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mikokiko

posted on Nov 20, 2010 - 11:43 AM

What do you guys think? I see a parallel with Jesus laying down His life so that others may live.

GB

Joined: Feb 11, 2003 | Posts: 1350

SherryMikhail

posted on Nov 23, 2010 - 03:17 AM

From mikokiko:What do you guys think? I see a parallel with Jesus laying down His life so that others may live.

In order for me to reply to this thread, I just read the movie synopsis to refresh my memory since it's been some time since I've seen it. The movie synopsis mentions that it was suicide (lol). I believe that is right.

Has anyone seen the movie "Life" with Eddie Murphy? Well, there was a scene in the movie where 1 of the prisoners received a letter saying that he will be released from prison soon... the prisoner was too ashamed to go back home so he ran out of the prison so that a guard can shoot him and he'd die. This is also suicide because he chose to die intentionally.. and I would agree with that prisoner that running out to get shot was probably an easier way to die than doing it himself. He didn't need to commit suicide, his purpose was to live.

Although the character in Seven Pounds donates his organs so that others may live, he still commits suicide yet there was no need for it, there is no doubt about it. The one thing the character could've done to redeem himself would be more along the lines of repenting, praying for those who need organ transplants, and perhaps donating money to those he wants to help.

In our annual Nayrouz COYA skits this year the winning church skit had an amazing story that is similar to these situations...
The story goes, in a nutshell: The main character had passed away in a car accident leaving her husband. The husband questioned God on why this happened and the wife appeared to the husband to explain why it is God's will. She mentions that she had decided that she would donate her organs (as agreed to on her Australian driving license) and that God had done this so that others may live. The skit then went on to introduce 3 characters. Each character were shown each one asking for a cigarette lighter, and wine (can't remember the 3rd item). The audience had assumed that these characters were asking for these items to that they'd drink and smoke.. The husband is also blind thinking that it would not be Gods' will for his wife to die so that 3 randoms who smoke and drink can live. Lastly we discovered that the cigarette lighter and the wine was used so that they can be used in the Liturgy and the 3 people were ordinary deacons who were probably ill. Brilliant and emotional skit.. that's why they won.

So, the one thing that one is aiming for completely taken, just to help others survive? Our own salvation is one thing that'd be questionable if one was to sacrifice it. It is the one most important thing in our lives and we are to take it seriously. One time our priest from my church said that the one thing we can be selfish about would be our salvation like the 5 wise virgins and the 5 foolish. Obviously the 5 wise virgins felt sorry for those without the oil, but they did not go sacrifice their own salvation for others but they went about advising them to get some oil before it was too late as there was no other choice, and this was all that the 5 wise virgins could have said or done to help.

There is therefore no parallel to Jesus' laying down His life so that others may live as like the title of this thread mentions, one is self-sacrafice and the other is suicide.

This is my only my view.. and after all this was a movie anyways.

Cheers,
Sherry

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Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral Sydney, Australia

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth" - Ec 12:1

Joined: Jun 04, 2004 | Posts: 670
Location: St Mark Cathedral Sydney, Australia

mikokiko

posted on Nov 23, 2010 - 01:55 PM

but in this movie, the character knows for a fact that these people would die. By giving up his life, he saved several people who would die, in my opinion, that is an act of selflessness, not an act of suicide. A person who pushes a child out of the way of an incoming truck to save its life, knowing that he WILL die, is not committing suicide, he's saving life. Does he have to wait to see if the truck actually kills the child?

It brings us back to Jesus' teaching where He tells us it's the essence of the matter, that's important, not the actual action itself. When on the sabbath, the Lord was seen saving life on the Sabbath, this clearly broke the Hebrew laws of the Sabbath, yet He told them that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath. Notice how He places the importance on the intention, the purpose, not the specific action.

In the same way, many martyrs probably would have had no need to die if they hadn't went out and intentionally proclaimed (in some cases very provocatively) their faith to emperors (as we are told happened several times). Were they committing suicide?

The man in the movie (Will Smith) was giving up his life so that others he was sure would die, would instead live. To me, that's self-sacrifice, not suicide.

God Bless

Joined: Feb 11, 2003 | Posts: 1350