Our country is seeing an increase in cases of murder-suicide. These are cases in which a person kills someone else then kills himself. Many of these are mass homicides, such as those that have been committed on military bases and on school and college campuses. In some of these cases the killer’s motive for killing others has been discovered, though his reason for killing himself is often a matter of conjecture. Perhaps he is overwhelmed with guilt? Perhaps he knows that he will be imprisoned or executed? Perhaps he doesn’t want to face loved ones? Perhaps he sees it as “the easy way out?” (More on this later…)
The sin/crime of murder has been committed by people, going all the way back to the wicked actions of Cain against his righteous brother Abel (Genesis 4:8; 1 John 3:12). Murder has tragic and long-lasting consequences, even when measured only physically and socially. The victim is robbed of all of his earthly plans, hopes, dreams and aspirations. His loved-ones are robbed of their relative — a brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter. Perhaps a husband or wife, or perhaps a friend. There may also be grave spiritual and eternal consequences. As understood by biblically and spiritually-minded people, there is the question of whether or not the deceased was a Christian? If not, and if he is accountable before God, the deceased person has far more to be concerned about than just the loss of physical life — he may have a lost soul, and has now lost his ability to be saved (Mark 16:16; Romans6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 21:8).
“Murder-Suicides” Versus “Suicide-Murderers”
While there is no difference between these two with respect to the results, there is a difference with respect to the motive. Just as there have always been murderers, there have always been suicide-murderers (kamikaze pilots, jihadi suicide bombers…etc). In the final stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, Japanese pilots (kamikazes) turned their planes into guided missiles against American ships and other targets. Islamic jihadists carry out suicide bombing attacks by strapping explosives to their bodies and blowing themselves up in crowded places. In these cases, the suicide-killers are motivated by some religious or political ideology. They sacrifice their own lives for the “greater cause,” as it is defined by them.
This is NOT the motivation in the case of the murder-suicide. He doesn’t kill himself in the act of killing others — he kills himself as a consequence of killing others. In a recent murder-suicide case in a college community near Santa Barbara, CA, a young man killed 6, injured 13 others, then killed himself. As I suggested above, there are a variety of possible reasons for the suicide, but many believe that these suicides are committed out of despair. The murderer believes that he now has no reason to live. He has arrived at this condition because he has no regard for God or man.
These killers have failed to consider the spiritual consequences of their actions. They believe that suicide will solve all of their problems. While physical death does end all physical consequences of one’s actions, it does not end the spiritual consequences. According to the Bible, there is a punishment that is “worse” than physical death. Those who violated Moses’ law “died without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And, ‘the Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:28-31).
The point is clear: the consequences of one’s actions do not end at the mere point of physical death. They extend beyond death and into eternity. The Bible describes a place of eternal punishment, not of the body (Matthew 10:28), but of the soul. Wicked souls will be cast into a lake of unquenchable fire (Revelation 20:15; Mark 9:44, 48). The problem is that too few people are aware of these consequences and are therefore undeterred in their violent behavior towards others. Until this changes, this problem will worsen. If youths continue to be taught that evolution is true and the Bible is false, our society will continue to see this type of violence.
Tim Haile