Why is there infinite punishment for sins committed in a finite life?

Answer 1

You have my attention....what a fabulous question!

I have no answer.

I have an opinion, maybe there is no infinite punishment.

How does a person define sin anyway?

Answer 2

I'm not really sure. The bible doesn't really reveal that and what is not revealed, one can only speculate about. But let me speculate a little. People ask me "why does a person have to go to hell for eternity, couldn't God have put them in hell for a year or a month or a week or a day or an hour, depending upon how evil he were on earth?" Is it possible that years, months, weeks, days and hours don't exist in eternity? When we talk about years, months and so on, we're talking about time. Even scientists say that time had a beginning. It's called the Big Bang. The Big Bang is the start of all matter and energy and the start of the 4 dimensions(3 dimensions of space and one dimension of time). What was there before time? Timelessness! We could also call that eternity past. What comes after death? Eternity future! What is timelessness? I have no idea. I've read books by theologians, philosophers and scientists about timelessness(all 3 of these fields talk about timelessness quite a bit) and I still don't understand it and neither does anyone else regardless of what they try and tell you. But the answer they give is that timelessness is some kind of an 'eternal now'. There is no 'before' and there is no 'after', just an eternal now. Again, I don't know what that means. Obviously, these guys who write these books are smarter than I am. But it's possible that wherever you end up, you'll be there forever and not just for a year or so because in eternity there is no such thing as years.
But that's just speculation.
People plan for everything in life. They plan for social life, marraige, education, career, family, where they're going to live and just about anything one can think of. But the one thing they rarely plan for is eternity. Their attitude just seems to be "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it". When you come to it , it might just be too late. You need to plan for that now.

Answer 3

Congratulations. This is the first eyecatching question I've read in the Religion category. It's really cute. But I'm not a believer, so I can't provide an answer to it. You know, because I don't believe in religion, I think it follows that I don't believe infinite punishment exists, and I don't believe sin exists either.

I do believe that right and wrong exist, but to identify wrongs as sins; well, I prefer referring to those as incidents against the law.

Answer 4

Because the one we sin against...God...is a being of infinite worth. That makes sin a crime of infinite severity and therefore worthy of an infinite sentence. And that is why only Jesus CHrist can remove sin. Though he was a finite man, he was also infinite God.

As finite creatures, the only way we can serve an infinite sentence is to remain in it forever. However Jesus Christ can absorb God's infinite wrath in a moment of time because he himself is infinite. Make sense?

Answer 5

There also seems to be infinite reward for sins forgiven in a finite life. But is it really a reward? Heaven is the ultimate dictatorship.

Answer 6

Mmmmm.... never thought of that question before.

That's a good one.

Let me try thinking aloud...

God is infinitely holy and we may not see the severity of our sins in God's eyes (not man's eyes) but it is a very severe thing to sin against God.

God reveals Himself in various ways but man in his/her pride and stubborness refuse to acknowledge Him.

He gives all a chance to have a relationship with Him but many will choose to reject this offer. They rather live a life without God and do anything they want . In the process, they commit more and more sins and make God more angry.

So by the end of their lives, the punishment becomes accumulated and very severe. But as for the 'infinite ' part.....

I really don't know.

Answer 7

If life is finite, how punishment can be infinite.
That is the contradiction in the minds of people who refuse to seek for the truth.

Answer 8

You are looking at it in a different sense. Our souls are immortal, and cannot be destroyed, so it is not the infinite nature of the punishment that is in question here. Secondly those who go to hell choose to go there because their sins are so great that the light of God hurts them to the core (imagine the light of the sun hurting your eyes in reality) because it reveals their sin to them in all its ugliness. They prefer the darkness to the light. Sad to say, this is actually true in reality. Those who die imperfect do go to heaven though according to the mainline Catholic and Orthodox churches atleast. These are those whose sins have been forgiven but they are refined as through a fire.
Remember only one described Himself as the Light of the world - our Lord Jesus. No-one else(Buddha, etc) even thought of this because they knew little of what really is in heaven - the Glory and Light of God, the REAL sun and sustainer of life in all His glory.

Answer 9

Hell, Hades comparable-0. in basic terms as i believe it to be so it ability your grave. the place individuals are in an subconscious state waiting for the resurrection. the only way for the period of the gates of Eternity and Yahweh, is obtainable in basic terms with the aid of Yeshuah. Your confession is thru Yeshuah to be heard with the aid of God. To experience sorry on your sin and to precise your incorrect is the act of repentance. The act of repentance and the confession is going hand in hand. Do the two and you're solid to bypass. additionally bear in ideas while committing a sin then to repent for it and confess; do your ultimate to not repeat that sin returned. Peace and Love.

Answer 10

An infinite waste of time to worry over something that will not happen. But, I loved the question.