Does the concept of reincarnation deter suicide ?

[aneeshm]

Does it ? Knowing that death is not liberation should deter suicide . I don't have the statistics , I haven't bothered to look them up , and I don't want anyone who has them to post them , because I want the discussion to proceed along purely hypothetical and logical lines .

 

[silver 2039]

Not really. People might kill themselve hoping to get a better deal.

 

[Cheetah]

Yeah, if I truly believed that there was another life after this one (be that reincarnation or heaven), and my current life sucks, and I see no way to improve it, etc, etc. Then it would be very easy to commit suicide and see where I end up next.

Kinda like if you don't like your starting position in Civ, and you start a new game.

 

[skadistic]

Kinda like if you don't like your starting position in Civ, and you start a new game.

Awsome analogy.

 

[Tycoon101]

I don't know. I have to go with other, because I do not know the full details of reicarnation doctrine.

 

[Truronian]

As Cheetah said, I think we'd get a lot of restarts. It all depends on whether past lives affect those in the future... people would possibly less suicidal if they were in danger of coming back as an aphid.

 

[Red Stranger]

It might. What if you come back as a lab rat?

 

[Red Stranger]

It would be a dangerous thing if reincarnation was adopted by Islam. Then all the radical islamist will be motivated to do more suicide bombings. Before you get angry that I bring Islam into this, notice I said "radical islamist" and not just "islamist." If I add "radical" then I'm not generalizing to the whole population.

 

[aneeshm]

A rebirth is not a fresh start . You carry the karmic baggage of all pervious births before you . And a birth ending with suicide is not good baggage to carry .

 

[El_Machinae]

I'm not too familiar with anyone who believes in reincarnation. I would imagine that some religious beliefs deter suicide, but I wouldn't think that any mainstream religion has a greater suicide rate than another. Of course, there are nutjob religions, but I'm not counting those.

I would imagine that many religions encourage self-sacrifice though. So, while there might be no disincentive to kill one's self, there might be motivation to allow one's self to die to protect others. But I'm not sure.

 

[JollyRoger]

It would be a dangerous thing if reincarnation was adopted by Christians. Then all the radical christians will be motivated to impose their values on animals and we would end up with Terri Schiavo situations at veternarian clinics or they would drown their puppies in the name of Jesus like that radical christian woman in Texas. Before you get angry that i bring Christianity into this, notice I said "radical christian" and not just "christiian." If I add "radical" then I'm not generalizing to the whole population.

 

[Evil Tyrant]

I don't know a lot about Hinduism, but I would think yes, it would deter suicide. If committing suicide goes on the bad side of the leger in Hinduism, you will likely be reincarnated into a worse life than the one you have. So instead of improving your situation, you will be worsening it.

 

[Truronian]

A rebirth is not a fresh start . You carry the karmic baggage of all pervious births before you . And a birth ending with suicide is not good baggage to carry .

Why... what's wrong with suicide?

 

[Hakim]

I'm not sure all who believe in reincarnation also have adopted the karma koncept, seems some believe in being reborn as a human whatever they do in the earlier life.

 

[Oruc]

A rebirth is not a fresh start . You carry the karmic baggage of all pervious births before you . And a birth ending with suicide is not good baggage to carry .

You didnt mention anything about "karma" in the first post.

 

[Luckymoose]

I'll just live this life until I die. If theirs nothing else. Oh well I won't be there to experience the loneliness.

 

[GenMarshall]

I cant vote in this thread because I dont believe in reincarnation.

 

[warpus]

I cant vote in this thread because I dont believe in reincarnation.

I don't believe in your God yet I have many opinions regarding him. Surely you don't have to believe in something to comment on it.

 

[Elrohir]

I doubt it. People don't remember their supposed past lives, so even if you believed that you were going to be reincarnated, as you wouldn't remember your current life, it wouldn't matter. It might to some people, I guess, but I certainly wouldn't care.

 

[Perfection]

A rebirth is not a fresh start . You carry the karmic baggage of all pervious births before you . And a birth ending with suicide is not good baggage to carry .

Only in your concept of reincarnation! I'm sure there are others!