He Died For My Sins…….So What? (Rant of A Fallen Catholic School Girl)
June 16, 2007 by HannahW
When I was in the 7th and 8th grade (Louisiana Jr. High) I attended a Catholic school where a religion course was required to pass. I frequently tormented the teachers with questions they couldn’t answer, facts they didn’t know and defending the devil….you know harmless mischief. Now most of this was done in a time when I was genuinely questioning. I was not trying to cause trouble (at first) I just wanted to have it explained to me by someone who was supposed to know. I did get quite a few answers .
But one of the questions that I asked regularly and never got a real answer to was “So if Jesus died to pay for my sins so I wouldn’t go to Hell, doesn’t that mean that anything I do is already covered? If he’s already paid for them, aren’t I home free no matter what?”
Maybe I just didn’t pay attention enough (even though I knew more about the history and politics of Catholicism then my 8th grade teacher did and proved it often) but no one veer gave me a real answer. It was always something along the line of “You’re good because you’re grateful. ” or “It hurts him when you sin, do you want to hurt Jesus?”.
Those are all fine and dandy reasons but they aren’t answers, and answers are what I’m looking for. One of the main points of the Christian church is that Jesus died for the sins of ALL people.
It does say in the Bible (I think, feel free to correct me, its been years since I read it) that you must accept Jesus to avoid Hell. But in the same breath it says he died for all people. This is one of the many things that I don’t understand about the Bible. If he died for all peoples sins, then he must have known ahead of time every sin that would ever occur and therefore at his death forgave them all, which would mean that the acceptance of him and his church was unnecessary.
I think the whole concept of Hell and forgiveness is bunk. They needed people to join and fear was the best tool they had, but thats just my opinion.
AM
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Follow this link Hannah.
http://item.slide.com/r/1/92/i/ENpO9g546D8sUWwBlr5LlLH7b39hz8MB/.jpeg
AM
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Haha
Thanks AM
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“If he died for all peoples sins, then he must have known ahead of time every sin that would ever occur and therefore at his death forgave them all, which would mean that the acceptance of him and his church was unnecessary.”
I think you’re a little off the mark on this one. To demonstrate, allow me to suggest a situation wherein a friend of yours has wronged you, let’s say she said something demeaning and humiliating behind your back. You have heard what she said, and are upset, but are willing and able to forgive her. However, if she never apologizes nor does she recognize that she did something mean and hurtful, forgiveness may not ever take place.
So to provide you a real answer (I’m sorry you went to a middle school with such incompetent teachers, btw.): You have to (first) recognize you did something wrong and (second) apologize before you can be forgiven for any action by anyone. The same would hold for God, Jesus, etc.
“I think the whole concept of Hell and forgiveness is bunk. They needed people to join and fear was the best tool they had, but thats just my opinion.”
I just want to point this out; your statement is not an opinion, it is a statement of fact. Whether it is historically accurate or not is debatable, but it’s not simply an opinion you hold. An opinion is something like “coffee is good” or “coffee is bad”; no one can tell me I’m right or wrong about an opinion. A statement of fact like the one you made, is always debatable.
I’m sorry if I’m being rude to point that out, but it’s one of my pet peeves.
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No its not rude to point any of it out. Critics are welcome, and I’m not one to get angry at polite criticism.
I don’t really agree on your analogy with the backstabbing friend. Does the friend know shes done something wrong? If from her point of view she hasn’t done anything wrong or doesn’t realize it, then how can you blame her?
Also on the opinion thing, I don’t know how to phrase it better, but I wouldn’t consider it fact, I’d think of it more as a theory.
As I said all criticisms welcome.
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I wouldn’t accept the bible as a guide to simplistic and absolute 3 dimensional truth.Due only to the fact It was written in a concise and impacted way as to cater for the time.In those days you would use many ambiguious phrases,words and contexts.As one called out Jesus son of David (house of David) even though King David preceded Him by 1000 years It was a normality to use brother when refering to your uncle, brother or cousin etc…As the example in the Apostles Creed the aramaic text ‘He(Jesus)descended into hell on the third day He rose again…’ The jews did not have a word for Limbo so if is wasn’t Heaven they also used hell to desribe Limbo is the reason why am very wary of the bible and seek other channels of explanation to understand what was actually meant alot of the times by the jews.So It is difficult to understand without prior study of textual language of the day what should be considered figurative or literal? So Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins on the exterior I would initially absorb as an absolute.However apply rational and reason you would immediately jump to the conclusion of contradiction of why then do we need Him and His church if all men are forgiven?
