More Religious Leaders Challenge Silence Isolation Surrounding Suicide : Shots
Talitha Arnold
The Rev. Talitha Arnold  was just 2 years old when  her  father  a World War II veteran  took his own life.
"You just didn't talk about those things back then. We didn't even talk about suicide when I was in the seminary " says  Arnold   who leads the United Church of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
Then  when the wife of one of  her  divinity school professors killed  herself  and no one muttered a word about it during the service   Arnold  says  she  was appalled. "I was sitting there thinking  'This was nuts. Why can't you name it?' " That was almost 40 years ago.
 Arnold  also leads that task force. "If someone dies from heart disease  for instance  or in an accident  they may wonder where God is  but when someone dies by suicide  a whole lot of other questions get raised " she says. "When you can't talk about this in church  then  it  feels like God can't talk about  it  either."
[TGT] was just 2 years old when   [TGT]   father  a World War II veteran  took his own life.
"You just didn't talk about those things back then. We didn't even talk about suicide when I was in the seminary " says  Arnold   who leads the United Church of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
Then  when the wife of one of  her  divinity school professors killed  herself  and no one muttered a word about it during the service    [TGT] says   [TGT]   was appalled. "I was sitting there thinking  'This was nuts. Why can't you name it?' " That was almost 40 years ago.
  [TGT] also leads that task force. "If someone dies from heart disease  for instance  or in an accident  they may wonder where God is  but when someone dies by suicide  a whole lot of other questions get raised " she says. "When you can't talk about this in church  then  it  feels like God can't talk about  it  either."