Does bad offset good?

[Walshfish]

Recently I saw a TV program about a famous Colombian entertainer who uses her wealth to build schools for the poorest children in her country. This would seem to me to be what Jesus meant when he said to store up riches in heaven. Later in the program it was revealed that she had a son with a man she has no intention of marrying. My question is even though she has done good deeds will she still go to hell for living in sin?

 

[JamalChristophr]

That’s a management question, we’re all in sales.

Good deeds don’t get us into heaven. The soul must be repentant while it still has free-will. If we don’t repent of our sins at some point before we are judged, there’s no access to Mercy- only Justice.

 

[petra22]

It’s hard to judge–and we’re not supposed to… is she living with the father?

If a person does bad things and then changes, repents and does good, the he/she is judged by the good. But if a person does good things and then gets drawn into bad and does not repent… he/she will have to suffer the consequences… Let us pray for people who may die suddenly with no chance to repent…

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Amen

 

[Veronica97]

If a person does bad things and then changes, repents and does good, the he/she is judged by the good. But if a person does good things and then gets drawn into bad and does not repent… he/she will have to suffer the consequences… Let us pray for people who may die suddenly with no chance to repent…

I’ve been wondering about that. I did some good things while living in a (probable) state of mortal sin for many years. I understand that I will not receive merit in Heaven for good deeds done while in a state of mortal sin. However, is this true that now that I have repented, God will look at the good things I did during that time when He judges me?

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Recently I saw a TV program about a famous Colombian entertainer who uses her wealth to build schools for the poorest children in her country. This would seem to me to be what Jesus meant when he said to store up riches in heaven. Later in the program it was revealed that she had a son with a man she has no intention of marrying. My question is even though she has done good deeds will she still go to hell for living in sin?

Hey, I like this idea! If one does good works, then one can buy sins with them. So if I start a school for the blind, I can cheat on my wife right?

 

[PelagiathePenit]

Recently I saw a TV program about a famous Colombian entertainer who uses her wealth to build schools for the poorest children in her country. This would seem to me to be what Jesus meant when he said to store up riches in heaven. Later in the program it was revealed that she had a son with a man she has no intention of marrying. My question is even though she has done good deeds will she still go to hell for living in sin?

This is why I think it hard to judge people. People are very complex. They do plenty of good things and plenty of bad things too. I know people who love to gossip about others, but go out of their way to help others. Is their gossiping, still wrong? Of course. I know plenty of people are very patient with others and will help others, but when it comes to donating their money or time, are out the door. It is hard to categorize others and decide where they belong. I guess this is why I think God can judge us. We all have varying good, selfless qualities and “bad” selfish, destructive qualities.

 

[TK421]

Recently I saw a TV program about a famous Colombian entertainer who uses her wealth to build schools for the poorest children in her country. This would seem to me to be what Jesus meant when he said to store up riches in heaven. Later in the program it was revealed that she had a son with a man she has no intention of marrying. My question is even though she has done good deeds will she still go to hell for living in sin?

“Good” deeds performed while in a state of mortal sin have no meritorious value before God.

You can run into a case where a fundamentally wicked person may do many good things. Behave politely, be charming to be around, donate money to charity, etc. Likewise, you can also have a fundamentally penitent person do many bad things. Be an overall unlikeable person to be around, fail a lot, be of seemingly little value to other people, etc. Good deeds can be performed for either moot or outright ignoble purposes. You can give long prayers before the temple to soak in prestige and attention from your peers. You can use a chunk of your wealth to donate in order to soak in prestige and attention. You can be a non-alcohol drinking, non-smoking, physically fit, vegetarian yoga master and yet have a soul black with pride and sin. You can throw a dollar in the collection basket and its value in Heaven might regarded as a thousandfold heavier than the charity project of a Hollywood celebrity.

We don’t know for sure who God’s sheep are. Only God knows that, and we won’t know until we’ve died. She might not be in mortal sin in spite of her grave actions, because of a certain level of ignorance that comes with not being well-founded in Truth. If she is in mortal sin, and has chosen to pit her will against the Divine Will, then her deeds are useless and have no virtue in them.