyman can determine the overall risk and degrees of sin.

Unfortunately, self-murderers, before killing themselves, don’t talk and don’t ask for help. Of course, there were cases when they confessed and it was prevented through prayer and advice.

In other words, a man must speak to change one’s mind. In my opinion, only a clergyman can do that.