Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.[1 Sam 31:4-5]
see Article http://makeashorterlink.com/?V6CB36B7C
Suicide = Self Murder - Thou shalt do no murder
For thought and discussion.
Jews and Christians have traditionally considered suicide to be a sin, and for those who count such, a mortal sin.
The Bible doesn't use the word suicide - but does speak of murder as we have seen above. Stories of it include Judas who hung himself, Saul, who fell on his sword, Abimelech who didn't wish to die by a woman's hand, and Sampson who took a house full of the enemy with him.
Several early church councils had disciplinary canons about it.
A bit later we have Augustine
The law, rightly interpreted, even prohibits suicide, where it says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ This is proved especially by the omission of the word ‘thy neighbor’, which are inserted when false witness is forbidden in the commandment there is no limitation added nor exception made in favor of any one, and least of all in favor of him on whom the command is laid! (Augustine, book I, chapter 20)
Finally, a look at the Roman and Greek thought on suicide: The Cynic and Epicurean schools accepted it to avoid dishonor, grief, or service; but otherwise it was seen as dishonorable. Roman law prohibited it in some circumstances: for example soldiers and slaves.
Closely connected to the issue of physician-assited suicide in the ancient world is the Hippocratic Oath, the first samples have in the first Century Roman Empire:
I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.
msc
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