Is ignorance better then knowledge?

[fabio_rocha]

I’ve seen posts and other internet sites that says, for example, if someone is commiting a mortal sin but doesnt know its a mortal sin, then before God that sin “takes a step down” on gravity. For me it sounds that its better to be ignorant than be fully awered of sins gravity. Any thoughts?

 

[jsaldar]

This always makes me think of this Bible quote:

“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48

Basically, to whom much is give much is required. Therefore, if God allowed you to gain the knowledge you will be held more accountable because you know more and have more responsibility now.

Also, God didn’t give the fallen angels a second chance if you will, after they went against Him. Since, the angels have more Knowledge of God than we do they were severely punished. On the other hand we are given infinite number of chances to repent and come back to Him.

 

[itullian]

if your knowledgable you can avoid the sin in the first place. that’s better.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I’ve seen posts and other internet sites that says, for example, if someone is commiting a mortal sin but doesnt know its a mortal sin, then before God that sin “takes a step down” on gravity. For me it sounds that its better to be ignorant than be fully awered of sins gravity. Any thoughts?

Sin, by definition, separates us from God. Knowing your sin so that it can be avoided is better because the closer to God the better. If ignorance were better for us, Jesus wouldn’t have said to preach the Gospel to the whole world.

 

[Qoeleth]

Does not Scripture say:
“He who addeth to knowledge addeth to misery”.

And is the forbidden fruit not the fruit of knowledge?

And does not Lao Tzu say the sage tries to rid himself of knowledge, and Phyrro, and Sextus Empiricus say the same?

And is Socrates not the man who claims to know nothing?

And does not John of the Cross say the highest understanding is the understanding of not understanind, and Nicholas of Cusa similarly extoll the virtue of “learned ignorance”?

Etc., etc.

True education is a process of unlearning that which we think we know, so that, upon graduation, our minds become a veritable tabla rasa. Then we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven as children, or, to put it another way, we can, so to to speak, regurgitate the fruit of the knowledge.

The person who does not know the distinction between life and death, sorrow and joy, reality and non-reality has transcended all afflictions, fears and limitations. Thus lack of knowledge is true wisdom. Therefore animals are wiser and more peaceful than people, and vegetables are wiser and more peaceful than animals. The vegetable is free of sin, striving, sorrow, fear of death, selfishness and folly. Surely this is blessedness and wisdom. Therefore the sage is like unto the vegetable, neither knowing nor caring.

These are some thoughts- not advanced as a definite doctrine. Take it as seriously as you wish.

 

[SaintPatrick333]

I’ve seen posts and other internet sites that says, for example, if someone is commiting a mortal sin but doesnt know its a mortal sin, then before God that sin “takes a step down” on gravity. For me it sounds that its better to be ignorant than be fully awered of sins gravity. Any thoughts?

This qualifies though in a more direct, less general approach. But in terms of the Catholic belief for some of our protestant brothers and sisters how we believe they can be saved based on their actions in life (and living as close to a christian life as they know how). Obviously in whatever church they are in their beliefs will be different on many levels from ours and while they (most) enjoy partial Truth they are lacking the fullness of Truth found only in the Catholic Church. And that kind of falls on the whole invincible ignorance thing (stay with me, I DO have an answer to the OP).

Your question makes me think of what Luther wrote in the latter part of his life. “It is easier to live as a protestant, but it is better to die as a Catholic.”

Not talking about sin I suppose but in terms of whether it was better to live an easier life in ignorance (and I do not say ignorance in a derogatory way or that our brothers and sisters are less capable than us-I mean it in the sense that they do not know the fullness of Christ’s Truth found in the Catholic Church) or to struggle in life with knowledge, I’d pick knowledge every time.

 

[empther]

Ignorance of the law is not excuse in the courts.
Not is it an excuse in moral matters.

If you wish to do evil you’re guilty.

Better to know the law. You’re less likely to break it.

 

[Hat4]

Here’s the easy answer. The closer you live your life to God’s will the happier your life becomes. It’s better to have peace than chase a fleeting happiness.

 

[PRmerger]

Ignorance can never be better than knowledge.

It’s like saying, “Is malice better than virtue?”

Or “Is injustice better than justice?”

Or “Is cruelty better than kindness?”

Ignorance is always a poverty of something. It is a lacking in that which we need to enrich our lives.

Now, I get the question. You’re posing, “Why should we evangelize if someone wouldn’t go to hell because of his ignorance, but now that we’ve told him is sinful, now he’s liable?”

The answer: because ignorance is always going to impoverish you.

 

[thistle]

I’ve seen posts and other internet sites that says, for example, if someone is commiting a mortal sin but doesnt know its a mortal sin, then before God that sin “takes a step down” on gravity. For me it sounds that its better to be ignorant than be fully awered of sins gravity. Any thoughts?

For Catholics ignorance is not bliss!

It is incumbent on Catholics to learn the teachings of the Church. If anyone does not do that through laziness or stubborn refusal to do so then they will be held accountable for their sins (i.e. the ones they did not know were of grave matter because they deliberately did not learn the teachings of the Church).

 

[manualman]

Ah, some questions reveal things about the one asking! There is among some a temptation to see revelation and morality as a list of minimum requirements one must achieve to be rewarded with heaven. This is fundamentally broken. Would you ask your spouse on the wedding day the minimum amount of effort that would be needed to keep her from leaving you??

Your question goes to the concept of culpability for sin. How much guilt is there. Look at it like this.

Somehow, you’ve never learned about gravity. You don’t know that stepping off a cliff will kill you (maybe you live in Illinois and don’t know what a cliff is!) If you come upon a cliff and step off it, you would not be guilty of the sin of suicide. You really didn’t know that it would kill you. But just because you aren’t guilty of suicide doesn’t mean you aren’t dead. Sin has real and immediate negative consequences. Those aren’t abated by ignorance.

 

[Shlomo]

There is one big “IF”:

If you live by flesh (“natural life”), better ignorance for you will sin less
If you live by Spirit (by faith) better knowledge for you will become sinless.