Moral absolutes, but

[on_the_hill]

divorce were always condemned by God since the beginning but because of the hardness of the peoples hearts, regulations were put on.

Quoted from a thread about polygamy.

Leads to a thought that’s been percolating in my brain for a long time. On the one hand, we as Catholics have a strong sense that there exist certain absolutes that comply with God’s law. On the other hand, Mosaic laws about divorce are at least one example of where God allowed waivers from the absolutes so as to continue to build and strengthen the overall faith and obedience of his people.

Where does that leave us today? Are there still places where God would allow a waiver in order to continue to draw us closer to him?

 

[Dorothy]

All I know is that in the New Testament we have the Sacraments. With prayer, the Sacraments can sanctify us according to the openness of our hearts.

We have only to look to the saints to see what God’s grace can do. What excuse do we have…with God all things are possible.

 

[styrgwillidar]

Quoted from a thread about polygamy.

Leads to a thought that’s been percolating in my brain for a long time. On the one hand, we as Catholics have a strong sense that there exist certain absolutes that comply with God’s law. On the other hand, Mosaic laws about divorce are at least one example of where God allowed waivers from the absolutes so as to continue to build and strengthen the overall faith and obedience of his people.

Where does that leave us today? Are there still places where God would allow a waiver in order to continue to draw us closer to him?

Well, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an acknowledgement from God of our imperfection as human beings and His compassion and mercy towards us.

In the parable of the rich young man, when the young man asks what he needs to do to get to heaven, Christ simply says to keep the commandments. The young man says he has done so since his youth. Period.

But Christ goes on-- He then says, to be perfect (i.e. do more than the minimun to be saved) the young man should go and sell all he has and give it to the poor.

I take that as kind of a waiver. Christ does not expect from us the perfection that He, by all rights, could demand.

 

[on_the_hill]

Well, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an acknowledgement from God of our imperfection as human beings and His compassion and mercy towards us.

Right. That’s the first thing I thought of after posting.

It kind of gives us a pass, provided we reconcile and perform a penance.

 

[Abu]

on_the_hill #1
Mosaic laws about divorce are at least one example of where God allowed waivers from the absolutes so as to continue to build and strengthen the overall faith and obedience of his people.
Where does that leave us today? Are there still places where God would allow a waiver in order to continue to draw us closer to him?

No. As the revered Fr John A Hardon, S.J. comments: “Since the Mosaic code allowed divorce and remarriage and even polygamy, adultery in the Old Testament was essentially a sin against justice….intercourse with someone else than one’s spouse was an act of injustice toward the married partner.”

“Christ raised the commandment to hitherto unknown heights.” The Catholic Catechism, Doubleday, 1975, p 372].

Matthew 5:27-30 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Concerning Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.[a] 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

There are no “waivers” as envisaged, and the love that draws us closer to Him is that embodied in “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” The CCC covers “Erroneous Judgment” in 1790-1794.

 

[edwest2]

Quoted from a thread about polygamy.

Leads to a thought that’s been percolating in my brain for a long time. On the one hand, we as Catholics have a strong sense that there exist certain absolutes that comply with God’s law. On the other hand, Mosaic laws about divorce are at least one example of where God allowed waivers from the absolutes so as to continue to build and strengthen the overall faith and obedience of his people.

Where does that leave us today? Are there still places where God would allow a waiver in order to continue to draw us closer to him?

Jesus, as God, took that teaching about divorce and gave a new one.

biblehub.com/mark/10-2.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-3.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-4.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-5.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-10.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-11.htm

biblehub.com/mark/10-12.htm

biblehub.com/matthew/5-32.htm

Peace,
Ed

 

[on_the_hill]

Thanks for the responses.

I wasn’t asking about divorce in particular, but about life in general.

 

[Marty_E]

Where does that leave us today? Are there still places where God would allow a waiver in order to continue to draw us closer to him?

Since the revelation concluded with the death of the last Apostle, any waivers have already been communicated.

I would imagine that the Sacraments and our continued lives with opportunity to amend ourselves constitute waivers.

.