One of the characteristics of both Judaism and Christianity is the high regard accorded to the individual with the expectation that the individual is to exercise his or her moral agency in the face of general indifference and/or active opposition. Biblical passages addressed to a “you plural” in which the collective addressee is constituted as a moral agent are commonplace, but so are passages, such as Psalms 1, 15, 112 and Ezekiel 18, in which the individual is the moral agent constituted in discourse.
Unfortunately, NRSV and a number of other recent translations obscure the difference by the indiscriminate use of the plural in cases in which the use of the singular in the source text is significant.
In the slipstream of the emphasis on the individual as the seat of moral agency, in post-biblical times, the social dimensions of personal acts were often left to one side. Something like suicide is thought of primarily in terms of its grievous lack of harmony with the stated will of a God who desires life and not death (see Ezekiel 18; in particular, 18:32). Over against biblical literature, which narrates examples of suicide and death-wishes with understanding if not approval, the Sages in Jewish tradition and the Church Fathers in Christian tradition are generally more concerned to leave those who might commit suicide without excuse.
In our times, the situation is different again. Awareness of the social dimensions of personal acts is so strong that if anything the tendency is to provide even the most heinous acts with a justification.
The approach of biblical literature to ethics might be understood as a middle ground, neither anti-communitarian (as so much of libertarianism is) nor anti-“individual rights and responsibilities” (contemporary approaches to ethics tend to overlook duties and emphasize rights).
In the cases of suicide, euthanasia without the consent of the killed, and assisted suicide, the questions cannot be avoided. Whose crime (if any)? Whose punishment? Whose rights? Whose responsibility?
Below, an outline of a 90 minute module in a course entitled "The Bible and Current Events." Follow the links and you pretty much have it.
The Bible and Suicide
Reflections on Suicide
The Suicide of Jochen Klepper, Johanna Stein, and Renate Stein
Clips: Teen Suicide
The Right to Refuse Artificial Means of Prolonging Life
Small Group Discussion
Assigned Texts: Judges 16:23-31; Jonah [the whole book; specifically, 4:1-11];
Matthew 27:3-10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 1 Corinthians 13
Essay Topic: Whose Crime? Whose Punishment? Suicide as Social Drama
Required reading for essay: Suicide in the Ancient World;
Jewish Law Rejects Assisted Suicide; Suicide in Jewish Literature and Tradition
I don't think that one needs to be Jewish or Christian or have any type of religion to view suicide as a tragedy.
Still I do not judge those who have taken their lives -- perhaps there are circumstances where suicide is hard to condemn (e.g., the many Jews in Poland and elsewhere who committed suicide after being ordered to assemble for transport to death camps.)
The standard reasoning for the commandment against suicide is that one's body belong to God, not the individual. This same reasoning is often used to condemn abortion.
But for me, here is a paradox: a logical parallel to commandment against suicide is the commandment against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28. If one's body belongs to God, one cannot damage it or mark it without good reason. Even if some think that this commandment lacks the gravity of the commandment against suicide, it is hard to see a logical chain of reasoning which says that voluntary tattoos are permissible among those who hold that one's body belongs to God.
But it seems that the prohibition against tattoos is not taken seriously by many Christians. For example, I am not aware of any serious effort to ban tattoo parlors in the way that religious leaders inveigh against doctor-assisted suicide. I am not aware of any widespread effort to picket tattoo parlors and give patrons literature warning them about the consequences of using tattoo parlors.
This leads me to believe that for at least some Christians, the prohibitions against suicide and abortion are derived from socio-cultural factors rather than rigorous theology or examination of Biblical ethics.
Posted by: Theophrastus | February 27, 2011 at 09:30 PM
Well, to what extent is tattooing mutilation, Theophrastus? Is it comparable with, say, wearing an earring or nose ring? I would say that logically that would be worse, since it involves creating a wound in your skin and then adorning the wound with jewelry.
The difference is that tattooing is a permanent effect with a temporary wound, whereas wearing earrings/nose rings is a consistent wound.
One could say that the skin is made to handle tattoos, or that the nose or ear lobe are made for adornment, given their general lack of sensitivity or cartilage.
But the body is not made for death.
Posted by: Gary Simmons | February 27, 2011 at 10:18 PM
Very interesting topic, Theophrastus. Here's my take on the question.
Christians tend to use a variety of syllogisms to uphold, subvert, or radicalize Torah prohibitions. My own sense is that the syllogisms have analogies in Judaism; in particular, Reform Judaism.
When I say this, I do not mean to suggest that the process of innovation is always for the better.
I have argued at length that Judaism and Christianity, for most of their history, took two steps back from Leviticus 25 before taking one step forward very recently, on the question of slavery.
Go here for links to the series:
http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2010/03/the-abolition-of-slavery-in-leviticus-25-some-preliminaries.html
Lines of halakhic reasoning in both Judaism and Christianity tend to consolidate long-standing cultural identities and innovate at the same time.
More lenient-minded branches of Judaism, such as the Reformed and Reconstructionist movements, are less insistent about mitzvot having to do with tattoos and shellfish than with those that deal with suicide and abortion.
It's a no-brainer, isn't it? Suicide and abortion tend to be considered, in modern ethical-speak, "tragedies," whereas shellfish and tattoos are not.
Here are excerpts from a comment by a Reformed rabbi:
As I said, in general, tattoos are a fairly mild form of offense to the Jewish prohibition against maiming one's body, based on the verse: "You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:28).
