AN ETHICO-RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE OF SUICIDE
Sotonye Big-Alabo, Umezurike J. Ezugwu
The issue of suicide is prevalent in every society and can also be traced back to antiquity. This study looks at the issue of suicide from two perspectives: the ethical and religious perspectives. Suicide is said to be death caused by harming oneself with the willingness to die. The debate on the rightness or wrongness of this action has spanned different epochs, and some perceptions see nothing wrong with such action when carried out for certain reasons, while others feel that life itself has an intrinsic value and since we don’t give life, we do not have the right to take it; in other words, the emphasis on the sanctity of life. This study employs the method of qualitative analysis. From an ethical standpoint, suicide was analysed using the principle of respect for life, the theological position, the principle of autonomy, the principle of duty to others, and the utilitarian position. Whereas, from the perspective of religion, we examined suicide using Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other religions. The study exposes that Mosaic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and the ethical positions of respect for life and theological position and the principle of duty to others, which are based on the idea that humans are created in God’s image and that humans have intrinsic worth, have a more pronounced position against suicide. Whereas the Eastern religions feature beliefs in and rebirth. The study posits that the principle of autonomy and utilitarian positions are clear about conditions that could permit suicide. Also, it is clear that some religions hold the view that suicide is a reflection of an underlying mental illness. As a result, some religions have softened their stance on suicidal behaviour’s impact on the afterlife.