I deserve to die a horrible death?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rosejmj
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rosejmj

Guest
So my family was praying/watching the stations of the Cross and the prayers the priest was saying included that in one of the stations. It makes no sense for the average person.

Why are we bled constantly for being imperfect and sinful and told we deserve a painful death and even hell and that we should be grateful for the opportunity to not go to hell?? As if it’s entirely my fault and yet the only reason I am imperfect and inclined to sin is because God made me this way. Sure, if I was a murderer I’d say I Definitely deserve to be punished or even to die. I fought with my sister or told a small lie? I don’t think I deserve to die a horrible death
 
Last edited:
rosejmj said:
As if it’s entirely my fault and yet the only reason I am imperfect and inclined to sin is because God made me this way.
Click to expand...
It’s the price of sin, and all of that. We can’t grasp the level of purity needed for heaven, and so the idea of a horrible death for a teeny tiny sin seems unfair.

I get what you’re feeling though. I didnt ask to be born, and this life thing is honestly exhausting. It is hard to be good. I think i probably sinned once or twice typing this!
 
The fact of the matter is, every sin is an offence against God, who is all-good and worthy of all our love.
 
Only God is all-good.

We sin everyday and stage our petty little rebellions against God (and good).

At the same time, we are abundantly loved by the same good God who pursues us and wants to protect us.

We all think we’re pretty-good, and maybe we kinda are. But the spiritual life is the work of a lifetime, and we always have room for improvement🙂
 
Maybe the ‘average person’ needs to stretch himself or herself out of the comfort zone.

God did not make you to be imperfect. And God did not have to send His Son to die a horrible death to free you from sin and allow you to be saved. Nor do you ‘deserve’ heaven simply by not being an axe murderer or a ‘really bad’ person.

I know it’s hard to accept in this modern world where ‘I’m Ok, you’re Ok, we’re all Easter people and just be kind because God loves you and you’ll be happy hearts and flowers’. . .but we really do have responsibilities. If your genetics predispose you to diabetes, you can whinge and binge because, “It won’t be my fault if I get diabetes, it’s how I was made”. . .OR you can eat sensibly, educate yourself, exercise, and keep yourself from developing it, or develop it late and be able to control it.

It’s usually the ‘bad’ stuff we whine about, have you noticed? If we happen to be born with good looks, brains, talent. . . Hey, that’s all US, you know? We don’t go around giving God much of the credit. . .though we are sure willing to give Him all the blame!

Seriously, the main point is no matter how rotten we can be —and once you’ve lived a few decades you’ll see that a little more clearly—God has given us SALVATION if we choose it. What an incredible gift!!!
 
Last edited:
Well, maybe the way the prayer was said gave difficulties in your experience.
However, appreciation of the extreme Agony of JESUS is helped by humbly recognizing our need to let Divine Favor help us turn from sin and grow in virtue.
Part of this is recognizing what would happen if left to our only human merits;
which cannot bring anyone to Heaven. By Divine Favor, recognizing my own need to grow in JESUS, I shed tears because in my life’s journey my former sins hurt others, and gave a poor harmful example of the need for Divine Favor from JESUS so as not to justify or rationalize sin, but grow in virtue.
“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” - Leviticus 19:2
~
"Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. That’s why the Scriptures say, “I am the holy God, and you must be holy too.” - 1 Peter 1:15-16
~
“You shall be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” - Matthew 5:48
~
“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, ‘Why did You make me like this?’” - Romans 9:21
~
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” - Revelation 21:7
~
" ‘When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” - Matthew 19:25-26
~
The Holy Bible warns us not to lean upon our own understanding being wise in our own eyes. JESUS warned of feigned holiness, also, avoid being white washed tombs full of all manner of corruption.
Click to expand...
Be extremely careful of ‘putting GOD on trial’ for one’s own imperfections.
GOD knows mitigating factors such as lack of knowledge or informed conscience. However, when done with one’s human will, even though
it may be done in temporary (for nothing defiled enters into Heaven) lack of knowledge, it is objectively participating in the mock trial of JESUS The Beloved Anointed One, Son of GOD, by Divine Power, Majestic Worthy Suffering Servant - bought Salvation for those who keep striving to be in a state of Divine Favor (Grace.)
We always need to sincerely diligently thankfully participate in Christ JESUS,
as best as possible.
Peace, I hope this helps.
 
Rose, God did not make sin - man did. We inherited the sin from that first couple. But - examine yourself. Are you perfect? Can you demand to be saved and 100% expect it?

No!

Humility. Humility knows that the self is sinful. Humility knows that all power and grace come from God alone. Humility is the key to heaven.

Read the great Saints. Take Saint Peter Claver for but one. He ministered to the African slaves in South America when they were traded like cattle. He baptized something like 350,000 - then, after all of this when he was dying, he suffered terribly.

