http://www.ssaa.org.au/ilasep99.html

"The Japanese have traditionally regarded suicide as an honourable means of atoning for failure or showing remorse. That point aside, the impetus behind the latest increase is undoubtedly economic. According to recent reports in the Japanese media, a significant percentage of those taking their own lives are middle-aged 'salary men' who have fared badly as a result of the country's economic woes."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135120,00.html

Pathetic!

That's aweful.

From Phil's Fox link:

quote:

"Young people today don't have a sense of reality about death," Shimizu said. "They are approaching it as an extension of a game in cyberworld."

That's an interesting analysis but it sounds wrong. I would think that insanely intense pressures to succeed drive many to be something that they are not. We're not all suited to be hot-shot Donald Trump-like executives. We're not all suited to be rich lawyers, fashion models, rock stars or whatever. In a culture that is supposedly much in touch with the concept of ying/yang you'd think they'd see the imblance of turning human beings into little achievment-beings.

Speaking of blowing off steam so that we're not tempted to end it all, here's the web cam that is aimed at Mt. St. Helens. This thing's gonna blow pretty soon.

Suicide....Though it isn't happening in group things, the number of suicides we're experiencing even in our little part of the country has greatly increased in the last 2 to 3 years. Recently, a town not too far from here had a 12-year-old boy who killed himself...12 years old...I don't even know if I was thinking in terms of life and death when I was 12. We had suicides of 2 local kids a few months apart about a year and a half ago. My daughter's classmate had a boyfriend who committed suicide this summer. I'd be curious to see worldwide rates and which countries are seeing a stable or lessening count of suicides.

Mount St. Helens....the picture it showed me was only red and blue dots. Do I not have something set right?

Blessings,
Terri

Mount St. Helens....the picture it showed me was only red and blue dots. Do I not have something set right?

Try again, Terri (reload the page). I was seeing the same red and blue dots last night. I don�t know if that means it was pitch black out or something else.

Though it isn't happening in group things, the number of suicides we're experiencing even in our little part of the country has greatly increased in the last 2 to 3 years. Recently, a town not too far from here had a 12-year-old boy who killed himself...12 years old...I don't even know if I was thinking in terms of life and death when I was 12.

The way I see it, there�s enormous pressure these days to be perfect, be good-looking, be athletic, be suave and debonair, be rich, be poised, be smart, be clever, be just-about-anything but one�s self. One need only look at how kids are dressing in school (particularly high school) these days. In our time we were perfectly okay with a run-of-the-mill shirt and jean. But it darn near looks like a fashion show these days (and many of the girls look like hookers). The stakes are a lot higher. People are investing WAY too much material stuff in their self esteem.

There�s a qualitative difference between the innocence of a Huck Finn and the trashiness (although I admit it�s funny and clever) of, say, a South Park. As CSNY said: teach your children well.

Sadly, many aren�t. Many are subjecting their kids needlessly to the torturous and superficial game of life as defined by marketers and movie makers. In many ways I think the problem stem from parents intentionally entering their kids into this game to boost their own misplaced ideas of self esteem. Kids as pawns�again.

Peter Kreeft addressed this in his culture wars speach I heard last night. He referred to an article
about how happy Americans were, and mentioned that the entire New York Times piece dealt with economic issues. People are happy? If you get out much, you can see alot of misery which has little to do with the economic "misery index."

During times of war and social upheaval, spiritual teachings increase, and the Tao te Ching gets written, Zoroaster invents religious tolerance and Buddha becomes enlightened. Jesus came himself during a time of great upheaval and stress. My own spiritual search began after my sister's self-induced death 25 years ago.

The bad news is this is a great time of stess and strain on modern people. The good news is that it seems to be creating a world-wide move toward
spirituality. The Chinese character for "crisis" and "opportunity" are identical. The lotus blossoms grow best in the most fetid manure. Many sensitive people are coming forward, as New Agers have named Star Seed people and Indigo Children.

It may be nature or God's way of healing mankind.

Take Jesus for temporary (and permanent) relief of minor existential pain.

http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio.htm

The above link has a talk by Peter Kreeft on Christ's view of happiness and the World's idea.

caritas,

mm <*)))))><

Michael, I'm very sorry to hear about your sister.

Thank you, Brad, and I was very sorry for the many years that I saw this as a terrible tragedy, but as I was telling my mother the other day, "All things work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28-29
I don't mean that in a glib or casual way or in a grief denying super-phiosophical manner in which a minister might use it at a funeral service, but as a living reality and miracle from the Source.

Perhaps the best way to explain it is as in The Passion of the Christ when He turns to his Mother and exclaims, "See mother, I make all things new!"

Since that time, my remaining siblings and my parents have been on the road toward transformation.
I've really reached a point of peace about it myself
in recent months. The Holy Spirit has transformed it, although the process took many years and I avoided the grief for 17 years and really only dealt with it during the past 8 years or so.

Everything is not God's will, but God can use anything that happens to us. One of the very few things Nietzche and I agree on is that whatever does not do us in can make us stronger.

caritas,

mm <*)))))><

I hadn't read this thread lately. I join Brad in expressing condolences for the loss of your sister, Michael. Suicide is usually very hard on family members. I'm glad to hear you and your family are finding your way through the grief to transformation in the Spirit.

Thanks, Phil

One of the biggest obstacles for me was the belief we had in the Lutheran church that those who
do this must go to hell, and I believed that for a long time, which confused and delayed the grieving process.
This is a common belief and perhaps you might know of another point of view and post a link for us?

If anyone out there is dealing with this, there is a support group called Heartbeat which specifically adresses this need. I stumbled across one some years back. It is a unique circumstance and there is alot of shame in even talking about it, which tends to bury it deeper and blocks the healing. So the Heartbeat groups have alot of people sitting in a circle talking it out and supporting each other and many boxes of Kleenex.

It's kind of sad that our suicide rate is up a thousand percent and young people are under so much pressure to "be somebody." They need to know that they "are somebody."

caritas,

mm <*)))))><