Purpose of preserving lives

[gоd]

I noticed that quite a few people here actually spend their time trying to convince other visitors not to end their lives. I was wondering, why is it that you believe these lives to be important enough to actually put effort into trying to preserve them?

There are several general categories that I am aware of:

Religion - some religions teach that ending one's life is a sin. One may believe that by "saving" or "guiding" these "lost sheep", one will gain "credit" (for lack of a better term) from their deity that will increase their own chances of getting into paradise.

Ethics - one may believe in a "value of human life" or something along those lines.

Research - many people are not as open with psychologists and the like as they are on anonymous boards such as this.

Other - possibly some unrelated reason, or perhaps a combination of the ones mentioned.

In any case, these are just general reasons I can think of, it would be interesting to hear more detailed explanations.

And on a side note, I noticed a lot of users here are from the U.K., is it really such a depressing place?:eek:

 

[Ignored]

It is for some at the moment... lots of floods in the middle and south of the country... but the reason there are lots of Brits is that the site is based in the UK and the founder is British!

I believe that every life is worth saving (apart from mine, of course). Perhaps my beliefs come from all of the above... a religious perspective has a bearing, certainly and I do believe that people are more honest about their feelings on boards such as this. But then, I believe that all life (including animals etc) has value (except for the midgie I've just squished) not only humans. Maybe I'm a freak!?

 

[gоd]

It is for some at the moment... lots of floods in the middle and south of the country... but the reason there are lots of Brits is that the site is based in the UK and the founder is British!

I believe that every life is worth saving (apart from mine, of course). Perhaps my beliefs come from all of the above... a religious perspective has a bearing, certainly and I do believe that people are more honest about their feelings on boards such as this. But then, I believe that all life (including animals etc) has value (except for the midgie I've just squished) not only humans. Maybe I'm a freak!?

Interesting perspective, why would you think that anyone's life is more precious than yours?

 

[Esmeralda]

For me it's a combo of religion and Ethics. Although I don't believe I'm going to get any "credit" for saving someone that will increase my chances of going to Heaven or anything. If anything, I believe stopping someone from suicide increases THEIR chances.

Also, I know from experience that depression is temporary for some (not all) and can be managed, leading one to look back and be thankful they did not harm themselves when they were really down, and I think it's a real shame when someone doesn't give themselves a chance to live what COULD be a happy life.

 

[gоd]

For me it's a combo of religion and Ethics. Although I don't believe I'm going to get any "credit" for saving someone that will increase my chances of going to Heaven or anything. If anything, I believe stopping someone from suicide increases THEIR chances.

Also, I know from experience that depression is temporary for some (not all) and can be managed, leading one to look back and be thankful they did not harm themselves when they were really down, and I think it's a real shame when someone doesn't give themselves a chance to live what COULD be a happy life.

Hmm, well, what do you get out of increasing their chances?

Also, even if they could live a happy life, how is their life (and the quality thereof) relevant to you, and how is a single life relevant on the universal scale anyway?

 

[Esmeralda]

Hmm, well, what do you get out of increasing their chances?

Also, even if they could live a happy life, how is their life (and the quality thereof) relevant to you, and how is a single life relevant on the universal scale anyway?

I guess I don"t "get" anything out of it, per se, except for hopefully knowing I made someone feel a little bit less alone in the world, maybe stopping a family from having to go through the death of a loved one.

I guess it's not relevant to me in the sense that I may never even meet anyone here in person, but I think whatever a person can do to help another human being is a good thing, makes the world a little bit brighter, and I believe that to God, every single person matters equally and every life is precious.

 

[gоd]

I guess I don"t "get" anything out of it, per se, except for hopefully knowing I made someone feel a little bit less alone in the world, maybe stopping a family from having to go through the death of a loved one.

I guess it's not relevant to me in the sense that I may never even meet anyone here in person, but I think whatever a person can do to help another human being is a good thing, makes the world a little bit brighter, and I believe that to God, every single person matters equally and every life is precious.

Hmm, so apparently what you get out of it is a psychological boost, something along the lines of feeling better about yourself knowing you did something that you consider a good thing (even if you are not consciously aware of this process).

I guess your way of thinking does ultimately derive from your religious beliefs and the way you perceive your god (since you see him as a compassionate and loving god, you in turn want to exercise these qualities yourself).

