If You're Judged Immediately upon Death, How are Some Revived?

[Usagi]

But the Catechism makes the point that it happens immediately at the moment of death, doesn’t it? Why make that point if the moment of death is unspecified and irrelevant?

And how does the Church know this to be true if it doesn’t even know when the moment of death is? Perhaps the soul is judged 3.14 seconds after total death?

The point of the teaching is not to contrast “immediately” with “three seconds later,” it is to contrast the immediate Particular Judgment with alternative ideas such as “soul sleep.” Catholics believe that each person is judged privately at death, and that all have that judgment publicly ratified on the Last Day. Some other groups believe differently. The Catechism is trying to illustrate that difference, not teach about the exact moment of death.

Usagi

 

[xixxvmcm85]

But the Catechism makes the point that it happens immediately at the moment of death, doesn’t it? Why make that point if the moment of death is unspecified and irrelevant?

I suspect it’s to compare that particular judgment with the final judgment which occurs at the resurrection of all of our bodies, and further to contrast that with the erroneous eschatological doctrines of other Christian traditions (e.g. the soul sleep of the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the spirit world of the Mormons).

And how does the Church know this to be true if it doesn’t even know when the moment of death is? Perhaps the soul is judged 3.14 seconds after total death?

As I pointed out in my previous post, the Church isn’t quantifying how far after death the judgment occurs, only that it is imminent. Exactly how many seconds thereafter is inconsequential.

 

[Spirithound]

But the Catechism makes the point that it happens immediately at the moment of death, doesn’t it? Why make that point if the moment of death is unspecified and irrelevant?

And how does the Church know this to be true if it doesn’t even know when the moment of death is? Perhaps the soul is judged 3.14 seconds after total death?

The moment of death is not irrelevant, only not precisely ascertainable from this side of the equation. Also, the term “immediately” is perhaps a little misleading, as there is no time in the afterlife, only eternity. I believe that what it is trying to express is that one does not enter into eternity without knowing one’s eternal fate.

 

[Elizabeth502]

That kind of seems like a cop out, though. And what’s the point of saying that you are judged immediately upon death, if death could happen any time, depending on when God wants it to happen. That’s like saying I’ll give you a puppy when you’re old enough, but you’re not old enough until I want to give you a puppy. Just say I’ll give you a puppy when I want to.

The idea of such an immature and arbitrary deity is something I find so absurd as to be highly amusing.

 

[Elizabeth502]

But the Catechism makes the point that it happens immediately at the moment of death, doesn’t it? Why make that point if the moment of death is unspecified and irrelevant?

The CCC is not interested in predicting anyone’s moment of death. It can’t (obviously), nor can any of us. God is ultimately knowing. He knows when our death will be final (even if we’re going to be, God forbid, in a prolonged vegetative state, or even if we’re going to have “Near Death” experiences). We won’t experience our Particular Judgment until we’ve truly drawn our last breath, because God’s knowledge exceeds ours, and he won’t be ‘making a mistake’ by giving us a premature Particular Judgment.

And how does the Church know this to be true if it doesn’t even know when the moment of death is?

It’s relying on scripture + The Writings (Patristics, lives of the saints, visionaries)