From: utzoo!utcsrgv!donald
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Title: Suicide and Salvation
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.413
Posted: Tue Jun 22 14:22:07 1982
Received: Tue Jun 22 21:37:56 1982


Dave Borman's comments on suicide and salvation brings up an interesting
theological point: what defines suicide as far as The Head Honcho is concerned?
A reasonable definition of suicide might be "an act which results in a reason-
able probability of the death of the actor, and whose consequences the actor
are aware of".  Remember, nothing is certain-- a gun may misfire, pills may not
work, etc.

Now, can we not argue that people who smoke are not saved?  After all, being
a smoker entails a significant risk of death through cancer or respiratory
illness.  Will Evel Knievel be saved?  After all, he does things that most
people consider suicidal.  At what point does risk become suicide?  When the
probability of death is greater than .5?

						Awaiting the flaming replies,
						Don Chan