Grand Rapids Press - 09/27/2018 Copy Reduced to 52% from original to fit letter page Page : D02 D2 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS ETHICS & RELIGION TALK How religions handle the question of suicide Rabbi David Krishef Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel Does your tradition con- hand. The Church insists, ‘suicide contra- demn a person who died by dicts the natural inclination of the human For the past nearly two decades Father Patrick Desbois has tracked down the his or her own hand (committed suicide) in being to preserve and perpetuate his or her sites of hidden graves and interviewed witnesses who describe the horrors of any way, such as burial in a separate section life’ and ‘that act of taking one’s own life is what he calls the “Hidden Holocaust” in Eastern Europe during World War II. of the cemetery, burial without all of the nor- gravely contrary to the just love of self’ (Cate- Submitted photo mal funeral rites, or by refusing to conduct a chism of the Catholic Church, p. 550). funeral service at all? Why or why not? Still, the Church realizes, ‘grave psycho- logical disturbances, anguish, or grave fear Dr. Sahibzada, the Director of Islamic of hardship, suff ering or torture can dimin- INTERFAITH INSIGHT Center and Imam of the Mosque of ish the responsibility of the one commit- Grand Rapids, responds: ting suicide’ (ibid.). The Church recognizes A person’s life consists of two aspects in that one’s state of mind at the time may be Islam: Faith and actions. The person is a severely impaired removing culpability for Remembering believer and suicidal action is not a rejec- taking one’s own life. tion of faith but disappointment from The Church gives hope to the loved ones Mercy of God. It is surely condemned and of those who take their own lives, teaching, committing this action is totally forbid- ‘we should not despair of the eternal salva- previous evil as well den. The person is an off ender and sinner tion of persons who have taken their own by self-killing. lives. By ways known to him alone, God can However, faith requires dignity and provide the opportunity for salutary repen- an honorable farewell from this temporal tance. The Church prays for persons who as heroic deeds world. Humans have no right to deny God- have taken their own lives’ (ibid.) and allows given honor to anyone because, ‘God has for a burial according to the funeral rites pro- honored the children of Adam and set them vided in its ritual books. above most of the creation; made the per- Douglas Kindschi son to die and gracefully be buried.’ (80:19- Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Director, Kaufman Interfaith Institute 21) Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him Temple, responds: If repentance, as we dis- is deeply pained by current Jewish-Mus- allowed to perform all normal funeral rites To begin with, we would never use the cussed in last week’s Insight, lim relations … I knew I needed to develop in such critical situations and will be bur- word ‘condemned’ to refer to anyone in the is turning around and changing one’s ways, a deeper understanding of the Shoah and ied in Muslims’ cemetery. We must pray for spiritual sense. As with every religion I’ve then it is instructive to look at a couple of its impact on several generations of Jews. forgiveness and Merciful God will bestow studied, Hinduism strongly discourages sui- cases where there has been such a “turning As an imam and chaplain working actively paradise in the end. cide, and there are karmic consequences. around.” to help heal the wounds between Jews and But there is no misdeed that bars anyone Much has been written about the fact that Muslims, I had to open myself more to the The Rev. Sandra Nikkel, head pastor of from eventual liberation. Also, we under- a country like Germany, which was predom- pain of my Jewish brothers and sisters.” Conklin Reformed Church, responds: stand that many suicides are the result of inantly Christian, engaged in the horren- While he says that he has read books The fact that a person committed sui- serious mental illnesses. People who take dous events around the Holocaust. While we and seen fi lms about the Holocaust, it was cide does not mean that their life cannot their own lives in these states are clearly not can blame Hitler and the government of the much more powerful to visit the actual sites be celebrated or their memory respected. responsible for their actions. Third Reich, the fact remains that thousands and to “actually walk in the footsteps of Suicide is murder and the bible condemns There are noble reasons for committing of ordinary citizens in that country and sur- millions of brutalized and murdered peo- murder but it does not say that murder is suicide as well. The most appropriate that rounding countries participated in or at least ple.” He reflected on “all the people who the one sin that will keep us from heaven. I can think of is that of the soldier or spy watched the genocide being carried out. participated directly and indirectly in this 1 John 1:9 says ‘If we confess our sins, he who carries a cyanide pill in case of cap- The Catholic Church has been a target demonic campaign to exterminate the Jew- is faithful and just and will forgive us our ture. If it is assumed that excruciating tor- for complicity during that time, but there ish people and others considered marginal sins and purify us from all unrighteous- ture will fi nally break the agent, allowing are many examples of individuals who have and unworthy of humane treatment.” ness.’ In response to this you may say to the enemy to gain information that could dedicated their lives to a type of repentance Antepli also shares the offi cial statement me: But how do you know that this person result in the destruction of many, then that through their actions in seeking truth and that came from the group of imams who confessed her/his sin and received forgive- death would be as noble as one on a battle- telling the stories of “Never Forget.” I recall participated in this visitation. It begins ness? And I would say to you: How do you field defending the homeland from con- a few decades ago visiting Auschwitz and with a quote from the Qur’an, “O you who know that this person did not confess his/ quest. meeting a young German Catholic priest believe, stand up fi rmly for justice as wit- her sin and did not receive forgiveness? So, no, there is no difference between a who had dedicated his life to living near that nesses to Almighty God.” (4:135) The state- One thing is for sure: God did not call me funeral for a victim of suicide and anyone death camp and telling the story of the atroc- ment continues, “In Islam, the destruction as pastor to deny proper burial services or else. ities committed there. of one innocent life is like the destruction normal funeral rites to anyone because of More recently, we have heard of the of the whole of humanity and the saving a sin they’ve committed. What people need My response: French Catholic priest, Father Patrick Des- of one life is like the saving of the whole is compassion, not condemnation! Although Judaism understands suicide bois, who also devoted his life to research- of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32) While bearing as a serious sin equivalent to murder, it also ing the stories of what he calls the “Hidden witness to the millions who perished from Father Kevin Niehoff , O.P., a Domini- understands that one who dies by one’s own Holocaust” in Eastern Europe during World such senseless and cruel murder, the state- can priest who serves as Adjutant Judi- hand has passed away from a mental illness War II. He was featured on a very moving ment also recognizes that many Muslims cial Vicar, Diocese of Grand Rapids, no less real than any other physical illness “60 Minutes” segment that aired in 2016 and did heroic acts in protecting and saving the responds: leading to death. There is no difference in can be seen at www.bit.ly/Hidden60. lives of Jews. The Roman Catholic Church does not the burial, the funeral liturgy, or the mourn- condemn people who die by their own ing rituals for family members. “I knew I needed to develop a deeper understanding of the Shoah and its impact on several generations of Jews.” For the past nearly two decades he has Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remem- tracked down the sites of hidden graves and brance Center in Jerusalem, recognizes interviewed witnesses who describe the hor- many from Europe who risked their lives rors of more than 70 years ago, when a total to help protect those persons persecuted. of more than a million Jews, babies, chil- They honor the Righteous Among the dren, men, women, and elderly were shot Nations, including Muslims from Albania, and buried in unmarked ditches throughout Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey and Eastern Eastern Europe. His research has identifi ed Europe, who acted heroically at the time. more than 2,000 such execution sites. While there has not been much publicity In 2004 he created the international orga- about these “Righteous Muslims,” their sto- nization Yahad-In-Unum (“Together as ries need to be told.