We recall, too, how, in the height of the discussion, a poor devil of an unfortunate was found in one of the parks of the Metropolis with an empty pistol in his clinched fist, a bullet in his head and in his pocket a copy of the thesis:  Is suicide a sin?

To a Christian, this theorizing and speculation was laughable enough; but when one was brought face to face with the reality of the thing, a grim humor was added to the situation.  Comedy is dangerous that leads to tragedy.

The witty part of the matter was this:  Ingersoli spoke of sin.  Now, what kind of an intelligible thing could sin be in the mind of a blasphemous agnostic?  What meaning could it have for any man who professes not to know, or to care, who or what God is?

If there is no Legislator, there is no Law; if no Law, then no violation of the Law.  If God does not exist, there can be no offending Him.  Eliminate the notion of God, and there is no such thing as sin.  Sin, therefore, had no meaning for Ingersoli; his thesis had no meaning, nothing he said had any meaning.  Yet, people took him seriously!  And at least one poor wretch was willing to test the truth of the assertion and run his chances.

Some people, less speculative, contend that the fact of suicide is sufficient evidence of irresponsibility, as no man in his right senses would take his own life.  This position is both charitable and consoling; unfortunately, certain facts of premeditation and clear mindedness militate so strongly against such a general theory that one can easily afford to doubt its soundness.  That this is true in many cases, perhaps in the majority of cases, all will admit; in all cases, few will admit it.  However, the question here is one of principle, and not of fact.

The prime evil at the bottom of all killing is that of injustice; but in self-destruction where the culprit and the victim are one and the same person, there can be no question of injustice.  Akin to, and a substitute for, the law of justice is that of charity, by which we are bound to love ourselves and do ourselves no harm or injury.  The saying “charity begins at home” means that we ourselves are the first objects of our charity.  If therefore we must respect the life of our neighbor, the obligation is still greater to respect our own.

Then there is the supreme law of justice that reposes in God.  We should remember that God is the supreme and sole Master of life.  Man has a lease of life, but it does not belong to him to destroy at his own will.  He did not give it to himself; and he cannot take it away.  Destruction supposes an authority and dominion that does not belong to any man where life is concerned.  And he who assumes such a prerogative commits an act of unquestionable injustice against Him whose authority is usurped.