Besides the many reasons, we have for suicides; suicides because of honor and feelings of guilt are often seen in Asia. The recent suicide of the vice principal of the high school who was rescued from the sinking ferry that was carrying students from his high school, was found dead two days later hanging from a tree with a belt. He expressed regret having survived while so many died. Suicides are motivated by many different reasons and are often, not like the vice principal, contemplated for long periods of time.
Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2013 reported that those who attempted suicide 65.5 percent had no religion. The experts in the field say that the spirituality of the religious person helps them to overcome the hardships and hopelessness they encounter in life. The numbers of those who attempted suicide, 3.5 percent were Catholic; Buddhists were 9.4 percent, and Protestants were 16 percent.
The article mentions the reasons the Catholics had a low rate of suicide were the small parish groups, the work of the Legion of Mary and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the constant teaching on the respect for life that has influenced our Catholics to avoid suicide as a solution to their problems. Since the study showed a correlation of the number of suicides with the religious belief, there are those who think the Church should make efforts to spread the strong points of their teaching on the respect of life.
The investigation by the ministry was an attempt to decrease the number of suicides. This is the first study that was national in scope to study the mental state of those who killed themselves. Interviews with those who attempted suicide and their families determined the ways they killed themselves and the dangers that prepared one for such an extreme solution to their problems.
One religious sister at the 'One Heart and One Body Movement Suicide Center' in Seoul said: "Each one of us needs to be filled with the joy of the Gospel, each of us to be interested in our neighbors, to extend our hand to others, to approach others and listen to them. This will help decrease the numbers of suicides and to do this we have to change our vision and our way of thinking." In order to do this many say that the Church has to become interested and invest more in this movement.
In the study, 73.9 percent of the respondents said we cannot in any way justify the killing of oneself, but 25.6 percent said once a person decides on suicide, there is nothing that can be done to prevent the suicide. Here it will be necessary to work to change this type of thinking. Efforts also necessary to find those who are in hopeless situations and do what we can to give hope. The campaign, said a priest involved in the welfare work of the diocese, will need a network to identify those living in situations that pose a danger for suicide and encourage people to become involved.