Modern tattoos are nothing more than a small amount of ink just under the surface of the skin -- not much of a gash.
[snip]
Although I do talk to young people about these concerns, it is my belief that tattooing is a fairly minor violation of the sanctity that Judaism ascribes to the body. I am more concerned about the habits of young people that present real danger to the sanctity of the body -- smoking, excessive drinking and illegal drugs.
For Rabbi Jeffrey Wolfson Goldwasser's full comments, go here:
http://judaism.about.com/od/beliefsandlaw1/f/tattoos.htm
In the part of his comment I do not reproduce, Goldwasser, as I do as a pastor and for similar reasons, discourages tattoos.
It is also possible to argue that taboos (and I don't use the word pejoratively; the entertainment industry, perhaps by definition, is the one institution that does not understand the importance of taboos) against tattoos and shellfish no longer apply since tattoos and shellfish "signify" something very different from what they did in ancient Israel.
In the context of mourning rituals, not allowing people to gash themselves (but still allowing them to pull out their hair, etc.) can be understood to be the product of ethical genius and, I would say as a believer, divine inspiration.
The same can be said about kashrut rules of diet, which set Israel apart and sanctify it in wondrous ways.
Once Judaism is divorced from the task of sanctification of one particular bloodline over against another, rules like these tend to fall by the wayside. By definition Christianity is a movement originating in Judaism which sought to make said divorce work. But, as my wife says to couples in marriage prep, if marriage is forever, divorce is forever and ever. The complications remain.
On closer examination, I think you will find that disapproval of abortion, homosexuality, and taking one's own life are commonplace among Catholic, Orthodox, and evangelical Christians precisely because, as you put it, one's body belongs to God.
Let's be honest: even something as innocuous as masturbation is unconscionable if you believe that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. At the very least, it is another (though relatively minor) tragedy.
Posted by: JohnFH | February 27, 2011 at 10:42 PM
Davar akher, Gary. {Another take.)
I treat bodily wounds more casuistically than you do perhaps (casuistry, like taboo, is a word unfairly considered to refer to something we should denounce per se).
I will purposely make a waitress feel uncomfortable if I have to put up with her talking to me with a tongue-ring in her mouth, or a nose-ring. The same goes for a waiter.
I may also embarrass someone with gaudy tattoos, especially if they say offensive things.
I do these things *after* having established that I respect them as human beings in other ways, for their sense of humor, their shyness that hides genius, etc.
But I don't do the same if someone is wearing earrings or whose tattoos are unobtrusive and inoffensive in wording.
That makes me a casuist. Long live casuism.
Posted by: JohnFH | February 27, 2011 at 10:53 PM
Gary, I note your opinion. But your reasoning here is purely secular, with no reference to Scripture (which is the point of my last paragraph).
Posted by: Theophrastus | February 28, 2011 at 02:36 AM
Truman 1,
Suicide is seen in the Bible however it is not looked at an acceptable choice to be made. I look at Judges and see how God did allow Samson to become strong and powerful one last time to kill the Philistines that were inside this house. Samson knew that he was to die with the Philistines, but he knew that he was killing many more of them in the process. So I don’t know if God was saying it was okay in this case for Samson to commit suicide because he granted him this last wish but I do know that the Lord was listening and allowed it to happen. It may have been that the death of Samson was for the greater good because so many Philistines would be killed in the process as well. I am not sure why the Lord felt it was fit to grant him this wish knowing what he was about to do.
Posted by: Truman 1 | March 03, 2011 at 02:56 PM
Truman 1
In the Book of Jonah God takes a different approach when asked about suicide. Jonah asks God if he could die because it was better then living when he was angry. God does not offer this to Jonah but does give him a bush for shade from the sun. This pleased Jonah and then God had a worm destroy the bush and Jonah is again angry. God in this case does not think that it is okay for Jonah to die. I think that a possible reason that God does not help Jonah is because he does not think that Jonah has just reason for wanting to die. In the case for Samson I feel that he had the idea of a greater good coming from his death. Jonah was feeling sorry for himself for how everything was going and Samson just wanted to honor God by eliminating the Philistines who were dangerous and killed many people.
Posted by: Truman 1 | March 03, 2011 at 03:10 PM
I also feel that you don’t need to be either Christian or Jewish in order to view suicide as a tragedy. That actually has nothing to do with it. Suicide in general is a tragedy and we as human beings realize that, not based on what religion we are. I also think that people aren’t compassionate enough towards suicide. They always say, “Nothing is that bad, they shouldn’t have done that”, we should be upset about this suicide because maybe there was something that we could have done in return in order to help these people. Maybe their situation was just too bad and they couldn’t deal with it anymore. Overall it is there decision.
Posted by: Devon Hudak | March 12, 2011 at 04:53 PM
I also feel that you don’t need to be either Christian or Jewish in order to view suicide as a tragedy. That actually has nothing to do with it. Suicide in general is a tragedy and we as human beings realize that, not based on what religion we are. I also think that people aren’t compassionate enough towards suicide. They always say, “Nothing is that bad, they shouldn’t have done that”, we should be upset about this suicide because maybe there was something that we could have done in return in order to help these people. Maybe their situation was just too bad and they couldn’t deal with it anymore. Overall it is there decision.
Posted by: Shawshank Redemption 4 | May 03, 2011 at 05:13 PM