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[Thin Air]

Here's a moral dilemma that I was thinking about: Is it OK to convert someone if it will lead to their suicide? As an ex-Christian myself, I think I know how you would answer this, but I didn't come from a particularly evangelical denomination, so I'm curious about the answer.

There have been times in my life where I was suffering from some extreme levels of anxiety, depression, and just general hopelessness of my life. Being atheist, I have no expectation of anything beyond this one life that I have but there were times that I was so depressed, that if I believed in an afterlife, I would force the issue and end it all so I could just move on.

As an atheist, I obviously don't believe in a heaven, a hell, or anything like that. Therefore, knowing this life is everything I will ever have, the idea of suicide is just out of the question. I couldn't do it. Even feeling horrible means that, at the very least, I am glad that I can exist to feel it.

Would it be acceptable to try and convert someone with that mindset? If you are successful in converting them there is a very real possibility that they will embrace this new "way out" and bring about their own end shortly thereafter.

[jimwalton]

Yeah, that IS a really odd question. Jesus offers to set us free from sin, to recreate us in the newness of life, to give us abundant life, joy, meaning and purpose. God converts people (we don't) to live in his presence and benefit from his Life. Christians don't suicide because they know God has a purpose for them on the earth to accomplish his will.

As you say, however, some Christians still suffer from anxiety, depressing, and even hopelessness sometimes. You've probably heard about the well-publicized case of Pastor Rick Warren's (of mega Saddleback Church in CA) son committing suicide. But we don't convert people knowing that it will lead to their suicide. That's where the oddness of your question comes in. People suicide for different reasons of despair, but never (to my knowledge) because we know there's a heaven to go to if we buy the farm on purpose. We try to persuade people to come to Christ so they can find life, not so they can embrace a new way out of it.