Did you know that…
“Prior to the Suicide Act 1961 it was a crime to commit suicide in the UK.
The Christian opposition to suicide became more apparent during the fifth-century when theologian Augustine of Hippo, argued that offing yourself is never justifiable because it violates God’s injunction “thou shalt not kill.” Suicides were deemed to have committed a mortal sin and denied Christian burial. Church law influenced civil law, and by the tenth century suicide in England was considered a crime against God and Humanity.
English common law distinguished a suicide, who was by definition of unsound mind, from a felo-de-se or “evil doer against himself,” who had coolly decided to end it all and thereby perpetrated an infamous crime. Such a person forfeited his entire estate to the crown. Furthermore his corpse was subjected to public indignities, such as being dragged through the streets and hung from the gallows, and was finally consigned to “ignominious burial’ (dishonourable burial) - the favoured method being beneath a crossroads with a stake driven through the body.”
And thats what I call a good old christian value, lets all go kiss and hug and pray (don’t forget to pray) after disemboweling the corpse of the evil doer! Such a nice christian value…
