Between the ages of 19 and 22, Freddie Prinze attained and achieved what most men never realize-fame, money, popularity, success. He had it all. Now he is dead. By his own hand he left the goods, gold and glitter of this world. Freddie found this life's wealth was ashes in his mouth. So, he determined to put himself out of his misery. But did he?

One may shoot a horse with a broken leg or give an old, sick dog an injection and "put him out of his misery." However, it does not work that way with man.

The spirit of an animal goes downward to the earth while man's spirit goes unto God who gave it (Eccl. 3:19-21; 12:7). The ultimate tragedy is not that a sensationally talented comedian has been snuffed. The real disaster is that Prinze left this world for another from which there is no escape. What is more awful is the fact that he was ignorant of the fact. He thought he could terminate his sorrows with a bullet in the brain. He did not.

This world is full of Freddie Prinze stories. You never hear of them because the poor people involved are not as well known as he was. As I write, someone somewhere has done what he did. In so doing he has put himself into real misery rather than taking himself out. The most common age for suicide is 15 to 25. Unbelievable, is it not? That cold, chilling statistic contains a message. Who will hear it?

Poor Freddie Prinze and all his type! Their answers and solutions are located in Ecclesiastes, but must they enter the hadean realm before they find it out?

Truth Magazine XXI: 13, p. 206
March 31, 1977