[quote Mummyoflittledragon]@Newhorizon21
I do not consider committing suicide to mean a sin in the eyes of God. This is now divorced from the original meaning rather like the vulgar word buggery was used to denote a crime and punishable sin. In origin this was a synonym for heresy.
Term still very much in use www.verywellmind.com/why-do-people-commit-suicide-1067515.[/quote]
@Mummyoflittledragon The terminology may still be in use, but it is out of date & carries with it stigma & powerful, unhelpful associations. The dated, continued use of the words 'commit' & 'committed' in relation to suicide imply a crime, or to some people, a sin.
I have attached an image (from my original linked article) which suggests other ways of saying this, e.g., 'died by/from suicide'. I have included an excerpt from this article which discusses, better than I can, why our choice of words is important.
Thank you for the verywellmind link, I have emailed this organisation & asked that the author, Nancy Schimelpfening, is contacted with my feedback, the author is the administrator for a non-profit depression support group, her words have the potential to reach & impact, positively or negatively, many people. I hope to make it more positive.
@RevolvingPivot apologies for hogging your thread with this, it is important. I won't post, here, about this again.
"The Power of Words
Language matters when discussing issues of suicide; language reflects our attitudes and influences our attitudes and the attitudes of others. Words have power; words matter. The language we choose is an indicator of social injustice and has the power to shape our ideas and feelings in very insidious ways.
Phrases To Describe Suicide
For example, the phrase "committed suicide" is frowned on because it harks back to an era when suicide was considered a sin or a crime. Think about the times when we use the word "commit": "commit adultery" or "commit murder." Similarly, "successful suicide" or "unsuccessful attempt" are considered poor choices because they connote an achievement or something positive even though they result in tragic outcomes.
Taken from the article link I posted sbove
Putting People First
Likewise, using "suicide" as a noun to describe a person ("the suicide was wheeled into the morgue") is considered dehumanizing and reductionist. When we identify a person solely by his or her mental illness ("He is bipolar."), we have diminished that individual's wholeness. We wouldn't say, "He was a heart attack." Instead, we need to define a person by his or her life, not the manner of death, and say, "He was a person who died of suicide; he also loved to play golf, brew beer, and climb mountains." Or: "She is a teacher, writer, and animal lover who lives with a bipolar condition." So, let's put people first and focus on their resilience. Instead of "suicide attempter," we can say "they are a person who has lived through a suicide attempt."
The litmus test for talking about suicide is to substitute the word "cancer" for the word "suicide" to see if the sentence still makes sense or if it has a negative connotation. We wouldn't say "committed cancer" or "successful cancer"—we would simply say "cancer death" or "died of cancer." Thus, when it comes to suicide, we should say "suicide death" or "died of suicide."
We should also be wary of assuming intent when we use the phrases "cry for help" or "suicide gesture." This line of thinking can be a slippery slope. Instead of dismissing these suicidal behaviors as not serious, we should lean in and better understand what function they are serving in a person's life. Perhaps, we can get that need met in another way."