Why doesn't God consider stealing a pencil to be less morally reprehensible than rape or murder?

Question

Why are all sins equal to God?



***Additional Details***
Please refrain from posting unreadably long strands of copy/paste scripture. Please refrain from simply stating something akin to "because that's just how it is" or "you need to accept Jesus to know that".

Answer 1

Your premise is false.

Various sins have their punishments spelled out in the bible.
For example, there are sins that are punishable by death, and there are sins that are punishable by stripes.

I hope this helps your understanding.


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Answer 2

I thought you might need an atheist perspective on this one. Because their god doesn't exactly care too much about murder, he probably holds it on the same level as a pencil. According to the scripture....he's commanded people to kill others and people have killed in his name. Probably gets a kick out of it. Same with stealing a pencil, just entertainment. If there was a god, he probably just sits around saying, "s***, I can't believe they fell for that". But there is no god, so it's all a moot point. The Christians created the whole "all sins are equal" crap in order to ensureno one could stray from the church even slightly. It's never been about sins, it's about mind-controlling the flock. They've even made thought a potential sin. Man cannot control his thoughts, yet they write rules such as "thou shall not covet". So, knowing that most human beings will break this law (& others) at some point, they know the people will come to the church to repent. The bible is such a cleverly orchestrated piece of propaganda it's amazing. But, they've had 2000 years to refine it.

Answer 3

I thought you might need an atheist perspective on this one. Because their god doesn't exactly care too much about murder, he probably holds it on the same level as a pencil. According to the scripture....he's commanded people to kill others and people have killed in his name. Probably gets a kick out of it. Same with stealing a pencil, just entertainment. If there was a god, he probably just sits around saying, "s***, I can't believe they fell for that".

But there is no god, so it's all a moot point. The Christians created the whole "all sins are equal" crap in order to ensureno one could stray from the church even slightly. It's never been about sins, it's about mind-controlling the flock. They've even made thought a potential sin. Man cannot control his thoughts, yet they write rules such as "thou shall not covet". So, knowing that most human beings will break this law (& others) at some point, they know the people will come to the church to repent. The bible is such a cleverly orchestrated piece of propaganda it's amazing. But, they've had 2000 years to refine it.

Answer 4

It's not about specific sins, Cool. It never has been about specific sins. I don't know how many times I have to show it! If Christians themseklves got it then we wouldn't have to suffer through all those questions about , "Is this a sin?" And "Is peeing on my Mom's flowerbed a sin?" All that would be behind us, and we could talk about more substantive things.

It's the condition that we carry around in our wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful bodies that drives us to be damned. God wants no sin nature around him or where he can see it for all eternity. So he allows people to choose and when it's all over he picks out the one's that trusted Him. And none of us will be picked because we avoided A sin in particular. We are saved because we were MADE clean by the salvation that Jesus brought to us. He did it. Not because we are so wonderful and 'good'.

So not raping, murdering, or stealing a pencil eraser will not be enough. Trusting him is enough.

EDIT: I am reading some of these 'Christian' responses and GRRRRR they make me so mad!

Answer 5

Im not religious, though I do believe in a Supreme Creator and Good vs. evil.

But a Creator will be kind and intelligent to understand that "stealing a pencil" would not compare to taking away somebody else's life, or abusing from a body that is not ours. Believe me, I dont believe in torture by Hell, but I do believe that God will find something very interesting for those who commit murder and rape those who are innocent.

Justice finds its way in the degree of the sin.

Clearly The Creator, according to most religious text, has made same rules only so we could live in harmony with each other. But dont worry, God is not going to burn you alive for "stealing a pencil". God will decide what is severe and what is not. Just dont steal that often. lol.

Answer 6

Just because they teach that to you in church doesn't mean its true. Each branch chooses to interpret the bible differently as god contradicts himself in many places. In a belief of my own, god has mercy for sins on different levels. If not god would be so harsh no one would enter heaven but himself through jesus or not. Also I have found scriptures that blatantly state sins of the youth and early adulthood are passed over and the life you live as an adult is what he takes account for. They're are a lot of sins especially when young so why are these less offensive? It would make sense for god to differenciate but its decision on what to believe

Answer 7

consider this analogy, but you seem to totally negate the bible, but you cannot disagree the the biblical times DID exist. anyways, look


in the biblical days, Jews were considered to be much higher standing in society than gentiles.
God, however, does not show partiality. he loved both Jews and gentiles, despite the Jews' hypocrisy and the gentiles undeserving ways..
He is not human, and there does not have to obey the laws of humanity. just because YOU think that stealing a pencil is not equivalent to murder, both are disappointments to God.

it's not what you stole.
it's that you did it.

it's not that that person 'deserved it'
it's that you destroyed a life.

Answer 8

He does.

It is a common misconception or heresy that all sins are equal in God's sight.

This comes from the fact that even the smallest sin is an offence to God and therefore requires repentance and atonement.

But Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for going to great lengths to pay their tithes, down to tithes on the dill and cumin (herbs and spices) they grew in the garden, while "neglecting weightier matters of the Law", i.e. neglecting to look after the destitute (widows and orphans) and to provide justice without partiality.

Answer 9

Steal a pencil today, rape and murder tomorrow. Now I am just saying that a sinful state is capable of all evil. Stealing pencils is not a gateway sin. I am just saying that somone who has given themselves over to PREFER sinning is capable of anything.

Answer 10

Stealing a pencil is not harming anyone. Rape and murder destroys a life or forever changes a person.

But, all sin is against God. So, the will to choose wrong over good is why it's considered an equal sin.
I think it's odd.

Answer 11

*scraches head*

um as an atheist why dose this bother you?

Since in your opinion God, or any deity for that matter, is a construct of societies and individuals then their morality or lack their of is irrelevant.

It would be like saying why is Zeus so immoral? Look at all the lighting bolts he is throwing.

I mean if you believe its all fiction then you should naturally move on with your life and do better things than worry about people who believe in a imaginary immoral deity.