Wednesday, November 19, 2008

SUICIDE

The correctness of an action changes with time in response to what works for survival. A hundred years ago it was correct and intelligent to have a large family to share the work load and to populate the world with allies. This ancient reasoning is still being used by the Catholic Church to support its stand against birth control and abortion. Through large families the Catholic Church continues to grow in number and power. Most people feel, however, that today it is more correct and intelligent to limit the size of families in order to control excessive population growth and to limit the stress on our natural resources. A smaller size family today has a better chance of survival and growth in terms of education the young and acquiring material goods.

It is more important for the whole to survive rather than the parts. The whole of life is more important than the whole of mankind and mankind is more important than the individual. In the old days, a feeble Native American would roll off the horse drawn drag on the way to the winter camp ground to die alone. They felt that to continue their life would harm the chances of survival for the tribe. Today’s modern man must also have the right to end his life if it appears that its continuation would destroy or bankrupt the family. This is no different than the war hero who attacks the enemy bunker single handed with certain loss of his life in order to protect his comrades and country. When suicide is done as an unselfish act for the whole, it is heroic. When it is done for selfish reasons, such as escaping fear, pain, humility, or boredom, it is cowardly. This is because the unique talents of the departed may be needed by the whole for its survival or growth at some future time.

It is strange to see so many people of the world try so hard to cure all disease, prevent all war, eliminate all abortions, executions and famine; and then, also worry about pollution and over population. We humans must be willing to adjust or eliminate the worship of certain qualities and actions which threaten the whole of man and the whole of life. The worship of large families and long life, at all costs, must be re-evaluated with modern problems and goals in mind. Instead being seen as a sin, suicide should be considered a solution to some of the problems facing the world.

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