Are all sins created equal (according to Christian doctrine)

[Zzyzx]

.
Are some sins punished more than others?

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:5-6 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Dont be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.

Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Mark 7:20-23 And he said, What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 12:31-32 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Mark 3:28-29 Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin

Galatians 5 lists murder right along with such things as hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, drunkenness. Is that indication that sin is sin regardless its severity?

What is the difference in punishment for a person who is a drunk (or jealous or wrathful) vs. a murderer?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Are all sins created equal (according to Christian doctrine)?

Sin only exists in the absolute, like being pregnant or dead, you can't commit half a sin, any more than you can be slightly dead or a little bit pregnant. Either you sinned or you didn't, so in that all sins are equal. We speak of "serious" sins not because some are big and some are little but because not all consequences and/or punishment for sins are the same.

Some, like a momentary unclean thought, are the result of our sinful nature and offenses for which we can expect pardon thanks to the ransom. Some like being hateful or harbouring resentment are more serious but can be corrected with little long term harm if done so. And some like murder and adultery have serious consequences and carry severe punishment. The bible explains that when secular laws (that don't violate Christian law and principle) are violated, punishment is rightly administered by the state*.

In any case, Christianity exist on a higher plain than religions that regulate only actions, by highlighting the need to the root causes of those actions. Jesus urged his followers to root out negative thoughts and feelings from our hearts (our inner thoughts, feelings and motives) warning that all actions good or bad begin in the heart. So for example while not discouraging proper modesty in dress and grooming, Christianity doesn't charge it's women to cover their entire bodies, faces and hair so as not to arouse male passion, rather it charges men (and women) to cultivate self control.

* Where biblical laws are unrepentantly violated the wrongdoers can be excluded from the congregation.






JEHOVAH'S WITNESS



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Go to other posts related to...

LIFE, SIN and ...REDEMPTION

[Zzyzx]

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We speak of "serious" sins not because some are big and some are little but because not all consequences and/or punishment for sins are the same.

What is the difference in punishment (in the religious, not secular, sense) for:

An unclean thought
Harboring resentment
Adultery
Murder

[ttruscott]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

People are punished, not sins. It is a Christian pov that the least deviation into sin has an ultimate disvalue to GOD. The response to the slightest deviation from righteousness for an elect, one of HIS own by their free will decison to put their faith in HIM and in HIS Son for their salvation from sin, puts Christ on the cross.

The response to the deviation from righteousness by those who rejected HIS claims to be their GOD, committing to the belief that HE was a false god and a liar, is eternal banishment to the outer darkness as they have made themselves eternally unable to ever fulfill HIS purpose for their creation.

The reason some people are punished more than others is found in their stubborness, their unwillingness to repent and to bow to HIS call. The sin is not punished as greater, the person suffers more from a stiff neck.

[Zzyzx]

.

People are punished, not sins. It is a Christian pov that the least deviation into sin has an ultimate disvalue to GOD. The response to the slightest deviation from righteousness for an elect, one of HIS own by their free will decison to put their faith in HIM and in HIS Son for their salvation from sin, puts Christ on the cross.

Kindly address:

What is the difference in punishment (in the religious, not secular, sense) for:

An unclean thought
Harboring resentment
Adultery
Murder

Are people punished differently for the above by God (or supernaturally)? If so, how?

[JehovahsWitness]

.

We speak of "serious" sins not because some are big and some are little but because not all consequences and/or punishment for sins are the same.

What is the difference in punishment (in the religious, not secular, sense) for:

An unclean thought
Harboring resentment
Adultery
Murder

I'm not God, so all I can speak of are observable consequences/results not punishment which involves judgement and retribution. Judgement and punishment is way out of my domain, but the bible does warn God will judge those he deems as urepentent and incorrigible. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses we have religious procedures where behaviours that are spiritually harmful to the community are judged, but that is of course limited to serious and provable infringements on biblical law.


YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

As far as consequences, a biblical principle is that one reaps what one does. If someone sows harmful thoughts and actions they inevitably sooner or later reap negativity and even trouble. Unclean thoughts if unchecked the bible says can to unclean actions. Those can be harmful to oneself and others. The same for harbouring resentment, sooner or later those feelings eat away at a person and are psychologically harmful. Adultery often results in feelings of betrayal, an undermining of the trust that is the basis of a happy marriage... and may even destroy a marriage hurting ones partner and any children they may have. Murder, it's self evident people will be hurt irreparably.