Use a littlef common sense and intuition and it becomes semi-clear that there must be conditions applied if He is establishing a “church” this means a governing body is being errected…?So is there more to it than the bible reveals?The version the Catholic Church compiled is Duoy-Rimes bible and in this particular compilation it is stated that not all things that were said and done by Christ were written but passed down through tradition and word of mouth?Is that the fine print?Lets recap’ my alterboy catechism days(I was the worst student mind you) The jews were handed the ten commandments by Moses as a governing procedure;consider Thou shalt not commit adultery : The jews being zelous as they are interpreted this partial law as follow,as long as they didn’t commit the act they could still give consent to concupiscent thoughts…But Jesus in brief;tells them they must not transgress these commandments by thought, word or deed!
Voila! The fine print? He also states He did not come to change the law but to fulfil it meaning explain exactly what is required by God.So when a bible reads “forgiveness of sins” consider that there are means to ascertain exactly what is meant!Even the apostles reproved Jesus for speaking in parables rather than straight forward aramaic.
In bibles I’m not sure if it states how the ten commandments were written in terms of inscription?I have little time for it I’m affraid…On one was written 3 commandments,on the other was written 7.The first three commandments relate to the love of God and the last seven relate to the love of our neighbour.
As for the concept of hell use common sense again mercy cannot exist without justice as love without hate reward without punishment.Should I as a Master reward my servant who has sacrificed much to please me, given honour to my name and house even when I am difficult and grant him many tribulations and hardships and without reprieve or rest but the only comfort to him is my estates that he will possess so without mumur he submits his will for by rights he is my servant and slave but rather he is thankful knowing I have absolute charge over him and am able to decide his fate ?Should I also reward the second servant who is ungrateful for my mercy and refuge, who rebels spits on my existence ,dishonours my house mocks me scandalizes others to hate me and tramples on my will expects me to bend to him and thinks I am privliged to have him even though I have forgiven him again and again but still he feels my property is his obliged right.God is merciful but also just.It would be unjust to reward the good as well as the wicked.Once again the undisclosed conditions(fine print) that the bible does not revere.Otherwise it certainly is futile to have a redeemer/saviour/governer/shepard if that were the case.If there are saints that most definately means there are wicked,if there is a Heaven there is a Hell.You do not need volumes to apply common sense?Most of this as you can see is 4th grade catechism and should have passed you as you mentioned you did not attend a proaxial school?
Sorry for the spelling I am australian and certain words our spelling differs!
Mom=mum etc…
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One would think that the Creator would be able to describe “Limbo” to the ancient Jews, and provide a word for it…
Engineers today design elaborate structures. Novelists weave together massive, intriguing stories. Artists capture not just moments, but hours, decades, and even millenia in a single image. Poets weave an elegant tapestry of prose.
Unlike the rest of them, though, the Engineer has an additional task. Build it.
It is enough for the novelist to say “Skyscrapers that tower five miles over the city streets”
The Engineer, though, is a bit more limited in what he can build, and therefore what he can design.
Religion was not assembled by Engineers. If it were, there would not be a need for interpretation. There would be one (and only one) rational, logical methodology that leads to religion’s conclusions.
We don’t have that. Just inside Christianity we have dozens of flavors, thousands of interpretations, and no clear, distinct path to get from point A to point B.
Religion was assembled by the artists, the dreamers. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, as long as you can wake up in the morning and separate the dream for the reality.
There are hundreds of religions and millions of ways to practice them. Many are contradictory: Not everyone can be right.
But all of them can be wrong.
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Oh…It is ladies and gentlemen my own personal marxist offspring stalker…Ummm I guess that’s something to tell my grandchildren.Back to business my dearest lover of lies and hater of truth prepare well for the misfortune that is about to befall you.In the form of 2nd grade catechism vs the much intuitive and RATIONAL creature of GOD!!!
You will probably sound as follows I…I…I thought there was no possibility of proving there was a GOD…I’ve studied…the bible and all it’s contradictions and all relative information in it’s confounds or have you???
Please do not think too much about the defence of your belief I only ask that you become a religious on the island of papa stronsay off the east coast of Scotland with a traditional order of the redemtrists.So once again do not convey or harbour any ill will towards me but know you will thank me in years to come… wait for me and don’t run to the hills hoping they will fall on you or anything irrational as most christians suffer from this condition???
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First, I am no stalker. I am an author, editor and administrator here at TJM, and I responded to your comments appropriately and politely.
Second, like your past three responses to my comments, this latest one is riddled with ad hominems and insults. These will not be tolerated: If they had been directed at anyone other than myself, they would have been removed instantly.
You don’t have to agree with my or any opinions expressed on this site. We welcome differing viewpoints and encourage dissenting opinions. I have been told more than once that my ideas are ludicrous. (Please see the comments on my challenge to The Golden rule for some examples) These challenges are helpful, informative, and I, the authors and staff, and our readers appreciate the contrasting viewpoints.
A good debate is a passionate debate, and tempers can occasionally flare. Please remember, we are discussing and arguing ideas, not people.
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