Do a person's sin(s) count if made them due to Alzheimer's or Schizophrenia?

Question

If they commit a sin such as killing someone during an episode where their minds are telling them that this is right. If they never have a chance to ask forgiveness, will they go to hell?

Answer 1

The short answer is "no" because God knows they cannot help what they do. Remember, you do have to mean to commit the sin and be unrepentant of it in order for it to be a sinful act. Those who are afflicted with mental disorders are not able to do that, even if they can commit the act.

In any case if you read Revelations very carefully, the Bible tells you the choice you're supposed to make in front of God isn't made here or really based on your actions here but is based on what you choose once he brings you into his sight, and opens your eyes to the truth of things... so at that point I would imagine they would be healed of their afflictions and be allowed to make the choice with all their faculties in tact and have the same chance as the rest of us. =)

Answer 2

If someones moral judgment is impaired by a legitimate medical condition, this will lessen the severity of a given sin, or may absolve a person altogether.

Reason being, if one was not afflicted with a certain condition, chances are they would not have committed the sin in question.

God knows these things, and He puts them into consideration.

We can pray for the forgiveness of their sins. These prayers will make a difference to the sick. And there's always the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Once one receives this Sacrament, their sins are forgiven.

Answer 3

Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are two very different diseases. It doesn't even make sense to compare them.
And they are *diseases*. I read in a book on Alzheimer's that said something like "once a person is diagnosed with AD, nothing is ever their fault". It's not a question of knowing right from wrong. My father has AD and his judgment is impaired. He will walk behind or in front of a moving vehicle or not get out of the way. He has horrible reaction time to events; he either spaces out or freaks out, never reacts "normally".
I don't believe in the Christian concepts of sin and hell and a god who only knows conditional love. My god loves everyone no matter what and no one is refused entry into his presence after death. In no way would I be comforted to think my father, who is suffering (SUFFERING--he KNOWS what is wrong with him) so much in life, is going to suffer for eternity because of the same capricious god who gave him the illness in the first place.

Answer 4

SCHIZOPHRENIA
Any of a group of psychotic disorders usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances. Schizophrenia is associated with dopamine imbalances in the brain and defects of the frontal lobe and is caused by genetic, other biological, and psychosocial factors.

Alzheimer's n : a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness

Just bye these definitions I would say that the person is not responsible for the fallowing action because they are actual in an out of normal mined state. I belive God would understand that and the final judgment would be on their true self.

Answer 5

It seems to me like your question raises the whole problem with human beings on earth trying to judge other people for anything. We don't know. We should just keep our own houses in order, follow the golden rule, and trust that God is just and kind.

That said, my Grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's. Late in her life I'd have been awfully hard-pressed to say that her soul was still connected to her body.

Answer 6

Only God knows the answer to this. I am not a religous fanatic but.... I think that God is Kind, Loving, and Fair. So he will make this right. You should not worry. I am dealing with hub's Grandmother with Alzheimer's. We live with her, and I think she is off of her rocker. She was once a great woman, married 50 years, and was a serious Christian. She never cursed, and was very sweet. Today she woke up and flipped my daughter off and cussed her out. GOD HELLP US!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

I've never heard of someone with Alzheimer's committing murder.As has far as if they will go to hell that is only for God to decide.

Answer 8

Is it the person that commits them or the affliction (devil/demon)?

Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Isa 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

Answer 9

The answer to your question is NO. the spirit is based on the mind telling what is right and wrong. if a person does not know what is right and wrong by mental defect the soul is spared the indifference

Answer 10

i'd say yes, because my understanding is that human nature is sinful, and sin is unavoidable. you could be asleep, you could be one year old...catholics may have a different take on this. in my understanding, there is no avoidance of sin; you simply must give yourself to God and you are forgiven, past, present, and future, and as you have given control to Him, He will begin reforming you into an ultimately better human being.