Re: Joan -- Catholic Friends Forum

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 14:31:25 11/21/07 Wed
Author: Joan
Author Host/IP: ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net / 68.0.253.131
Subject: Re: Joan
In reply to: Catie 's message, "Joan" on 09:52:32 11/21/07 Wed

"So the answer, all sin is consumed by a literal purified fire and becomes nothing but ashes."

So what happens to the souls who died with unconfessed sin? If they suffer eternal seperation, but their sin is purified eventually, do they then see God? That doesn't make sense to me.

"As a protestant and Christian I believe to die without unconfessed sin is eternal separation from God. There is no second chance or another state of waiting to be absolved of sin or forgiven, regardless of the sin."

But what if you're walking down the street and you have a very unkind thought about another human being. Maybe the person is deformed or annoying. Maybe it's a drug addict who is asking you for money for "food", when you know it's for booze, and you think "This guy isn't worth my time." Then a car jumps the curb and kills you. You died w/ that unconfessed sin. Do you go to Hell or Heaven, or is there another state where a soul can be purified before entering Heaven (since nothing impure can enter Heaven.)?

This is why we pray for the dead. The souls in Heaven are beyond hope. They are eternally seperated from God. The souls in Heaven don't need our prayers. It's the souls undergoing purification who need our prayers. This is why the Bible talks about praying for the dead.

I don't think God intends for us to go to Hell for "small" sins like unkind thoughts about people or for things like a teenager's disrespectin his father just before being hit by the car that jumps the curb. But, if we believe that everyone with any unconfessed sin goes to Hell, what else is there to believe but that many good people are in Hell for a thought or deed done just before they died and before they had the time to confess that sin. Yikes!

Joan

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Joan -- Catie, 19:10:52 11/21/07 Wed [1] (h164.252.213.151.ip.alltel.net/151.213.252.164)

I don't think a creator of the universe, a God who loves mankind, who gave up his son, which was actual diety, to stand in our place as a sacrifice for OUR sin, is eagerly awaiting to find fault and "destroy" man. I don't think we are to live in fear that we might sin, for even a second, without a chance to confess, then face God to be judged. But that doesn't answer the question nor excuse the sin. Here, according to scripture, is what I think about a situation as you described:

Christ said when he must leave he would send the Holy Spirit in his place. He said when he comes he will lead us into ALL truth. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? First he is our comforter. He NEVER condemns. Only Satan is the one who condemns. Thqat does not mean that God tolerates sin, but I'm speaking of feeling guilty all the time about something I might have done or be tempted to do. The Holy Spirit, "nudges" us when we stray from the "straight and narrow". The bible says this about sin: If a person knows to do good and does not do it, then it is to him a sin. So If a person has a sinful thought (which is sent to us by Satan), is in opposition of God's word, and does not refuse that thought or "cast it down" as the bible says, it is a sin. BUt if we cast away a fleeting thought, refuse to allow it to take hold in our mind, we have not sinned but we were tested, or tempted. We have a choice to accept that thought, or deed. We can dwell on a sinful thought or cast it aside. I believe ANYTIME we have a sinful thought, immediately the Holy Spirit will reveal to us it that sin. Immediately it becomes our own choice to dwell, allow it to take root, or to cast it aside. I truly do not believe anyone has ever faced death without first knowing whether or not they had sin in their life. There might have been those who died with sin, but at sometime refused to be forgiven and chose to dwell in sin. But I think that person was given a chance at one time to know God and be forgiven. God goes out of his way to reveal sin because his main goal is to save mankind, not destroy him. If he will reveal it, then he surely will give an opportunity to all to be forgiven. We can choose to listen to the HOly spirit or to accept the sin. It is always our choice. But that does not mean we live in fear of God eager to zap us out of here.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]