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StephenL
Guest
I am really tired of people trying to tell me that the Bible says that all sins equal. So bluntly I say point me to a Passage
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Randy_Carson
Guest
I know…while we wait, let’s see what the Word of God actually sez! :clapping:
Sin that is Mortal Proved from Scripture
1 John 5:16-17
16If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
Common sense tells us that there is a big difference between stealing a paperclip from a colleague’s desk and committing genocide. Yet the Protestant pretends that they are equally heinous and equally deserving of eternal damnation. This creates a false piety. Instead of making all sins more serious, it actually trivializes the most grievous sins. After all “In for a penny, in for a pound.” If I am damned anyway for trivia, I might as well be damned for something really juicy. That’s human nature!
Protestants also do not realize how unbiblical their idea that all sin is equally heinous is. We have the quotation from St. John given above which should have been proof enough, but there is more. If all sins are equally bad then in the OT the penalty for every sin would have been the same: DEATH. Instead, the Old Testament describes several ways of atoning for sins and making things right that demonstrate there are different degrees of sin. Only the most heinous sins such as murder or apostasy require the death penalty.
So once again, by using purely man-made standards, the Protestant makes void the word of God.
John 19:11
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
If there is a “greater” sin, then there must be a “lesser” sin, also.
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Jozefo
Guest
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a real Protestant who actually subscribes to the idea that stealing a paper clip is an equal sin to murderous genocide.
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concretecamper
Guest
I am curious, which denomination believes all sin is equal?
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Dave_Noonan
Guest
Sounds like a strawman to me too: “People are saying…” How about some real evidence to go on here? Got a link or something?I am really tired of people trying to tell me that the Bible says that all sins equal. So bluntly I say point me to a Passage
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bzkoss236
Guest
I’ve heard it from many protestants too, who also happen to say that mortal sin is a Catholic invention, even though it is mentioned in Scripture.
The closest verse that I can think of that says anything remotely to what the OP is asking for is “All wrongdoing is sin” which I believe precedes the verses about mortal sin. (can’t remember the actual verses off the top of my head)
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Randy_Carson
Guest
No, Dave, I can assure you after many years in this forum that the argument does come up quite frequently. Generally, the non-Catholic objects to either confession to a priest or the idea of mortal v. venial sin, and they make the claim that all sins are equal, etc. as part of their overall anti-Catholic stance.
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Millie123
Guest
I’ve seen this statement as well, that “all sins are equal in the eyes of God.”
But, from what I’ve understood from this argument is that they mean that “all sin separates us from God.” So a compulsive liar will receive his punishment in hell, a mass murderer will be punished in hell, sin is sin, they have both sinned in the eyes of God and are separated from him, Until they are “saved.”. I’ve generally seen this kind of thinking professed under the once save always saved, born again Christians.
But, from what I’ve understood from this argument is that they mean that “all sin separates us from God.” So a compulsive liar will receive his punishment in hell, a mass murderer will be punished in hell, sin is sin, they have both sinned in the eyes of God and are separated from him, Until they are “saved.”. I’ve generally seen this kind of thinking professed under the once save always saved, born again Christians.
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CrossofChrist
Guest
Probably comes from a misinterpretation of James 2:10.
“Those who break one aspect of the law are guilty as if they have broken the whole law” (my paraphrase).
Basically they take the fact that one mortal sin separates us from God, regardless of what that mortal sin is (what St.James is saying), and turn that into “all sins are equal in the eyes of God”.
Too bad they don’t read what St. John has to say about how not all sin leads to death (hence not all sin is equal).
“Those who break one aspect of the law are guilty as if they have broken the whole law” (my paraphrase).
Basically they take the fact that one mortal sin separates us from God, regardless of what that mortal sin is (what St.James is saying), and turn that into “all sins are equal in the eyes of God”.
Too bad they don’t read what St. John has to say about how not all sin leads to death (hence not all sin is equal).
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Protestor
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If this was already stated my b
So I have had several people tell me this. Usually they mean that all sin is the same in that it all has the effect of damnation, and not that each sin carries the same weight in God’s eyes . Not the damnation of christians, but the damnation of non-christians. It is an easy conclusion to come to and hold if you have not thought hard about it especially since at least for protestants we do not normally believe in levels of hell (I am not saying that catholics do). I usually come across this with new christians , protestants, especially reformed theologian subscribers.
So I have had several people tell me this. Usually they mean that all sin is the same in that it all has the effect of damnation, and not that each sin carries the same weight in God’s eyes . Not the damnation of christians, but the damnation of non-christians. It is an easy conclusion to come to and hold if you have not thought hard about it especially since at least for protestants we do not normally believe in levels of hell (I am not saying that catholics do). I usually come across this with new christians , protestants, especially reformed theologian subscribers.
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EIF5A
Guest
The interpretation I was given is that all sins are offenses to God, so strive to not commit even lesser/venial sins because even they have consequences. I took it more as a warning against even smaller sins, not as a theological point. (An offense against an infinite God is infinite, at least from what I can recall from a Catholic saint.)
Attached with that is the idea that we are all sinners (regardless of gravity of sin) – dirty rags before the Holy God – so don’t judge each other as being greater/lesser based on sin.
I don’t know anyone who takes it to mean, “Well, murder is the same as stealing a stick of gum so if I kill someone, I’ll just repent as though I stole Big Red.”
Attached with that is the idea that we are all sinners (regardless of gravity of sin) – dirty rags before the Holy God – so don’t judge each other as being greater/lesser based on sin.
I don’t know anyone who takes it to mean, “Well, murder is the same as stealing a stick of gum so if I kill someone, I’ll just repent as though I stole Big Red.”
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benjohnson
Guest
As a Lutheran, we know that some sins are worse than others - they all damage our relationship with God, but some sins ‘test’ our relationship while other sins almost destroy our relationship.
The trap is thinking that we’re somehow ‘better’ because the next person in the pew is a horrible rotten sinner and we’re just mild sinners.
The truth is that we’re all horrible rotten sinners beloved by our Lord. Thanks be to God that we get His grace and not what we deserve.
My $.02 …I’m probably wrong.
The trap is thinking that we’re somehow ‘better’ because the next person in the pew is a horrible rotten sinner and we’re just mild sinners.
The truth is that we’re all horrible rotten sinners beloved by our Lord. Thanks be to God that we get His grace and not what we deserve.
My $.02 …I’m probably wrong.
ISTM that the Lutheran view is simply that any sin committed by the unregenerate is mortal. In the regenerate, any sin that results in faith no longer remaining, or the driving away of the Spirit, is mortal sin.
I read once that Luther seemed to think that we should be very wary of venial sins, and not take them too lightly.
Jon
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