 

[Esmeralda]

Hmm, so apparently what you get out of it is a psychological boost, something along the lines of feeling better about yourself knowing you did something that you consider a good thing (even if you are not consciously aware of this process).

I guess your way of thinking does ultimately derive from your religious beliefs and the way you perceive your god (since you see him as a compassionate and loving god, you in turn want to exercise these qualities yourself).

I suppose you are right. It is difficult to separate the idea of simply doing the "right" thing and the idea that there is no such thing as an unselfish good deed.

I believe that there are in fact unselfish good deeds, but that any good deed should and does make one feel better. I like to think that I would do the same regardless of the feeling that naturally comes along with doing what I perceive to be the compassionate thing, but there is really no way to know that for sure.

And yes, you put it quite succinctly when you say that I believe God to be compassionate and loving, and so I try to exhibit those same qualities...most of the time

 

[ybt]

LOL, I find it amazing how "god" has started this thread...

 

[Esmeralda]

Yeah but it's just "god" with a lowercase "g"...a demi-god at best

 

[White Dove]

I noticed that quite a few people here actually spend their time trying to convince other visitors not to end their lives. I was wondering, why is it that you believe these lives to be important enough to actually put effort into trying to preserve them?

There are several general categories that I am aware of:

Religion - some religions teach that ending one's life is a sin. One may believe that by "saving" or "guiding" these "lost sheep", one will gain "credit" (for lack of a better term) from their deity that will increase their own chances of getting into paradise.

Ethics - one may believe in a "value of human life" or something along those lines.

Research - many people are not as open with psychologists and the like as they are on anonymous boards such as this.

Other - possibly some unrelated reason, or perhaps a combination of the ones mentioned.

In any case, these are just general reasons I can think of, it would be interesting to hear more detailed explanations.

And on a side note, I noticed a lot of users here are from the U.K., is it really such a depressing place?:eek:

well first off i want to help and stop the hurting of everyone in pain... not just because it may be good deed or anything like that but because so many people are hurting and so many people need just at least one friend or one person that can care for them and i have tried to be that person because to me to see another person hurt really hurts me inside because i can understand their full pain and can feel it with the words they speak or in this case write .. erm.. does that make since???

as to being important enough? well i think everyone should have a second chance at a better life, at a life of love and care. now i will exclude me because i am really not worth anything especially to God cause i somehow hurt his minister or rather my niece did and i cant get that made right and i am already dying a slow death of a cancer that i cant cure nor any doctor can cure. so it is either end it my way or die a slow painful death , i choose to end it my way when things get too much and pain gets too hard.. but others that do not have a cancer has a second chance at life if they just try so while i am here i try to help them cause i love them...

probably combination to me or similar to what peanut said..

 

[ProzacDeathWish]

I must admit that I am frequently suspicious of the motives behind many of the "pro-lifers" on this forum..... ( sorry guys, just being honest )

I have no doubts that there exist a portion of genuine concern among some of you, but I still believe that many of you have somewhat tainted- motives..especially those whose religious views revolve
around a reward and punishment system.

Sort of like : "Save a sinner from suicide and win fabulous cash and prizes in heaven; not only that but you'll get to sit next to Jesus as he presents you with a shiny gold-plated halo to go with your diamond-encrusted mansion !!!"

Mmmm, no thanks.

 

[Esmeralda]

I must admit that I am frequently suspicious of the motives behind many of the "pro-lifers" on this forum..... ( sorry guys, just being honest )

I have no doubts that there exist a portion of genuine concern among some of you, but I still believe that many of you have somewhat tainted- motives..especially those whose religious views revolve
around a reward and punishment system.

Sort of like : "Save a sinner from suicide and win fabulous cash and prizes in heaven; not only that but you'll get to sit next to Jesus as he presents you with a shiny gold-plated halo to go with your diamond-encrusted mansion !!!"

BTW that is one SWEET picture of Britney Spears...I'm considering getting it tattooed across my back as a warning to pantiless girls everywhere.

 

[gоd]

well first off i want to help and stop the hurting of everyone in pain... not just because it may be good deed or anything like that but because so many people are hurting and so many people need just at least one friend or one person that can care for them and i have tried to be that person because to me to see another person hurt really hurts me inside because i can understand their full pain and can feel it with the words they speak or in this case write .. erm.. does that make since???

as to being important enough? well i think everyone should have a second chance at a better life, at a life of love and care. now i will exclude me because i am really not worth anything especially to God cause i somehow hurt his minister or rather my niece did and i cant get that made right and i am already dying a slow death of a cancer that i cant cure nor any doctor can cure. so it is either end it my way or die a slow painful death , i choose to end it my way when things get too much and pain gets too hard.. but others that do not have a cancer has a second chance at life if they just try so while i am here i try to help them cause i love them...

probably combination to me or similar to what peanut said..

