Why?
I know I’m not the only one that is shocked by the rising number of suicides in Ireland. As was evident in the paper last Monday it has gotten to the stage where a whole social ’scene’ revolves around the concept of suicide and of suicide pacts. I read recently that since 1994 at least one person kills themself each day in Ireland while ten times this number attempt suicide in Ireland. There has been a 70% rise in suicide in young males since 1990 so that it is now known to be the single biggest killer of Irish males between 15 and 30. What is going on?!
If we look at changes in Irish society for this period it appears that just as Mass attendance drops suicide rates rise. Now I’m not suggesting that if you don’t go to Mass you’re sure to kill yourself. It may seem oportunistic to leap at apparantly unrelated statistics but there is a certain sense to my sporadic jumps in search of an answer. Up to now if someone fell into a state of depression they were comforted by the notion that God/Jesus is with them, accompanying them during this tough period. What has happened is that this notion no longer exists in the minds of Irish males…even if it still is to be found in their hearts.
Anyway, even if this does help to explain why rates have risen it doesn’t explain something else. If you don’t believe in an afterlife then why would you kill yourself? If you see this life as your one chance then why? This question can be explained away by the presence of a mental illness but what is it that has created a rise in mental illnesses in the state? They’re either caused by something other than mental illness and so the question is what or there is a rise in mental illness here. You could also point towards a sense that not only has suicide lost some of its stigma but it has, in some way, gained a following as a ‘cool’ thing to do….understandable when you think of all the idolised supper stars who’ve chosen this as their way out.
Another question is whether or not one has the right to decide when to go. For me this is simple. We are the creations and sons and daughters of God. We’ve been and are continually receiving gifts from God. Is it not more than ungrateful to throw all these gifts back in Gods face and say ‘NO’? I certainly think so anyway.
Thursday, July 26th, 2007 and is filed under Views on News.
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