Based on your holy book and what about 98% of you say, as long as someone is sorry for what they've done, they'll go to Heaven, no matter what the sin (minus suicide).
So, let me ask you this, then...
... if you had a three year old daughter, and she was kidnapped, raped, beaten, and then killed...
... and the man who did it apologized and begged God for forgiveness and promised to never do it again and said Jesus was his only Lord and Savior and that he's found and seen the light...
... do you HONESTLY believe he will go into Heaven, and that God will forgive him? That by him saying that, he is to be forgiven for what he has done? That since God forgives him, you shall forgive him, too?
2006-08-21 07:11:37 · 101 answers · asked by Lady Myrkr 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
100 answers... wow.
This is going to be put to a vote, obviously.
2006-08-29 07:06:44 · update #1
yes
2006-08-21 07:17:21 · answer #1 · answered by Rachel H 1 · 4⤊ 3⤋
That's a good question and I shall try to answer it the best I can:
If that person were to believe with all his heart mind and soul, were to really and truly mean his appology, and were to live a life of good, then yes he would be forgiven for his sins and we, as God's children, should try to forgive as He does though we may not always feel capable of such actions. We are only human and should at least try, for we are not perfect and will make mistakes in our lives that are unforgivable, but God tells us he will forgive us. Christ died for every sin no matter the size. Hope that helps!
2006-08-28 16:21:54 · answer #2 · answered by Sereana 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may find it hard to believe but thats our faith. If the man who has committed that sin seriously begged God for forgiveness and this confession was from his heart then God is great and by God's Grace he can be forgiven. The Bible tells us that GOD is LOVE. He is always ready to accept you or anyone who sins against him ONLY when the sinner really feels sorry about what he has committed infront of God's eyes.
Our human understanding may not help us to grasp this, but that is the truth. If you commit a sin with the intension of committing it, telling urself that "Anyway God is going to forgive me if i repent" Then your sin will not be forgiven. But if you commit a sin without knowing that what u have done causes damage to others and repent God will definetly accept ur confession only when its genuin and from the heart.
Once again its very difficult for human beings who are mortals to understand God divin plan. Sometimes you may find it hard to believe but it is the truth. I know it hurts to lose someone in that brutal way you have explained, but God asked us to always forgive.
2006-08-28 23:26:24 · answer #3 · answered by Natasha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A truly true christian would be able to forgive. God will forgive him as well because Jesus has already paid for all of the the sins of humanity: past, present, and future. Once you receive by faith that Jesus was a full payment for your sins, you are instantly forgiven by God. It would be not fair for God NOT to forgive you because Jesus has already paid the fine. God can't punish two individuals for one sin. That's why the gospel is called good news. Some one has paid my fine! All I have to do is accept it!
2006-08-28 20:59:14 · answer #4 · answered by trillionaire 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This question as you see has generated many answers. Mine is this.If this person, accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, repents of the sin in his life, he will spend eternity with God. Now only God can know his heart, I would not know if he truly did this.But if he truly did he would indeed go to heaven.
As for my forgiveness, that would be very hard. It is indeed what Christ wants us to do forgive as we have been forgiven. I would try, but I do not know if I could move beyond the devastation of my three year old daughter being subjected to such horror.
Also if I do forgive, that does not mean, that I would trust, or want to be around the person. That I would not warn others, or not hold him accountable with the law. There are consequences of doing evil. That however is a whole other thing than forgiveness in my view.
2006-08-29 05:55:16 · answer #5 · answered by Carol M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only God knows what is truly in the hearts of men. If some one is truly sorry for what ever crime they committed, only God knows that. As for me, I am human and I don't know if I could forgive something like that. I would want to kill him myself. But then there you go, I have took someones life. So that makes me no better than him. A kill is a kill. I guess I would just have to do some heavy praying about it, and ask God to help me find away to forgive. I know it wouldn't come overnite, but maybe eventually it would.
