Suicide is Unlawful and Morally Wrong

It may be difficult to know what justification anybody may have to take away his or her life in an undignified way other than waiting for that life to be ended in a humane way. When a human being decides to take away his or her life, it makes that life wasted on the person. Human life is a priceless commodity in that the existence of every human being has a purpose which cannot be defined by man himself because he cannot bring himself into being. Terminating one's life aborts this purpose and defeats the very reason why that existence was there in the first place. Human life should therefore be treasured and each human being to make the best out of his or her life. This essay will make an attempt to show that committing suicide is both unlawful and morally wrong.

A duty is a moral, legal or religious obligation and therefore spells out the expectations of every human being in any one of these circles. It's always human nature to expect an appreciation or a reward after a work well done. However, most of the times, we do what we have to in order to get that inner satisfaction which comes after we understand our roles even if there would be no reward waiting for us. One way of doing this is by accepting ourselves regardless of the way we are or the situations that are surrounding us. In this context, these obligations are clearly outlined with relevance to the above topic. This would show that we value and respect the sanctity of life. The existence of man is communal. That is, every human being should be concerned and care about other people's welfare. This is a moral obligation to every one and it is therefore not right for any one to think that he can do without others.

Why Suicide is Wrong

Suicide can never be right under whatever circumstances. First and foremost, it kills the purpose of existence. Suicide has claimed many lives of productive people thereby creating a gap which cannot be filled by another human being since every human being is unique and has a definite purpose. This gap can be emotional or physical. People who closely attached to the victim or who were dependants to him or her are left with deep sorrow and pain. It is therefore a selfish act because it harms others. It is therefore prudent to think how other people will be affected by the consequences of such unwise actions (Lickerman 1).

Some people opt to commit suicide as a way of alleviating pain or suffering when they have a terminal illness or disease. This is also wrong because death is not optional, just as no one can choose whether to be born. Death is inevitable to man and should therefore be left to happen at its own time. All human beings ought to understand that they are just stewards of the life that they have because it does not belong to them. The question of when life should end should be left to the Creator alone who takes it at His will. Determining when one's life is to be terminated is overstepping one's mandate and is tantamount to taking the place of the Creator. A court denied Mrs. Diane Pretty who was suffering from a terminal disease any legal rights to terminate her life with the help of her husband because it was inconsistent with the law. This is because granting Mrs. Pretty her wish would have been like letting her to decide the conditions of her death. The court would also have taken away her right to life (Doyal & Doyal 1).

Most people who commit suicide refuse to give fate a chance because every problem has a solution. Problems are only temporary whereas suicide is irreversible. Fate may give you another chance to make up for any mistake especially if you are not suffering from a terminal disease. Many people focus too much on a problem to the point of depression forgetting that life is dynamic and must go on. Focusing on the flip side only of one's life is not fair because life has so much to offer to each and every one of us (Colombo, C. 1998). Depression caused by suffering from a terminal illness also makes people to turn to assisted suicide. These people can be talked out of such situations (Golden 1).

Committing suicide also disapproves the Creator. Our Creator was not wrong when He created every human being. He knew the intentions and purpose for each one of us. Taking away one's life is like man correcting his Creator which is impossible. We should accept whatever is given to us without complaining or giving any conditions because man is not bigger than his Creator. A person who commits suicide owes a lot to the people who gave him or her that life. Right from conception up to the time when a person is considered mature enough to take care of him or herself, a lot has been given to him or her. It is therefore proper to honor those people by living life to its full length.

Summary

Suicide can never be the best solution to any problem no matter how complex it looks to the sufferer. Survivors have expressed deep regrets why they ever attempted it and have to live with this guilt for the rest of their lives. The varied reasons given by survivors are not genuine at all because they are not unique. It is good to understand that many other people have been in worse off situations and they cling on to the end. According to psychiatrists, committing suicide can be stopped if the victims are talked out of these self destruction plans and shown how precious their lives and contributions to others are.