Podcast Summary

Catholic Answers Live

Episode #12139: Is It Suicide or Sacrifice? When Giving Your Life for Others Means Certain Death - Jimmy Akin
Aired: April 4, 2025
Host: Cy Kellett
Guest: Jimmy Akin (Senior Apologist, Catholic Answers)

Overview

This lively episode of Catholic Answers Live features a “Weird Questions with Jimmy Akin” format. The show explores unique, offbeat, and sometimes deeply philosophical questions on Catholic teaching, morality, the afterlife, and the intersection of faith and odd scenarios. This episode’s centerpiece is the moral distinction between suicide and self-sacrifice—especially in situations where giving one’s life for others seems almost certain to result in death. Along with this complex issue, Jimmy Akin fields delightfully odd questions, ranging from killer whales’ dietary preferences to the theology of vampire priests and Santa Claus’s eternal destiny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can Killing Everyone Force Jesus’ Second Coming?

[02:08]

• Question: If someone killed everyone to force Jesus to return, would Jesus come, and would the person be good if the motive was to save everyone?
  • Jimmy’s Analysis: According to Christian thought, Jesus' return is depicted when humanity is still alive, so if only one person remained, Jesus would still come during that person's life.
  • Killing innocents is an intrinsically evil act, regardless of motive. "You can't kill an innocent person. That's intrinsically evil." ([03:40] - Jimmy Akin)
  • Even with good intentions, the act is objectively evil; any subjective innocence would depend on knowledge and intent.
  • Notably, by being the last human left (after killing all others), one risks becoming the "final villain," paralleling the Antichrist theme.
  • Quote: "If you've killed everyone else on earth, so it's just you left... Who does that make you?" ([04:57] - Jimmy Akin)

2. Are Heaven and Hell Customized to Individuals?

[05:17]

• Jimmy’s Explanation: Scripture teaches that judgment and reward (or punishment) are individually apportioned according to one’s deeds.
  • Different people receive different rewards in heaven or punishments in hell, such as in the parable of the talents.
  • Quote: "He will render to everyone according to their works." ([05:19] - Jimmy Akin)

3. Is Sacrificing Your Life for God the Same as Suicide?

[07:00]

• Subtopics: Martyrdom, deliberate self-sacrifice, and moral responsibility:
  • Suicide—directly killing oneself—is never morally permissible.
  • If someone sacrifices their own life by an act foreseeing death (e.g., a soldier jumping on a grenade) but not intending death per se, it is not suicide.
  • Martyrdom, where someone is killed for their faith, is a praiseworthy form of sacrifice—not suicide.
  • Moral culpability for suicide may be mitigated by lack of full knowledge or deliberate intent, but the act remains objectively wrong.
  • Quote: "You cannot ever directly kill yourself. That is what suicide is. It is never permissible, either as an end or a means..." ([07:06] - Jimmy Akin)
  • Practical analogy: “Throwing yourself on a grenade to save others… even though you will die, you are not willing your own death; if you survived, that would be great... That also would not be suicide and would be morally praiseworthy.” ([10:25] - Jimmy Akin)

4. Killer Whales and a Taste for Human Flesh

[15:26]

• Jimmy’s Explanation:
  • Killer whales (orcas) are apex predators but have no documented cases of attacking or eating humans.
  • It is hypothetically possible, but killer whales seem intelligent enough to generally avoid humans.
  • Humorous note: “Maybe we’re just not delicious to them.” ([17:33] - Cy Kellett)
  • Quote: “They understand the FAFO principle. In other words, don't mess with humans.” ([16:15] - Jimmy Akin)

5. Will Our Personalities Be Changed in Heaven?

[18:28]

• Jimmy’s Theological Speculation:
  • Emotional coping mechanisms shaped by earthly circumstances (like a "tough persona" in stressful jobs) may fade.
  • Scriptural indications are that we will retain unique personalities, talents, and interests, but perfected in love.
  • Quote: “We’ll be upgraded, but not fundamentally changed… I do expect we will be perfected in love.” ([20:26], [21:41] - Jimmy Akin)

6. Indestructibility of the Resurrected Body

[22:08]

• Scriptural and Theological View:
  • Natural bodies are corruptible; resurrected bodies will be supported by divine grace, no longer subject to decay or entropy.
  • They could be invulnerable (like Superman), or protected by angels (cf. Psalm 91), e.g., “if you fall off a cliff, angels will catch you.”
  • Quote: "Our bodies are going to be supported by grace, and so we won't die over time." ([24:01] - Jimmy Akin)

7. Sci-Fi Scenarios: Kamikaze Pilots and Moral Theology

[29:51]

• Return of the Jedi/Star Trek Analogies:
  • Deliberate actions resulting in one’s death (e.g., ramming a ship to save others) are not suicide if death is a foreseen but unintended side effect.
  • Morally justified if the goal is proportional (saving many/inflicting strategic damage in war).
  • Quote: “Your death is not the goal… it’s just a side effect.” ([30:05] - Jimmy Akin)
  • Pop culture aside: Even riding a nuclear bomb down ("Slim Pickens style") can fit this principle if the intent is not direct self-destruction.

