Why are sins against God not as punished as sins against men?

[fakename]

For instance, why is taking communion in mortal sin not punishable by death but yet, killing people is?

One would think that the first offense against God himself would be worse than the second.

Perhaps it is because no human punishment would fully suffice to avenge such an august nature?

 

[po18guy]

Killing someone is provable in the natural realm. God judges the state of the human heart, and His justice is perfect. We cannot prove what is in the human heart, unless it manifests itself in some demonstrable form of violence.

Man’s justice is temporal, and passes from the scene. God’s justice is eternal.

 

[fakename]

Killing someone is provable in the natural realm. God judges the state of the human heart, and His justice is perfect. We cannot prove what is in the human heart, unless it manifests itself in some demonstrable form of violence.

Man’s justice is temporal, and passes from the scene. God’s justice is eternal.

Yet, if we really wanted to be just, then all we would have to do is guilt people into saying that they did receive in mortal sin; for in the past people felt guilt about doing exactly this. Therefore, we could merely encourage people to share this information about themselves (of course this would result in their immediate death). Which brings up another question -why does God prefer to mostly let people go to confession? He could justly exact vengeance before people do so, and yet he does not defend his rights, it seems. How can it be right or not intrinsically wrong, for God to tolerate an injustice aimed at himself who is justice itself?

 

[po18guy]

Yet, if we really wanted to be just, then all we would have to do is guilt people into saying that they did receive in mortal sin; for in the past people felt guilt about doing exactly this. Therefore, we could merely encourage people to share this information about themselves (of course this would result in their immediate death). Which brings up another question -why does God prefer to mostly let people go to confession? He could justly exact vengeance before people do so, and yet he does not defend his rights, it seems. How can it be right or not intrinsically wrong, for God to tolerate an injustice aimed at himself who is justice itself?

God values our freedom above all else. For that reason, He allows us to either approach or depart form Him. Yet, He is also infinite mercy, and so waits for us to repent. His justice is tempered by His mercy, otherwise we are all doomed.

 

[Sister_Terese]

Yet, if we really wanted to be just, then all we would have to do is guilt people into saying that they did receive in mortal sin; for in the past people felt guilt about doing exactly this. Therefore, we could merely encourage people to share this information about themselves (of course this would result in their immediate death). Which brings up another question -why does God prefer to mostly let people go to confession? He could justly exact vengeance before people do so, and yet he does not defend his rights, it seems. How can it be right or not intrinsically wrong, for God to tolerate an injustice aimed at himself who is justice itself?

It is called free will. God gave us that gift along with understanding. He does not interfere with our free will because then it wouldn’t be free will. Christ died on the Cross for those “injustices aimed at Himself Who is Justice Itself”. It says somewhere in the Old Testament that “God’s mercy is greater than His Justice.”

 

[fakename]

God values our freedom above all else. For that reason, He allows us to either approach or depart form Him. Yet, He is also infinite mercy, and so waits for us to repent. His justice is tempered by His mercy, otherwise we are all doomed.

True, but he’s destroyed a lot of people before, and he would be justified in doing so again w/o his mercy being corrupted.

For most people, God’s harshness is a mystery but for me, his remarkable self-restraint is more eye-brow-raising.

 

[fakename]

It is called free will. God gave us that gift along with understanding. He does not interfere with our free will because then it wouldn’t be free will. Christ died on the Cross for those “injustices aimed at Himself Who is Justice Itself”. It says somewhere in the Old Testament that “God’s mercy is greater than His Justice.”

I’ve always wondered at his mercy being greater than his justice. Wouldn’t they be equal since God is both platonic justice, mercy, etc?

If there was inequality in God, then how could God be perfect being?

Perhaps, God is merciful because it befits a just man (in the platonic sense and going off of The Republic) to improve his enemies and not to harm them?