How does the Divine Mercy of God work according to non-Catholic religions?

[Stylteralmaldo]

I am curious how non-Catholic religions view the Mercy of God. I’ll start by stating the Catholic position:

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm#I
Catechism of the Catholic Church:

**I. MERCY AND SIN **
**1846 **The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners.113 The angel announced to Joseph: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."114 The same is true of the Eucharist, the sacrament of redemption: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."115
**1847 **"God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us."116 To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."117
**1848 **As St. Paul affirms, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."118 But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us "righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."119 Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God, by his Word and by his Spirit, casts a living light on sin:
Conversion requires convincing of sin; it includes the interior judgment of conscience, and this, being a proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man’s inmost being, becomes at the same time the start of a new grant of grace and love: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Thus in this “convincing concerning sin” we discover a double gift: the gift of the truth of conscience and the gift of the certainty of redemption. The Spirit of truth is the Consoler.120

For this thread, please indicate:

(1) Your faith background.

(2) Your viewpoint (or former viewpoint if now a practicing Catholic) regarding how God’s Divine Mercy works and how it differs with the Catholic understanding.

Thanks!

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

BUMP…

I’m surprised no one responded after two days.

I know there are differences. Perhaps all the non-Catholics have gone away and only Catholics are hanging around the site these days? Or perhaps the non-Catholics that hang around the site agree with the Catholic position of God’s Mercy?

I’ll see if I can start the topic off. If it doesn’t take off from there, well then I guess no one has interest in the discussion.

Here’s my thoughts on some key differences from other faith traditions (keeping in mind that I am a cradle Catholic and am only going on what I’ve learned through some study of other faiths).

(1) Protestants (ultra-Calvinist tradition): God shows Mercy to those who are elect by allowing them into heaven. This election is predetermined. There are those who are destined for hell. For those persons, God shows them Mercy by allowing them to exist at all - that being in hell.

(2) Jehovah Witnesses: God shows Mercy to 100,000 people who get to go to heaven. Others will be given Mercy by living forever on Earth. All the rest will never “wake up” - in other words - no hell - just non-existence.

(3) Mormons: Everyone could go to Heaven because there is no Hell, just a black abyss where you can be preached to after you die and be baptized after you die. There are different levels of mercy shown on those who follow the Mormon faith in this life and will thus experience Heaven based on how good of a Mormon they were in this life.

(4) Islam: Mercy comes through the Father, not through the Son. Follow the Quran and perform the good works found within it and you will go to Heaven. As for non-believers? I’m not sure but I think they are condemned to hell.

(5) Judaism: Jews view the afterlife in varied forms depending on whether Orthodox, Reformed, Conservative, or other. Therefore God’s Mercy also probably varies. There is no savior - yet. The savior and the mercy associated with it is still to come. God’s mercy will be shown when the savior comes.

(7) Buddhism: I think the concept doesn’t really exist in Buddhism. The goal isn’t to obtain God’s Mercy but to obtain perfect balance - probably a complete balance between mercy and justice. To the Buddhist - mercy would be to feel nothing - not joy nor sorrow.

(8) Hinduism: Mercy shown would be to not be reincarnated as a low-level animal in the next life. I think reincarnating as a cow in the next life is considered almost ideal (I’m sorry if I got that wrong, but I think that might be right). I know cows are revered in Hindu faith - to what degree I am surely a novice.

Please feel free to add to this list and/or correct any errors contained in my understandings above. Thanks!

 

[Adam14]

I’m a new Lutheran (about 2 years)

And sorry to be boring, but I pretty much agree with what you posted regarding the Catholic church’s stance on God’s Mercy.

From your post at 9:41am today, I’m not sure I agree with your Protestant description of God’s mercy there, but I can’t really comment too much on it, due to the lack of knowledge. I used to be Baptist, and I never heard it taught that way. And I can’t speak for other denominations. And I certainly cannot speak for non-Christian faiths…I have no idea what they believe.

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

…I’m not sure I agree with your Protestant description of God’s mercy there, but I can’t really comment too much on it, due to the lack of knowledge. I used to be Baptist, and I never heard it taught that way…

The position stated wasn’t intended as a blanket belief of all Calvinists or Protestants for that matter.

I put in quotes that it is the teaching of “ultra-Calvinism”. Maybe a better term is “hyper-Calvinism”. Here’s some information on it:

spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm

1. [Hyper-Calvinism] is a system of theology framed to exalt the honour and glory of God and does so by acutely minimizing the moral and spiritual responsibility of sinners . . . It emphasizes irresistible grace to such an extent that there appears to be no real need to evangelize; furthermore, Christ may be offered only to the elect. . . .