What did he say about that?
“My sins deserve much greater punishment than this.”
Click to expand...
Humility. The key to heaven; the mark of a Saint.
 
stpurl said:
God did not make you to be imperfect. And God did not have to send His Son to die a horrible death to free you from sin and allow you to be saved. Nor do you ‘deserve’ heaven simply by not being an axe murderer or a ‘really bad’ person.
Click to expand...
God definitely made me imperfect. He did not have to send his son to die. I would have been fine if he did not. As long as people don’t get sent to hell that don’t deserve it. Most people don’t deserve eternal torture for normal imperfections and small sins that everyone falls into because of their nature. Sure, I don’t deserve heaven, but neither would I say I deserve hell. Maybe a limbo type of place is a good compromise. I should not have to earn not being tortured for all eternity though. God would be evil to make us imperfect and Inclined to sin and make that fact the reason he sends us to hell when we haven’t committed grevious crimes.
 
I am not perfect. But the story of original sin shows me it’s not my fault I’m not perfect. And it seems it’s more God’s fault then Adam and Eves as he is God and didn’t have to make everyone else take on the consequences of sin and a so full nature. I don’t necessarily deserve eternal reward, but neither do I deserve eternal punishment. So something like limbo makes more sense. I take responsibility for my actions but from what Catholicism teaches there is no way to avoid all sin or imperfection. No way. As hard as I try , it’s impossible. That’s not my fault. That’s God’s fault.
 
Are you angry at God? If so, methinks your anger is misplaced. Anger is properly used to oppose evil.

Is God evil?

By no means! Impossible.

Evil is evil and evil is not of God.

Look up concupiscence. Read it. Ponder it.
 
I know what concupiscence is, but it must come from somewhere. If I was born with it the most logical answer is that it comes from God. It makes no sense to me that God would make us with concupiscence and yet we put all the blame on ourselves for being sinners and look upon Jesus as a savior and dying for our sins. It almost seems like he was trying to win over our gratitude and praise for saving us when he made us need saving. Why did he make us need saving? Why did he make us deserve hell?
 
When we’re a teenager and don’t have a driver’s license, we ache for the chance to take the test and pass. How much effort goes into that? How much study, how much time someone else puts in to help us gain the skills to pass the test? The whole time we look to the goal, of finally having the freedom to drive a car. Who would say ‘Why do I have to study? Why do they make it so hard? I’ve been in a car my whole life!’ We reach a certain maturity in understanding that for the privilege of driving, and sharing the road with a million other people, we need to pass the test.

Why doesn’t that same focus, same enthusiasm, same excitedness, apply when we learn about God and our faith? That we can grow closer to Him? That, as we do, we are impacting the world for good? My actions today matters in the course of history. Be excited for that! When the little boy gave Christ a few loaves and fish, He fed the 5 thousand. How incredible is that? He invites you and me to work with Him. It’s our turn. This is the awesome kind of God we serve.
 
rosejmj said:
I know what concupiscence is, but it must come from somewhere. If I was born with it the most logical answer is that it comes from God. It makes no sense to me that God would make us with concupiscence and yet we put all the blame on ourselves for being sinners and look upon Jesus as a savior and dying for our sins. It almost seems like he was trying to win over our gratitude and praise for saving us when he made us need saving. Why did he make us need saving? Why did he make us deserve hell?
Click to expand...
This seems to be the second thread you’ve started in the last month or so where you express how unfair God is that we sin and that He doesn’t deserve our gratitude. Just curious - what exactly are you hoping to get out of these posts?
 
Last edited:
It makes no sense to me makes it difficult to understand or believe Christianity. I am wondering the Catholic reasoning but haven’t found answers that resonate with me
 
If you play the blame game, you will never be at peace. Accept what you are: that our first parents were created perfect, but destroyed that state and passed it on. God did not create this. Misue of the freedom of free will did. Blame Adam and Eve if you will, but you risk living a bitter life.

God’s permissive will allows our fallen nature so that He alone may bring good from it. The time to be bitter “might” be if we had no hope of salvation.

This week and Sunday in particular, erases that concern.
 
God is so loveable, so kind, so long suffering. I’m looking at heaven’s doors, open.
Your focus on hell and punishment doesn’t resonate with me.
 
I’m at work, so I can’t provide a full response, but I do recommend you read The Problem of Pain, by CS Lewis. In it, he addresses why The sin of Adam and Eve led to our human weakness, why God can’t (or won’t) just magic everything better, what Hell is and why it is not unjust, and what Heaven is, and why he can’t force it upon us. Give it a shot - I think you’ll find it helpful.
 
That is an interesting thought.I have had similar thoughts but just try to accept I won’t ever understand. God is merciful and does take our weakness into account when he judges us
 
rosejmj said:
God definitely made me imperfect. He did not have to send his son to die. I would have been fine if he did not. As long as people don’t get sent to hell that don’t deserve it. Most people don’t deserve eternal torture for normal imperfections and small sins that everyone falls into because of their nature. Sure, I don’t deserve heaven, but neither would I say I deserve hell. Maybe a limbo type of place is a good compromise. I should not have to earn not being tortured for all eternity though. God would be evil to make us imperfect and Inclined to sin and make that fact the reason he sends us to hell when we haven’t committed grevious crimes.
Click to expand...
There’s so much to unpack here.
Your personal theological and philosophical outlook on life seems to be that you feel massively put-upon because there are rules for life that are against your personal inclinations?
Or maybe you’re weary?
Definitely you’re over focused on the negative.

Are you really interested in seeing the positive side of Christianity?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top