Mankind Made for Paradise

[JamesATyler]

I watched the movie Silence . A question of how to feel about those who apostisize when under such extreme duress. First let me say, I don’t agree with the assertion that Jesus would apostisize in any of the situations presented in the movie. Jesus already knew what would happen to his followers for he told us that we would be persecuted as he was. Yet he did not apostisize to preserve his own life nor to save his followers from persecution.

However, I do not believe that those who might apostisize when confronted with such extreme evil have commited an unforgivable sin. Mankind was not created to endure such evil nor to become such evil. I would consider the protagonist as a prisoner of war. Even with extensive training and preparation, the difficulty of watching the suffering and death of loved ones can cause a person to fall into error. He may choose to kill his oppressors or deny the existence of God or even betray.

In Jesus’s day, even the innocent children under two were killed in order to kill Jesus. That alone shows the extremity of the evil that ruled over that nation. They were willing to kill whoever it was necessary to stop the Messiah from rising. That kind of evil is something we may, thankfully, never have to face.

I do not know what the consequences of full apostasy are but I believe that a person can be forgiven for it. Mankind was made for love. The greater sin is with the oppressors who create an environment that man is not intended to endure. In humility, we should pray as Jesus concerning evil such as this. “My Father, If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will.”

 

[petra22]

I do not know what the consequences of full apostasy are but I believe that a person can be forgiven for it. Mankind was made for love.

^This, yes!

 

[Jared2914]

Remember that we believe in the three conditions for mortal sin. If someone is under psychological distress or coerced with threats, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t meet the condition for “deliberate consent”. They could only be culpable of venial sin, and thus, after death would go to purgatory and eventually heaven.

 

[Arkansan]

Every sin can be forgiven. That isn’t the same thing as being excused. Excuse in turn isn’t the same thing as mitigation.

Generally, fear only excuses if it privates the use of reason. One who is capable of thinking straight and who chooses to do something he knows to gravely sinful still commits mortal sin, even if he was motivated by a desire to avoid grave evil.

This must also be distinguished from a situation where fear can objectively justify behavior that is otherwise wrong. E.g. a bank teller may legitimately open the safe for an armed robber, since the imminent danger to his own life gives him (the teller) a just title to appropriate the bank’s property. However, actions which are intrinsically evil or harmful to the common good or the honor of God can never be justified by fear since the latter two goods are more valuable than the life or bodily integrity of an individual (and intrinsically evil acts can never be justified under any circumstances).

 

[misstherese]

I recently watched that movie too. My family and I got into a debate about what we would do in that moment, my dad not even being Catholic had difficulty deciding.

The man who constantly apostisized, only to return again to the priest (Andrew gardfield) and beg for confession several times makes me think that it is not possible to apostisize outwardly, yet continue to have a relationship with God without guilt because it is a sin. It definitely would be a struggle, no doubt, but even though we were made for paradise, we were also made to endure the pain and turmoil of this life on earth in order to be able to inherit our bliss in heaven.

It all depends on the person’s heart. Do they have enough faith to trust that God will reward them and will reward his friends as well? Will they turn their backs on God for the extension of a life without God, or die and claim their reward?

Gives you a bit of an idea of what the martyrs went through.