Hear me out because this pisses me off:
Assume you lend your catholic friend $100. He never pays you back. After years and years of "guilt" your friend goes to confession to confess his sin (taking your $100) and ask for forgiveness. The priest tosses out a penance, say 100 hail marys, and all is well with your friend. I call BS, I say the friend can only be absolved in the eyes of the person from whom he stole.
2007-04-23 06:35:20 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
+ Sin +
Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God.
In other words, sin is anything that hurts your relationship with God.
+ Reconciliation +
The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin."
When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.
Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ.
Jesus said, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Luke 20:22-23)
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.
A wise priest will also require the penitent person to refund the $100.
+ With love in Christ.
2007-04-23 18:00:45 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I absolutely agree with you. I will add the perspective of a parent where a child can be absolved of a sin without the parent ever finding out. As an Atheist, I feel that you can only atone for a wrong by resolving it with the person you wronged but even when I was a christian (protestant) I was still taught that while god can forgive you it is important to make things right with those you have wronged.
2007-04-23 21:24:53 · answer #2 · answered by Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may call BS but that does not make it so.
You are not God. You do not make the ground rules pertaining to the forgiveness of sins. God does.
God's capacity for mercy and forgiveness is far greater than man's capacity for sin.
In the interest of Christ-like mercy. We're all sinners, and we need to be merciful and forgiving with each other if we are going to dare ask God for His mercy and forgiveness.
If the friend honestly repents for never having paid back his debt, and confesses his theivery, he deserves God's mercy and forgiveness. God forgives the friend's debt of sin he owes to God.
The person who has had his money stolen from him could also exhibit God's mercy by forgiving the financial debt owed by the friend.
One never knows what sort of curve-balls will be thrown at them in life. One day, they find themselves being pleaded to for mercy. They best give mercy because the day may come when they are the ones begging for mercy. Are they justified in asking for and receiving mercy when they once refused such pleas from others in the past?
It would be good if the person who stole eventually returned the debt he owed, if possible. But the forgiveness of sins cannot depend soley upon such an event occuring because there may be factors that make such a thing impossible.
Mercy. Have mercy on others, and you will be just in asking for mercy from God.
2007-04-24 08:55:47 · answer #3 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course your friend has been forgiven for not paying back the money as of yet. But the Lord helps those who help themselves, and still looks upon your friend to do what is right even after all this time, and pay back the money.
2007-04-25 19:06:40 · answer #4 · answered by Sheba 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are confusing forgiveness from God with some human agency of forgiveness between you and the other person.
Yes, you still feel wronged. But that is not the issue. Moreover, where is your own forgiving heart? Why do you harbor such feelings that can only poison your own soul?
2007-04-24 00:47:20 · answer #5 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Say the person who lost the money dies. If they are the only person that can absolve the friend, where does that leave the friend?
2007-04-24 19:40:47 · answer #6 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