I see, so you synchronize your pain with that of others, and by decreasing their pain it somehow eases yours?

Hmm, you are already the second person in this thread who considers their own life to be worth less than that of others.

If you are a Christian (correct me if I am mistaken), your view on the god is not quite correct. Along the lines of what Peanut said earlier in this thread, to the Christian god every life is equally precious, whether a minister or a sinner. Also, the Christian concept of god is that of a benevolent and forgiving entity, so if he could as far as forgive those who killed "his son", there is no reason for him not to forgive whatever you did to a minister.

 

[Bostonensis]

Sort of like : "Save a sinner from suicide and win fabulous cash and prizes in heaven; not only that but you'll get to sit next to Jesus as he presents you with a shiny gold-plated halo to go with your diamond-encrusted mansion !!!"

:laugh: I cannot say anything or even hmmmmmmm. You are thoroughly messed up beyond certainty.

Maybe you should look into the Mayan language.Rongorongo. This will straighten you out.:tongue:

 

[Bostonensis]

I am here becoz I also have the same desirous moments of being one with the river. Here also is a place to know some very deepest thoughts that mind can produce so I listen to them & practice this damn keyboard.

Do you have a family? What would you do if all of them commit suicide?

 

[Bostonensis]

Maybe the purposen is instinctual. Death is pain & nature's way is fight or flight. So we align ourselves with whatever we feel instinctively.To me that is not religious nor there is malice to it of whatever is the feeling beyond .

 

[Azul]

It's because you think of the people they're going to leave behind

 

[White Dove]

I see, so you synchronize your pain with that of others, and by decreasing their pain it somehow eases yours?

Hmm, you are already the second person in this thread who considers their own life to be worth less than that of others.

If you are a Christian (correct me if I am mistaken), your view on the god is not quite correct. Along the lines of what Peanut said earlier in this thread, to the Christian god every life is equally precious, whether a minister or a sinner. Also, the Christian concept of god is that of a benevolent and forgiving entity, so if he could as far as forgive those who killed "his son", there is no reason for him not to forgive whatever you did to a minister.

Its not the fact that he doesnt forgive me, of course he forgives me , at least i think he may or did or have or whatever??? And i dont recall saying anything in this thread about me being a christian.... I cant be a christian , i have way too much sin in me , etc....

the thing is according to what i have read in the bible and to my understanding , one cannot come to God when there is something wrong between a breathern or brother or whatever, i have to make it right before i can come to God and in this case i cant do that because i really dont know what happened or what went wrong.. i only have parts of it , parts of what was told by a family member of mine , with parts of what i found on my own computer , etc.. And i have tried numerouse times to correct it or even talk with the minister in question or his wife but they hate me so much so basically i am screwed , my life is screwed anyhow because God done let me have cancer , so he must not love me at all. The minister and his wife diffently dont love me or else they would have tried to contact me to tell me what went wrong, Heck ive tried so many times that i have given up on it, so i cant make things right with him , i cant come to God and i am screwed , so i give up and the way this dang cancer pain is hitting me night after night i will soon give up on my own life and end it in a few days anyhow and those that think i will not do it will soon find out i really did it and see me in the obits.. I have nothing and i mean nothing to lose cause i am dying anyway because of a stupid cancer God allowed me to have...

I know my family dont love me , i have no one close by that even cares and the only people who seem to care are online and half way across the world , and then those that are online in my own county have hurt me and really just pretended to love and care for me...
Just like the minister did..

