I know this is a very broad question, so feel free to limit it to specific countries or specific times, if it makes it any easier. I started wondering because I know that suicide was viewed as a sin, so much that some people resorted to murdering their own children to get a death sentence because that wasn't viewed as a sin. I also wonder because life at that time seems like it could be very harsh, ofcourse everything is relative, and it only seems harsh by todays standards.
You may be interested in a past post on this topic:
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