Changes

{{cquote|Trying to explain what caused his insanity can only be a matter of speculation.  Some people believe it was the result of a physical illness.  Others interpret his suffering as that of a true prophet, almost as if he were accepting the punishment on behalf of those who could not see mankind's tendency towards self-destruction so clearly. Still others regard his final fate as a natural outcome of his philosophical outlook.<ref>http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/top/top19</ref>}}

{{cquote|Trying to explain what caused his insanity can only be a matter of speculation.  Some people believe it was the result of a physical illness.  Others interpret his suffering as that of a true prophet, almost as if he were accepting the punishment on behalf of those who could not see mankind's tendency towards self-destruction so clearly. Still others regard his final fate as a natural outcome of his philosophical outlook.<ref>http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/top/top19</ref>}}

===Atheism and Suicide===

===Atheism and Suicide===

In respect to a matter relating to [[Atheism and suicide|atheism and suicide]], in 2004 the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' reported the following:  

Although there are recent studies relating to atheism being a causal factor for suicide, an early proponent of atheism being a causal factor for suicide was the Reverend Dr. Robert S. MacArthur.  The NY Times stated the following:

{{cquote|Dr. Martin urged that a great cause of suicide was atheism. It was, he said, a remarkable fact that where atheism prevailed most, there suicides were most numerous.  In [[Paris]], a recent census showed one suicide to every 2,700 of the population.  After the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason" suicides increased.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9507E2DC1131E033A25754C1A96F9C94659ED7CF NY Times, September 17, 1894, ATHEISM A CAUSE OF SUICIDE.; Dr. MacArthur Preaches on the Sin and Cowardice of Self-Destruction]

 

In 2004 the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' reported the following:  

{{cquote|Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found.<ref>http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303</ref>}}

{{cquote|Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found.<ref>http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/12/2303</ref>}}