8. Paranormal Perception in Mental Illness

[33:29]

• Analysis of Psych Ward Anomalies:
  • Claims of seeing angels/demons could stem from mental illness, psychic ability (if such exists), or genuine spiritual encounters.
  • Validity is bolstered if patients know verifiable information they could not have naturally.
  • Both mental illness and paranormal perceptions could influence each other.
  • Quote: “If they have accurate… information that they have not learned through any normal means… that is evidence that something paranormal is happening.” ([33:55] - Jimmy Akin)

9. Vampire Priests—Fit for Ministry?

[38:22]

• Moral and Liturgical Considerations:
  • Being a vampire in itself wouldn’t require a priest to retire unless it impedes his duties or causes scandal.
  • If the condition prevents the priest from consuming the Eucharist (necessitated in both species for priests), that would require retirement.
  • If he manages his condition and it’s not public, he could theoretically continue ministry.
  • Quote: “If he is kind of the vampiric equivalent of an obligate carnivore who must eat and only eat blood, then he would have to retire.” ([40:35] - Jimmy Akin)

10. Would Santa Claus Go to Heaven?

[41:36]

• Based on Popular Accounts:
  • Santa expresses Christian faith and does good works (gift-giving in Jesus’ honor).
  • Thus, he would fulfill the requirements for heaven.
  • Quote: “If he were to die in that state… then he would go to heaven.” ([42:06] - Jimmy Akin)

11. Science, Genetics, and Weirdness: Woolly Mammoths and Dwarfism

[43:59] & [45:00]

• Jimmy updates on genetic experiments, such as gene-splicing to create "woolly mice."
• Explains island dwarfism in mammoths and humans; even gives historical timeframes.

12. The Rick Astley Paradox

[48:53]

• The “paradox” of Rick Astley not being able to give you the movie "Up" without letting you down is solved by recognizing a play on words ("give up" as in relationship vs. gifting the movie).
• Quote: "He could give you a copy of the movie Up. He just wouldn’t break off a romantic relationship with you." ([49:42] - Jimmy Akin)

13. Cannibalism: Is It Always Immoral?

[51:10]

• Cannibalism is not intrinsically evil and can be justified (e.g., survival situations).
• However, making "human tacos" for fun is disrespectful to human remains and morally disordered.
• Quote: “It’s not that cannibalism is intrinsically evil. It can be justified in extreme circumstances... but making human tacos to have a party with your friends, that’s not going to cut it for me.” ([52:36] - Jimmy Akin)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Antichrist Paradox:
  “If you've killed everyone else on earth, so it's just you left... Who does that make you?” ([04:58] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Heaven’s Rewards:
  “He will render to everyone according to their works.” ([05:19] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Non-Suicidal Self-Sacrifice:
  “What you’re doing is moving your body into a position where you foresee that you will die, but you're not willing your own death.” ([10:25] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Killer Whales and the FAFO Principle:
  “They understand the FAFO principle. In other words, don't mess with humans.” ([16:15] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Personality in Heaven:
  “We'll be upgraded, but not fundamentally changed in terms of our native abilities...they will all be perfected in love.” ([21:41] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Invulnerable Resurrection:
  "Our bodies are going to be supported by grace, and so we won't die over time." ([24:01] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Kamikaze Pilots and Morality:
  “Your death is not the goal and it's not a means to something else. It's just a side effect.” ([30:05] - Jimmy Akin)

• On Cannibal Taco Parties:
  “That’s not going to cut it for me.” ([52:36] - Jimmy Akin)

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Question | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:08 | Killing everyone to force Jesus’ Second Coming: would it work, is it moral? | | 05:17 | Are heaven and hell customized to you and your life? | | 07:00 | If you sacrifice your life for God, is it suicide? | | 15:26 | Could a killer whale get a taste for human flesh? | | 18:28 | Will personalities, temperaments, & dispositions change in heaven? | | 22:08 | How could resurrected bodies survive falls or destruction in eternal life? | | 29:51 | Kamikaze/self-sacrifice in sci-fi scenarios: moral implications | | 33:29 | Psych ward patients, spiritual sensitivity, and mental illness | | 38:22 | Would a vampire priest need to retire? | | 41:36 | Would Santa Claus go to heaven? | | 43:59 | Woolly mammoths, genetics, and island dwarfism—science sidebar | | 48:53 | The Rick Astley paradox (“give you up” and “let you down”) | | 51:10 | Is cannibalism always immoral? (Amputated leg taco party) |

Tone and Delivery

The episode is both theologically rigorous and lightly humorous, with Jimmy Akin providing thorough, sometimes speculative, answers while keeping a friendly and engaging rapport with Cy Kellett and the audience. Playful banter and pop-culture references abound, stemming from the show’s “weird questions” premise.

For Further Listening

The episode continues into a second hour of weird questions, and fans are encouraged to submit their own odd, challenging, or curiosity-driven queries for future discussions. Jimmy Akin’s related podcast “Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World” is also recommended for fans of mysteries at the intersection of faith, reason, and the inexplicable.