{about suicide} And why is it the biggest sin of all? All your life you're told that you'll be going to this marvellous place when you pass on. And the one thing you can do to get you there a bit quicker is something that stops you getting there at all. Oh, I can see that it's a kind of queuejumping. But if someone jumps the queue at the Post Office, people tut. Or sometimes they say, Excuse me, I was here first. They don't say, You will be consumed by hellfire for all eternity. That would be a bit strong.
The excerpt discusses the complex views on suicide, questioning why it's regarded as the gravest sin. The narrator reflects on the paradox of how life is portrayed as a journey to a wonderful afterlife, yet taking one’s own life is seen as a pathway to that afterlife. This contradiction leads to feelings of guilt and misunderstanding regarding the act itself.
The comparison to queue-jumping at a Post Office illustrates a societal reaction to suicide that seems disproportionately harsh. While cutting in line might draw disapproval, it doesn’t evoke threats of eternal damnation. This demonstrates society's inconsistent and severe judgments surrounding the act of suicide, highlighting the need for a compassionate understanding of its complexities.