 

[Adam14]

The position stated wasn’t intended as a blanket belief of all Calvinists or Protestants for that matter.

I put in quotes that it is the teaching of “ultra-Calvinism”. Maybe a better term is “hyper-Calvinism”. Here’s some information on it:

spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm

Ahhh…gotcha… Yeah I’m not sure about that denomination’s belief. But I’d be surprised if most non-Catholic Christians beliefs aren’t pretty close to the Catholic Church’s beliefs on this. I think the differences come when we start looking at specific details. Of course there’s always a good chance that I’m wrong…so who knows? It will be interesting to see I think.

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

Adam14, since you are Lutheran, I found a Vatican document that discusses God’s Mercy and how it is consistent between both Catholics and Lutherans:

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

17.We also share the conviction that the message of justification directs us in a special way towards the heart of the New Testament witness to God’s saving action in Christ: it tells us that as sinners our new life is solely due to the forgiving and renewing mercy that God imparts as a gift and we receive in faith, and never can merit in any way.

Of course only the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) signed the document. LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) and WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church) did not so I don’t know for sure how or if their interpretations differ in this regard.

 

[Adam14]

Adam14, since you are Lutheran, I found a Vatican document that discusses God’s Mercy and how it is consistent between both Catholics and Lutherans:

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

Of course only the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) signed the document. LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) and WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church) did not so I don’t know for sure how or if their interpretations differ in this regard.

Cool…thanks for the info!

I actually attend an ELCA church now, but when I became Lutheran I was at a Missourri Synod. I actually don’t know how other “synods” view this, but I’d assume it’s also simular.

Honestly, I don’t really get too caught up in different synods, and denominations and whatnot. That’s one gripe I have about non-Catholic churches, all the different divisions. The Catholics have certainly done well keeping things together for the most part.

Anyway, that’s my thoughts on that…I don’t want to hijack your thread by getting it off topic. Thanks again for the info!

 

[rossum]

(7) Buddhism: I think the concept doesn’t really exist in Buddhism.

Correct. There is no concept of sin in Buddhism, just unskillful action. With no sin there is no forgiveness of sin either.

The goal isn’t to obtain God’s Mercy but to obtain perfect balance - probably a complete balance between mercy and justice. To the Buddhist - mercy would be to feel nothing - not joy nor sorrow.

Buddhists feel both joy and sorrow, it is just that we should not be attached to either of them.

rossum

 

[JonNC]

Adam14, since you are Lutheran, I found a Vatican document that discusses God’s Mercy and how it is consistent between both Catholics and Lutherans:

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html

Of course only the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) signed the document. LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) and WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church) did not so I don’t know for sure how or if their interpretations differ in this regard.

I’m LCMS, and frustrated by the unwillingness to sign on. If you go to www.LCMS.org, they have a response to the Joint Declaration which, to me, is weak. I think it is a giant step in the right direction.

Jon

 

[Sepharad]

With Buddhism, there are differing forms, usually Mahayana and Theravada. Theravada Buddhism is the older form, and their focus is on achieving nirvana (enlightenment), on an individual basis. Cambodian, Thai, Laotians, etc are Theravada Buddhists.

For Mahayana Buddhists, the goal is also to achieve enlightenment, but it is done with the entire creation in mind (i.e., one Buddhist can help achieve perfection for another living being as well as for himself.) Tibetans and a few others are Mahayana.

In Judaism, we do believe in the afterlife, which we call the Olam Ha’Ba. We believe that all Jews go there, but what their station is in the World to Come depends on how many mitzvot, or good deeds, they did in THIS life. Chazal (the Jewish sages) says that this life is simply a corridor to the next, and a place to prepare for the next life.

I often compare the Jewish view of the World to Come with seating at an opera. The Jews with the highest record of middot (good character traits), mitzvot (good deeds) and decent living get the best seats. The Jews who did the least in terms of mitzvot and middot get the worse seats.

 

[cheddarsox]

In pantheism, the entirety of the Universe holds the role of the supreme power. We do not understand it to have “human” traits. Divine love is the cooperation of all things that create all situations, not a sort of warm “feeling”. We do not apply human type feelings to the Universe, so we do not understand it as “loving”, “angry” , “jealous” or “merciful”.

Human actions, like all actions and interactions have consequences, but we do not believe the Universe alters it’s laws or forces to intervene in specific situations.