Quote Originally Posted by Nessus View Post
LEWK

I am curious; your interpretation of the situation allows for two views on suicide "survivors" (it seems to me), and I wonder which you'd subscribe to. On this forum, at least I and I think Bitter are people who genuinely tried to off ourselves in the past, but for whatever reason failed. Today, we're at least moderately successful people in our endeavors, and Bitter's in what I hear a good relationship to boot. Now, my question is:

Are our successes diminished due to our moral failing in the past, or

should we be held as exemplary to the children so selfishly choosing to die?

Is our transgression a taint so large in our history that we are forever painted black, do only those people who merely considered suicide fit the mold of the role-model? What weight does our moral failing hold, in your perspective, on us today? After all, the intent to be selfish was genuinely there.
Nessus - not knowing you personally I couldn't say for sure but I really doubt you truly tried to kill yourself. Most attempted suicides are "cries for attention." Its incredibly easy to off yourself. A few minutes on Google can provide easy methods of near 100% chance of death.

In any event to answer your question - your past actions do not diminish your current actions. Just like a persons past good deeds don't excuse current evils a person may be committing. If you're a hero who saved 50 people's lives... your punishment should still be the same if you turn around and rape someone. Your suicide attempt should be vilified and if you admit that it was evil and have changed your ways then there is no reason why you couldn't be held up as a role model.

The biblical example of course is Paul. He murdered Christians before become an apostle. Does the murdering of Christians taint his later work? I don't believe so.