Mrs. Edge
Bono's Belly Dancing Friend
I have a question about the Christian religion. It?s about a particular thing that bothers me so profoundly that I am losing sleep over it at night. As this forum is positively crammed with Christians, this is the place to go to find the answers! Surely SOMEBODY here can explain this to a newbie like me and make me feel better. And please don?t take offence to this question, it is something I genuinely can?t wrap my head around, and I want to understand this with an open mind.
As some of you know, I have no religious background at all, and am at the moment pondering my spiritual path. A very good friend is providing me with all kinds of information and is very concerned about my eternal soul. Unfortunately, this is one of those mysterious questions that she is having trouble answering to my satisfaction.
One thing that she and every other Christian friend I have says to me, is that if all of your sins on this earth will be forgiven ? as long as you believe in Jesus, and that all sin equal in God?s view, from a small white lie to murder and rape. Well for starters I have a problem swallowing that. If all sin is the same, then you might as well REALLY sin a lot and get the most bang for your buck. But that isn?t even the question!
Of course I understand the importance of true penance and forgiveness. It is very comforting, as we all have our foibles. What upsets me is the thought of how many criminals see this as ?carte blanche? really to do whatever they want while on this earth, as I am told one?s actions in this life don?t matter AT ALL. How can this be?!? Where is the motivation to be a good person at all, beyond one?s own conscience and society?s laws? If I were God, I?d say ?you aren?t allowed up here until you live up to your full potential, whatever that might be!?
It seems (and no one has yet contradicted this) You can literally do anything you want and as long as you repent at the last minute you get away with it. Meanwhile, the person you may have sinned against who might not be a Christian but may be the world?s nicest and most charitable person, living a life very close to Jesus? ideals, gets to go to hell because they are not a Christian? Where is the justice in this? How can anyone stomach this in good conscience???
The reason I bring this up is the other day, I read a horrible, disgusting news item about a man (and I use that word loosely) who raped his daughter for 17 years straight from the age of 4, and taught her two brothers to do the same. The uncle even videoed one eposide. They continued to do this when she was in a wheelchair recovering from ovarian cancer! She died recently and they are now on trial. It just kills me to think that these guys will get away with this, maybe not on earth but by moving on to a happy afterlife, just because they happen to be Christians.
HOW CAN THIS BE ALLOWED? Shouldn?t they at least be forced to atone for this somehow before being forgiven? If not on earth than to her in the afterlife?
It makes me want to cry every time I think about it. Could someone please explain this to me?
As some of you know, I have no religious background at all, and am at the moment pondering my spiritual path. A very good friend is providing me with all kinds of information and is very concerned about my eternal soul. Unfortunately, this is one of those mysterious questions that she is having trouble answering to my satisfaction.
One thing that she and every other Christian friend I have says to me, is that if all of your sins on this earth will be forgiven ? as long as you believe in Jesus, and that all sin equal in God?s view, from a small white lie to murder and rape. Well for starters I have a problem swallowing that. If all sin is the same, then you might as well REALLY sin a lot and get the most bang for your buck. But that isn?t even the question!
Of course I understand the importance of true penance and forgiveness. It is very comforting, as we all have our foibles. What upsets me is the thought of how many criminals see this as ?carte blanche? really to do whatever they want while on this earth, as I am told one?s actions in this life don?t matter AT ALL. How can this be?!? Where is the motivation to be a good person at all, beyond one?s own conscience and society?s laws? If I were God, I?d say ?you aren?t allowed up here until you live up to your full potential, whatever that might be!?
It seems (and no one has yet contradicted this) You can literally do anything you want and as long as you repent at the last minute you get away with it. Meanwhile, the person you may have sinned against who might not be a Christian but may be the world?s nicest and most charitable person, living a life very close to Jesus? ideals, gets to go to hell because they are not a Christian? Where is the justice in this? How can anyone stomach this in good conscience???
The reason I bring this up is the other day, I read a horrible, disgusting news item about a man (and I use that word loosely) who raped his daughter for 17 years straight from the age of 4, and taught her two brothers to do the same. The uncle even videoed one eposide. They continued to do this when she was in a wheelchair recovering from ovarian cancer! She died recently and they are now on trial. It just kills me to think that these guys will get away with this, maybe not on earth but by moving on to a happy afterlife, just because they happen to be Christians.
HOW CAN THIS BE ALLOWED? Shouldn?t they at least be forced to atone for this somehow before being forgiven? If not on earth than to her in the afterlife?
It makes me want to cry every time I think about it. Could someone please explain this to me?