You know , they ( the minister and his wife ) really meant a lot to me but i was so stupid and so dumb.. they never cared. they never had the love of God in them and they sure as heck dont care now. heck i even gave them an ultimatium the other day and basically told either they call or whatever or i would kill myself but i hung on for only one more week, just hoping they would at least call or come by and i could do what has to be done or whatever but i cant do that cause they dont care, they dont care about me or my soul , and i sure as heck am not gonna stay here and suffer a stupid pain of cancer and wait it out while i am alone, no freeking way am i going to do that.. without them or their love then i dont care myself and i am going to end it my way... believe it or not it is the truth and i have everything i need and i am going to stop my cancer pain my way... Now on the other hand if they had been here , if they had called , if they had been hear to help me spiritually then i would stay and fight it... but since even a minister has no care for me then i am not going to stay in constant pain and suffer alone , no way no how , and if the law wont let me then i will move to the state here in the good old usa that allows assisted suicide, even if i have to live in my freeking car...

i am not going to suffer this hard pain when no one is there to help me do it and seeing as how i cant make things right with those that somehow , somewhere , something went wrong at and no one wants to tell me what happened , what went wrong , they just assume i know yet they dont know that it was a family member of mine doiing it on my computer, etc and who knows they probably think it is a stupid lie or something when i say i dont know what happened but to honest to God it is the truth , i really dont know what happened and everyone wants to be hush , hush , on it , so yes stay quiet for all i care and i will stay quiet permantly in a week from now.

i have everything i need to complete it and this time i will not be revived when it happens, you can lock me up and threw away the key but thats not gonna make me eat, you can force feed me , but thats not going to do any good but cost the state out the hinney for it , or even if they come to get me , all i gotta do is go toward an officer with a knife or something , let them shoot me and end my life that way.. im dying anyhow so whats the dang point..

i have to die with a troubled mind instead a peaceful mind , so there is no difference anyhow, they dont care for me or my soul , and God sure as heck dont care for me if he did , he would not have let me have this cancer.. he can do miracles , he could have tooken it from me ,,no instead he made me suffer more , and im sick of this cancer , im sick of all these dang hardships , i have had enough , i have nothing to lose and i mean nothing to lose, everything i cared for is already lost , so basically i am ending it and no ones going to change my mind about it right now and it doesnt seem like anyone else can change that either ...

so yes i came here to help others ease their pain,, and as hard as the cancer pain hits me i still try to help others and ignore this stupid pain. i am battling both pains and trying to help others at the same time.. it is taking a strain upon me and a hard toll to my heart. i have a tattered and torn heart because i cant find out whats wrong , what went wrong , and you cant fix something when you know not what happened, so im screwed there.. i have a physical pain of a cancer that has spread to many parts and no cure , so i cant fix that and those that should be here to help me dont or rather wont because either they think in their minds its not real perhaps because of me and my stupid past but it is real , and it hurts , its a ppain i cant describe and then i got cut off the state insurance so i cant get on pain meds and that will more then likely be confirmed tomorrow when i speak with hospice.. if you dont got insurance or no money you are screwed, and im not gonna sit here and suffer this hard pain when i got nothing to live for , no one that loves me or cares for me close by, cause when i log of im alone , and theres no way in hell im going to stay and suffer like that , no way ... especially when i dont even have a minister to confide in that i really cared for and for his wife , they dont care for me and then i dont care to live. im just waiting on hospice and if they cant help me then im gone... i cant take pain anyhow and i have even surpriced myself by helping others here when i am in so much pain myself

sorry if this post offends anyone and i do apologize but this is the cold hard facts , the cold hard truth , and the cold hard feeling that i feel...

 

[gоd]

Its not the fact that he doesnt forgive me, of course he forgives me , at least i think he may or did or have or whatever??? And i dont recall saying anything in this thread about me being a christian.... I cant be a christian , i have way too much sin in me , etc....

the thing is according to what i have read in the bible and to my understanding , one cannot come to God when there is something wrong between a breathern or brother or whatever, i have to make it right before i can come to God and in this case i cant do that because i really dont know what happened or what went wrong.. i only have parts of it , parts of what was told by a family member of mine , with parts of what i found on my own computer , etc.. And i have tried numerouse times to correct it or even talk with the minister in question or his wife but they hate me so much so basically i am screwed , my life is screwed anyhow because God done let me have cancer , so he must not love me at all. The minister and his wife diffently dont love me or else they would have tried to contact me to tell me what went wrong, Heck ive tried so many times that i have given up on it, so i cant make things right with him , i cant come to God and i am screwed , so i give up and the way this dang cancer pain is hitting me night after night i will soon give up on my own life and end it in a few days anyhow and those that think i will not do it will soon find out i really did it and see me in the obits.. I have nothing and i mean nothing to lose cause i am dying anyway because of a stupid cancer God allowed me to have...

