Is ignorance bliss?

[upbeatjonm]

If we only can go to hell if we die with mortal sin on our soul, and if mortal sin requires a person to be aware that something is gravely wrong and choose to do it anyway, then why would it not be advantageous to be ignorant of right and wrong? It would seem that ignorance would protect a person from committing mortal sin.

I know in my heart that we don’t want to be ignorant of God’s laws, but why does my statement above seem to be logical?

Jon

 

[VociMike]

The law of God is written onto every human heart. Nobody gets to play the ignorance card. Everybody has the knowledge and thus the responsibility. But not everybody has the sources of grace and understanding that the Catholic Church alone provides.

 

[Ahimsa]

If we only can go to hell if we die with mortal sin on our soul, and if mortal sin requires a person to be aware that something is gravely wrong and choose to do it anyway, then why would it not be advantageous to be ignorant of right and wrong?

Because you think you’re ignorant of right and wrong, when actually you’re not.

The purpose of someone telling you what is a sin or not, is so that you will admit the fact that you actually do know right from wrong.

If someone doesn’t remind you of what you already know, then you could likely try to suppress what you already know.

So, the spreading of the gospel is meant to prevent people from trying to forget what they, in their hearts, already know.

Ignorance isn’t bliss, because ignorance is the attempt to forget what you already know.

 

[I_Leatherman]

Well, my thoughts, you could be ignorant and end up in hell. In much the same way as an ignorant person can have a natural inclination towards good, and end up in heaven.

 

[upbeatjonm]

Because you think you’re ignorant of right and wrong, when actually you’re not.

The purpose of someone telling you what is a sin or not, is so that you will admit the fact that you actually do know right from wrong.

If someone doesn’t remind you of what you already know, then you could likely try to suppress what you already know.

So, the spreading of the gospel is meant to prevent people from trying to forget what they, in their hearts, already know.

Ignorance isn’t bliss, because ignorance is the attempt to forget what you already know.

Thanks, this is very insightful, and gives me a new perspective.

 

[Evan]

It is also a sin to willfully NOT seek out the truth. That is, to try to remain ignorant of a question of importance when you come to realize the gravity of the situation.

The weight of the sin is proportionate to the gravity of the situation.

The only way to remain ignorant is through dying at a young age or mental incompetence.

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

You don’t get out of a speeding ticket if you’re going 20mph over just because you didn’t know the limit, and the same is with God. However, God is more prudent and forgiving than some police officers.

 

[StevenFrancis]

If we only can go to hell if we die with mortal sin on our soul, and if mortal sin requires a person to be aware that something is gravely wrong and choose to do it anyway, then why would it not be advantageous to be ignorant of right and wrong? It would seem that ignorance would protect a person from committing mortal sin.

I know in my heart that we don’t want to be ignorant of God’s laws, but why does my statement above seem to be logical?

Jon

Ignorance may appear desireable to some because of the points of your argument, but one can not “choose” to be ignorant. It is an accidental state. So whether or not one’s ignorance is blissful, once one becomes aware of any issue, doctrine, sin, etc., and understands it, there is no longer any recourse to ignorance, making this a circular and self-invalidating argument.

Yours in Christ,

Steven

 

[Verisimilitude]

You don’t get out of a speeding ticket if you’re going 20mph over just because you didn’t know the limit, and the same is with God. However, God is more prudent and forgiving than some police officers.

Sometimes you do. If the limit was not properly posted, or was hidden or removed by vandals…

The anaology is still good however because it is for reasons such as that which make ignorance bliss in the eyes of the law. Assuming of course you were not alone on the highway and speeding past all the other motorists.

If the aboriginal bushman never heard the Word, he would still be held to what VociMike said with the judgement being held to that standard unlike those of us who have heard the Good News.

In short I think it is against our human nature to remain ignorant if we are blessed with the ability to grow older. In this day and age everyone in the world has arguably heard about Christ, and thus can no longer be held innocently ignorant, but are wilfull in our ignorance if we choose not to know like Evan said.

There is a parable or such that suggests those who have been given much, much will be expected from them, and the parable of the three men given 10, 5 and 1 coin respectivly, and what they got in return for it when the King returned. Our “coin” is the Word.

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