2006-08-28 19:21:38 · answer #6 · answered by GraycieLee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Right now, being on Earth, I wouldn't forgive this man. But, when you go to heaven, you see people the way God sees them, only the good and never the bad. So, I suppose only then would I be able to forgive. And there is no least sin or worst sin. Sin is sin. Unfaithfulness no worse than a lie, murder no worse than jealousy. I know this sounds ubsurd, but it's the truth. I can't abide by that now, but when I go to heaven only then will I understand the true power of God.
2006-08-21 07:19:36 · answer #7 · answered by Kiara 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Heavenly Father will forgive most sins where sincere repentance is practiced. Murder is next only to denying God in seriousness. It is considered unforgiveable except where there was no knowledge of the sin. In other words his culpability would depend on what he knew before he commited the sin. If he knew that violating and killing the little girl was bad, and I can't imagine who wouldn't know that, then he will have to account for those actions himself. Sincere repentance will help in the final judgment but he will lose plenty of peace over it before he gets any rest. As an example, King David was a good and just King in Israel all of his days and only sinned in the case of Uriah and Bethsheba. Because of his adultery with Bethsheba and the subsequent arranged murder of Uriah, David lost his exaltation and will not have place in God's Kingdom but will serve in a lesser capacity in the resurrection. Now chances are that a person that would do unspeakable things with a little girl has probably done plenty of other wrong things in their lives as well. Therefore, it up to God to judge, not us. I'm greatful that I don't have to judge others on their eternal reward. I can trust God to do the right thing by all of His children. All will be made right in the end.
As for your first statement about deathbed confession and repentance, you are right, it availeth nothing. We cannot procrastinate the day or our repentance until death. The sincerity of the repentance cannot be manifest when you are at deaths door.
The notion that you can declare your belief and presto, you're forgiven, is a false notion that has been proliferated throughout Christendom and ought to be eliminated from everyone's thougth processes.
2006-08-29 06:13:54 · answer #8 · answered by rac 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A lot of people ask questions like this.
The human side of me would want that person to go to HELL.
Fortunately there is Jesus. He saves everyone of us equally, as soon as we confess our sins, and believe in Him as our One and only Savior.. We are saved from Hell. (if this guy meant it in his heart then Jesus would forgive him)
ALL sin IS equal in Gods eyes. Read Romans
All that said It would take so much of me to forgive said man.....I don't believe I could do it on my own....I hope I am never there. But look back on past events and how many people have forgiven other people for similar things you have described...it has been done...with the strength of Christ...also it has been commanded.(forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors)
2006-08-27 22:53:53 · answer #9 · answered by justthinkin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't it's likely think that the Lord will forgive that man. Because I believe that part of repentance is making restitution for what you did. You cannot give someone back their life one you taken it away from them.
But I believe you need to forgive him anyway because it says in Matthew 6:14-15:
14.For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15. But if ye will not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.
I'm not saying that he shouldn't be put in jail, he absolutely should be in jail. The Savior followed the law of the land (example paying his taxes). So don't you think that man has to answer to law.
2006-08-21 08:16:18 · answer #10 · answered by Fernajen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Murders do not have "Eternal Life" abiding in them. Nor will they ever even get a chance for "Eternal Life". God takes it very seriously when someone MURDERS OR RAPES ONE OF HIS CHILDREN. Yes, according to God's Law, the punishment for rape is the same as murder = Death.
If you are guilty of rape or murder and you would like eternal life, all hope is lost. According to God, those guilty of committing one of these crimes have no rights, THEY ARE TO BE KILLED. If this country would follow God's Law on capital punishment, the number of Rapes and Murders would certainly be reduced.
A person that Premeditates a Murder, is to be put to Death. What about people in the Military, Police, or even a good Samaritan? If you kill someone during a war, in the line of duty or just helping a stranger in trouble, that is Not Murder According To God's Law.
Matthew 19:18 = Murder
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 = Rape
2006-08-21 08:04:27 · answer #11 · answered by Excel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