I had a friend who also was a Pastors wife...this Pastor who is now deceased officiated at Michael funeral..the funeral I don't remember...but I remember very well what my friend said to me..."Michael went straight to hell". Why she thought I'd find comfort in that is beyond me..but maybe she wanted to "teach" me something about God or the bible and her intention was not to comfort me...I guess she thought I didn't deserve to be comforted.

I say all that because on page 42 of this wonderful book, the good doctor writes:

"It was not all that long ago that suicide was considered a sin by many of the major bodies of faith. Historically, it was considered by many not just a sin, but an unpardonable sin.

Thank God we now have religious leaders and well-respected theologians who are compassionately and non-judgmentally educating people that suicide is not a sin. As one Catholic priest observed about suicide, "When its victims wake on the other side, they are met by a gentle Christ who stands right inside of their huddled fear and says, "Peace be with you!" As we see in the gospels, God can go through locked doors, breathe out peace in places where we cannot get in, and write straight with even the most crooked of lines."
But watch out for some people who do continue to preach that suicide is a sin. Find people who recognize that faith is about being open to the mystery. I always like to remind myself that "mystery" -the ancient name for God - is something to be pondered, not explained. If someone starts preaching to you that suicide is a sin and that your loved one has gone to hell, get the heck away from him or her as fast as you can."

*Understanding Your suicide Grief by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D