All these things hinder a good relationship with Jehovah (God) to a greater or a lesser degree.






JW

[Clownboat]

I'm not God, so all I can speak of are observable consequences/results not punishment which involves judgement and retribution.

All these things hinder a good relationship with Jehovah (God) to a greater or a lesser degree.

Can you help me make sense of these two sentences? In one, you seem to be saying that you cannot speak on behalf of your god (which I would agree with), but then you seem to go on to do exactly that.

[JehovahsWitness]

I'm not God, so all I can speak of are observable consequences/results not punishment which involves judgement and retribution.

All these things hinder a good relationship with Jehovah (God) to a greater or a lesser degree.

Can you help me make sense of these two sentences? In one, you seem to be saying that you cannot speak on behalf of your god (which I would agree with), but then you seem to go on to do exactly that.

Well in the first statement I mean that I cannot say what God should do or what judgement he should make regarding the eternal fate of any individual. I can either direct him or dictate for him.

In the second statement, in context I am summarizing what the bible reports God himself has said (and I have found to be true in my case and from other first-hand testimonies) as to the consequences of certain actions on our relationship with him. For example...

Proverbs 15:29 "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous", Psalms 11:5: "He hates those who love violence" , 1John 4:8 "Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love".

So this is not speaking for God in the sense of imposing my will on the Almighty or dictating what He shuold say or how he should react, it is testifying as to the truthfulness of what I believe to be divine statements of what actions and attitudes stand to ruin ones relationship with the Almighty.



Hope that clarifies what I was trying to communicate,


JW

[Zzyzx]

.

We speak of "serious" sins not because some are big and some are little but because not all consequences and/or punishment for sins are the same.

I'm not God, so all I can speak of are observable consequences/results not punishment which involves judgement and retribution. Judgement and punishment is way out of my domain,

What happened here? Do you know about punishment (consequences as reworded) or dont you?

HOW do the punishments by God differ for the various sins?

but the bible does warn God will judge those he deems as urepentent and incorrigible.

Is murderer off the hook with God (forgiven) if they repent? Do they enter the kingdom of God? Are they punished in an 'afterlife'?

Is an unrepentant, incorrigible adulterer denied entry to the kingdom?

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses we have religious procedures where behaviours that are spiritually harmful to the community are judged, but that is of course limited to serious and provable infringements on biblical law.

Do church members make such judgments or are they performed supernaturally?

As far as consequences, a biblical principle is that one reaps what one does. If someone sows harmful thoughts and actions they inevitably sooner or later reap negativity and even trouble. Unclean thoughts if unchecked the bible says can to unclean actions. Those can be harmful to oneself and others. The same for harbouring resentment, sooner or later those feelings eat away at a person and are psychologically harmful. Adultery often results in feelings of betrayal, an undermining of the trust that is the basis of a happy marriage... and may even destroy a marriage hurting ones partner and any children they may have. Murder, it's self evident people will be hurt irreparably.

All of those appear to be worldly (not supernatural) consequences. No gods required.

[Diagoras]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

People are punished, not sins. It is a Christian pov that the least deviation into sin has an ultimate disvalue to GOD. The response to the slightest deviation from righteousness for an elect, one of HIS own by their free will decison to put their faith in HIM and in HIS Son for their salvation from sin, puts Christ on the cross.

The response to the deviation from righteousness by those who rejected HIS claims to be their GOD, committing to the belief that HE was a false god and a liar, is eternal banishment to the outer darkness as they have made themselves eternally unable to ever fulfill HIS purpose for their creation.

The reason some people are punished more than others is found in their stubborness, their unwillingness to repent and to bow to HIS call. The sin is not punished as greater, the person suffers more from a stiff neck.

Taken at face value, this seems to suggest that:

A) all sins are equal (a disservice to god)
B) if you sin while an elect (which I assume means believer in god?) then Christ gets put on the cross. Im not sure whether thats meant to be figurative?
C) if you are not an elect, then any sin results in banishment to the eternal outer darkness.

Im also not clear where repentance comes in. Is that available to everyone, or only elects? Im also unclear as to how some people could be punished more than others under this system, as theres only the outer darkness option (or presumably being forgiven?) No obvious scale of punishment offered. Admittedly, theres logical problems with eternity anyway, but it would be equally nonsensical to be banished to a nearer darkness, or the outer dim-but-you-can-still-make-out-shapes-in-the-dark-ness.

In summary, a lot to puzzle over, and Id be surprised if this is a widely-held view of all Christians.