[Attalus]

I believe that the law merely shows this society's disapproval of it, as an example of the belief that ultimate good is life. Not that in some societies, it is not considered a praiseworthy thing under the right circumstances. The Romans and the Japanese, to take just two examples, considered it almost noble, if it were done as an act of protest or apology. The Christian Church has always abhorred it, at one time refusing burial on consecrated ground for suicides. This was because suicide was considered the ultimate manifestation of the capital sin of Despair, the rejection of God's Grace as manifested by the Holy Spirit. It was actually referred to as "the Rejection of the Holy Spirit, the one unforgivable sin." (St. Thomas Acquinas, I believe)