I know my family dont love me , i have no one close by that even cares and the only people who seem to care are online and half way across the world , and then those that are online in my own county have hurt me and really just pretended to love and care for me...
Just like the minister did..

You know , they ( the minister and his wife ) really meant a lot to me but i was so stupid and so dumb.. they never cared. they never had the love of God in them and they sure as heck dont care now. heck i even gave them an ultimatium the other day and basically told either they call or whatever or i would kill myself but i hung on for only one more week, just hoping they would at least call or come by and i could do what has to be done or whatever but i cant do that cause they dont care, they dont care about me or my soul , and i sure as heck am not gonna stay here and suffer a stupid pain of cancer and wait it out while i am alone, no freeking way am i going to do that.. without them or their love then i dont care myself and i am going to end it my way... believe it or not it is the truth and i have everything i need and i am going to stop my cancer pain my way... Now on the other hand if they had been here , if they had called , if they had been hear to help me spiritually then i would stay and fight it... but since even a minister has no care for me then i am not going to stay in constant pain and suffer alone , no way no how , and if the law wont let me then i will move to the state here in the good old usa that allows assisted suicide, even if i have to live in my freeking car...

i am not going to suffer this hard pain when no one is there to help me do it and seeing as how i cant make things right with those that somehow , somewhere , something went wrong at and no one wants to tell me what happened , what went wrong , they just assume i know yet they dont know that it was a family member of mine doiing it on my computer, etc and who knows they probably think it is a stupid lie or something when i say i dont know what happened but to honest to God it is the truth , i really dont know what happened and everyone wants to be hush , hush , on it , so yes stay quiet for all i care and i will stay quiet permantly in a week from now.

i have everything i need to complete it and this time i will not be revived when it happens, you can lock me up and threw away the key but thats not gonna make me eat, you can force feed me , but thats not going to do any good but cost the state out the hinney for it , or even if they come to get me , all i gotta do is go toward an officer with a knife or something , let them shoot me and end my life that way.. im dying anyhow so whats the dang point..

i have to die with a troubled mind instead a peaceful mind , so there is no difference anyhow, they dont care for me or my soul , and God sure as heck dont care for me if he did , he would not have let me have this cancer.. he can do miracles , he could have tooken it from me ,,no instead he made me suffer more , and im sick of this cancer , im sick of all these dang hardships , i have had enough , i have nothing to lose and i mean nothing to lose, everything i cared for is already lost , so basically i am ending it and no ones going to change my mind about it right now and it doesnt seem like anyone else can change that either ...

so yes i came here to help others ease their pain,, and as hard as the cancer pain hits me i still try to help others and ignore this stupid pain. i am battling both pains and trying to help others at the same time.. it is taking a strain upon me and a hard toll to my heart. i have a tattered and torn heart because i cant find out whats wrong , what went wrong , and you cant fix something when you know not what happened, so im screwed there.. i have a physical pain of a cancer that has spread to many parts and no cure , so i cant fix that and those that should be here to help me dont or rather wont because either they think in their minds its not real perhaps because of me and my stupid past but it is real , and it hurts , its a ppain i cant describe and then i got cut off the state insurance so i cant get on pain meds and that will more then likely be confirmed tomorrow when i speak with hospice.. if you dont got insurance or no money you are screwed, and im not gonna sit here and suffer this hard pain when i got nothing to live for , no one that loves me or cares for me close by, cause when i log of im alone , and theres no way in hell im going to stay and suffer like that , no way ... especially when i dont even have a minister to confide in that i really cared for and for his wife , they dont care for me and then i dont care to live. im just waiting on hospice and if they cant help me then im gone... i cant take pain anyhow and i have even surpriced myself by helping others here when i am in so much pain myself

sorry if this post offends anyone and i do apologize but this is the cold hard facts , the cold hard truth , and the cold hard feeling that i feel...

Hmm, I wasn't referring to it in that sense, I meant you being a Christian in terms of believing in the principles of the Christian religion.

I don't remember anything in the bible stating that one's salvation depends on others. If I am correct, as long as you are sincerely sorry for whatever you have done, it is not relevant whether the other side forgives you, since the god forgives you in that case. Besides, if as you said the minister refuses to forgive you and help you, then he is not qualified to be one, considering he is not following the main principle that Jesus was promoting. I think from the perspective of Christianity (if I am qualified to make such an assessment, not being a Christian myself), you are a better Christian than that minister.