Forgiveness paradox, maybe?

[Alindawyl]

Is not treating the doctrine of original sin as “objective truth” just as obstinate and narrow minded?

Narrow minded and obstinate imply that one is holding onto a subjective belief which is not true, against all attempts to be reasoned with.

If, however, the belief in question is not an untrue subjective belief but an objective truth, then treating that belief (the doctrine of original sin, for example) as objectively true is neither obstinance nor narrow mindedness but merely a statement of fact.

“The rules merely explain how we are to express that love. We aren’t condemned to hell for not following the rules. We’re condemned to hell for not loving God and, from that love, our fellow human beings as well.”

I was under the impression one is condemned to hell if he is unrepentant. Being unrepentant would be denying moral laws and doctrine, right? But…

If one does not “absolutely” deny a law or doctrine… can one be actually be “unrepentant” and go to hell?

Is doubt itself a sin?

Doubt is not a sin. Or if it is, it’s not a mortal sin because doubt is uncertainty. It’s neither belief nor disbelief but somewhere in between. Mortal sins, ones which separate us from God’s grace, all involve some degree of certainty because one of the three criteria for a sin to be mortal is that it’s committed with full knowledge of the consequences. If someone has doubts, then they may not have full knowledge.

I say may not because only God knows the truth of the matter. Are they absolutely denying the truth, or are they uncertain but still seeking God and still striving for good? That’s only for God to say, not me.

 

[Shin]

Well, the Catholic Faith is a revealed truth, of historical fact and origin.

Of course revisionism and history rewritten by those to deny the occurances of miracles, the saints, etc. is what is the norm nowadays. But, from what I can see, one can objectively determine its truth by putting to test various parts of it – its unchanging doctrines, its indestructable government, its miracles that are beyond historical challenge, the quality of its witnesses in the saints, etc.

That at least, is what brought me to understand it is objectively an undeniable truth that does not depend on my subjective opinion. Once I have this – that I see for a fact that God has revealed Himself and given teachings to the world to those who are willing to genuinely seek it, those of good heart and will – then I can trust the rest, because He revealed it.

In other words, because God said it, it is true, because I know God exists and is good, and will never tell a lie. He is truth.

The virtue of faith is called a supernatural virtue, because grace is behind it in a special way so that it admits no real doubt. We can put things to the test, we can be tempted to doubt – but as long as we have faith we have the grace of trust and confidence because of the source of our Faith.

And those parts of the faith which are subjectable to the test, always prove their worth.

St. Thomas in his Summa talks about Faith.

“Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.” (Hebrews 11:1)

In other words, we know the person, so we trust that which we cannot grasp, we trust beyond what we can see. Because of the person who gives us the message. He, there is no one like Him, no one more loving, trustworthy, or truthful. For He is all these, and infinitely more than we can ever comprehend.

And the object of our eternity is contemplation of Him, whom we can never understand completely but always can meditate more upon the love of.