A question for those churchgoing ones...forgiveness

by ashitaka 68 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Francois

  Let's cut to the basics. The Love, Mercy, & Forgiveness of the Infinite God is, well, infinite. I'm wondering what kind of sin in all its egregiousness is SO BIG that the infinite forgiveness of the Infinite God can't cover it and make it as if it had never been? Said another way, how can a sub-infinite mortal create a super-infinite sin of such size that it's BIGGER than the infinite mercy and forgiveness of God?

  I frankly don't think it can be done. We are just not used to thinking in those terms because we've been mislead by the JWs and other religions into thinking that our sins are so huge that the infinite God just can't handle them and that He is going to get around to wooly-buggaring our ass - no exceptions. That WOULD be the way Jehooober would handle it, yes. But we aren't here speaking of Jehooober, we're speaking of the real God who inhabits the Universe of Universes.

  Think about it.

  REALIST - No Stinky is not single. More's the pity.
• 

  Realist

  francois,

  do you agree that sin requires a free will?

  No Stinky is not single. More's the pity.

  thats indeed a damn shame!!
• 

  Francois

  Yeah, Realist, sin requires a free will. Without free will the person committing the sin would rightly be the person manipulating the person who seems to be committing it.

  Yes, it is a damn shame that Stinky's not single. But then, how would she ever choose among the milling throng right here who are more than a little interested in her overwhelming pulchritude?
• 

  Realist

  francois,

  so perhaps we should establish first whether free will exists or not.

  imo free will would require a spirit not linked to the physical world of neurons and molecules.

  pulchritude

  i had to look that one up!

  i havn't seen a picture of her but her mind seems very interesting
• 

  jgnat

  Responding to Ash,

  Still, I think you could ask any person what their theology was, and that was, if you don't believe in God, he will judge you. I thought that was the standard line in churches. Nope. Churches, and Christians, come in all styles and sizes. We all want a God that judges fairly and metes out forgiveness fairly. Some people think they have the inside edge on interpretation, and are quite willing to speculate on which side of the judging line you will end up. I won't.

  Still, would they [church-goers] be judging me for not believing in God? LOL, yes. It is what I find most irritating about my new church-going friends. They remind me of vegetarians and tupperware nuts. No amount of reasoning will budge them from the conviction that their way of life is superior, and they persist in setting everyone else right. *sigh* I wish just one of them, on first meeting, would forego the gentle probing designed to figure out how Christian I am, and just find out about me.
• 

  ashitaka

  They remind me of vegetarians and tupperware nuts.

  LOL!

  I wish just one of them, on first meeting, would forego the gentle probing designed to figure out how Christian I am, and just find out about me.

  So goes the day of the religous nut. They all do that, which is why I prefer to hang out with people who don't have any strong convictions; then, the only standards I will have to follow is human decency and trust, and not some rulebook that they've created in their mind. I hear ya.

  ash
• 

  jgnat

  *ahem* I am one of them. We are not all like that, really! Glad you enjoyed my analogy.
• 

  ashitaka

  *ahem* I am one of them.

  Nonono. Not just religous, a religous nut. Very different. Wasn't bustin' your noodle!

  ash
• 

  Billygoat

  Why? Because, for a God to be truly good, he would be able to understand the reasons behind a person's belief or disbelief, and see their hearts. That is, if God is all knowing. If not, he's just some guy up above who doesn't answer prayers, who arbitrarily kills people according to how he's feeling that week.

  ((((((((ashi))))))) There are more Christians that believe this than you think!

  Edited to add: I am not ABOUT to speak on God's behalf as to who has forgiveness and who doesn't. Frankly, it's none of my business, although being a nosy person I'd love to know. But basically, my lack of knowledge reminds me that I should focus on ME and MY walk with God...not everyone else's. But I firmly believe that God is loving and all-knowing - he sees things in your life and your heart condition that I'm not privvy to. And I believe He will make a LOVING judgement based on ALL that knowledge...not based on what some ninny down here on earth sees. And to be HONEST? Thank God He is not judging me based what YOU see, right?
• 

  A Paduan

  It is fairly clear as to who recieves spiritual growth and who doesn't. There's no big mystery of "who is going to be pardoned and not killed" - I think your writing shows that you're still considering the jw beastgod. People go toward light or dark concerning the truth about themselves - that's how the judgement works - then there's mercy too.