Conscious vs. Unconscious sin

[postage-paid]

The only instructions I used writing this and the only ones I believe that you should use while reading this come from 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."
I'm a very science-orientated person (I'm even majoring in chemistry 4laugh ) but yes keep these words in mind and please hear me out. Debate is appreciated, as this is not really an opinion piece, but more random thoughts strung together.

God didn't call any of us for suffering right? When He sent Jesus to earth, His message was simple: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength [and]...Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31) That really doesn't sound all that hard... and honestly it does not sound all that exclusive.... until you bring up the fact that Jesus did also say "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Okay. So I guess He made it clear that we need Jesus to get to the Father. Does this mean only conventional Christian's can be saved and go to heaven? That seems like a fairly egotistical view. As Christian's we place our faith in Jesus Christ that His holy sacrifice was atonement enough for all of our sins, that if we truly confess and repent, He will always forgive us.... even from unconscious sin. So we're covered for sins that we don't even realize that we're committing but someone of another, similar faith isn't?

For example, take Mormons. Many of them are utterly devoted to God. However, they also believe that the testimony of Joseph Smith has the same, if not greater value than the bible. Is this sin conscious or unconscious? Essentially, they believe in God, and more importantly something which separates Mormon's from many other non-Christian groups: They believe in the deity of Christ Jesus. IF their regard for the book of Mormon is an unconscious sin, then it makes little sense that they should be subjected to eternal damnation for one mistake. They have tried to follow both of Jesus' great commandments their entire lives. Because they believe another book to be truth, it makes little sense that a loving father would sent them to hell.

Did Christ not also say "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5)

In comparison to the Mormon's making the mistake of believing Joseph Smith, do we not from time to time believe the word of others and it turns out that they're wrong? We believe what we hear in church. Do not be so bold as to say that the church is always correct, or that you alone are able to pick out fact from fiction. No. The Church is not God, and we are mere men. The fact is, all come to believe SOMETHING about God that is completely false, and may never know the truth until we meet Him face to face. Is that conscious or unconscious sin? How can we say that our false beliefs are in ANY way different from those of the Mormons.

In all actuality I was compelled to write this after a confrontation with a coworker of mine. She is a devote Muslim and loves her God very much. I myself know very little about Islam. However, what I did realize tonight was that as she was speaking to me about her love and devotion towards her God, she sounded disturbingly like myself. She is absolutely on fire for her God, willing to spread His word regardless of what I and others may think of her. She spoke to me out of love, mentioning the end of the world and how she just hopes that we would listen to her words before it would be too late for us. She was not doing this in an attempt to send my soul to hell, and right now I cannot believe for a moment that Satan played a part in our conversation. Satan does not know love. My coworker loves her God, and she was certainly showing her love towards myself and others by worrying about our eternal souls.

Muslims are like Mormons in the sense that they have heard the message of Jesus, but have had it perverted by a secondary source. The Quran makes it clear that they do not regard Jesus as the son of God, but as a prophet sent directly from him. Conscious or unconscious sin? Devout Muslims have followed Jesus' two most important commandments: They love their God, and they love their neighbour.

The final group I would like to mention are the Jews: The most important aspect being that they love the SAME God. No person can deny that Christianity did not spring from Judaism. Jesus Himself was a Jew. Is their rejection of Jesus conscious or unconscious sin? It is all a matter of perspective, completely based on upbringing. These people love their God (and in fact the very same God without dispute) with all their hearts, and show love to their neighbours. Are these people damnable? Do we have any right to say they are? I grew up believing that God was just. I grew up believing that He loved His children with an incomprehensible love.

Don't take this the wrong way: I am still not of the perspective that all religions are right, but I am of the perspective that I have no perspective. I am not the one to bring fire and brimstone upon this world. The core stance of my argument is this: who are we to understand conscious and unconscious sin? Who are we to say who is forgiven and who isn't? It is right to spread the word and LOVE of God, but it is certainly not right for us to have any say in who is to be saved, who is to be in heaven and who isn't. That is for God and God alone. He is just, He is good, and if He is as loving as I have been taught to believe He is, He will do what is right.

This is what comes out of my mind at 2AM on a school night. Do with it what you will. It could be completely wrong and I could just be blaspheming against the word of God... but I ask you this: is that conscious or unconscious sin? Am I forgiven?  

[Kittey-chan]

I would imagine that, if God sends anyone to hell, there will be a lot more self-proclaimed "Christians" than people of any other faith.
God takes into account how much we know.

Quote:

Luke 12:47-48

12:47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.
12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

And you are right: it is not ours to judge, *especially* those outside the church. Those inside the church we need to judge whether their sin is affecting us- for obvious reasons. But, we never have any right to judge the worthyness or sinfullness of anyone. Only the arrogant can claim to have uncloudy vision.
Also, we need to not worry about those who are not yet Christian. For one thing, the bible specifically commands us not to worry. For another, does God not love all of us equally? Will He not provide for everyone a path to Him?  

[CCubed]

that_fairy

I would imagine that, if God sends anyone to hell, there will be a lot more self-proclaimed "Christians" than people of any other faith.
God takes into account how much we know.

Quote:

Luke 12:47-48

12:47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.
12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

And you are right: it is not ours to judge, *especially* those outside the church. Those inside the church we need to judge whether their sin is affecting us- for obvious reasons. But, we never have any right to judge the worthyness or sinfullness of anyone. Only the arrogant can claim to have uncloudy vision.
Also, we need to not worry about those who are not yet Christian. For one thing, the bible specifically commands us not to worry. For another, does God not love all of us equally? Will He not provide for everyone a path to Him?


I agree. Those who have never known God cannot be blamed. The same with those who commit sins without knowing they are sins. Everyone has a chance to get to heaven, and only God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit can say someone is going to hell or heaven.  

[SinfulGuillotine]

angelgotspiked

Don't take this the wrong way: I am still not of the perspective that all religions are right, but I am of the perspective that I have no perspective. I am not the one to bring fire and brimstone upon this world. The core stance of my argument is this: who are we to understand conscious and unconscious sin? Who are we to say who is forgiven and who isn't? It is right to spread the word and LOVE of God, but it is certainly not right for us to have any say in who is to be saved, who is to be in heaven and who isn't. That is for God and God alone. He is just, He is good, and if He is as loving as I have been taught to believe He is, He will do what is right.

This paragraph describes (more eloquently than I have ever been able to articulate, I might add) something that is at the very core of my personal beliefs. And I completely agree.

When it really comes down to it, we can all only live our lives the best way we know how. We're human. Even the most well-meaning among us make mistakes, often without even being conciously aware of it. And God is the only one with the authority to truly judge those mistakes.