I prefer to rephrase it as thus: Can the good and bad we do be weighed against each other to make a net judgment about a person's total goodness/evil? OR, is it acceptable at times, to perform or allow an evil deed in the service of a greater good?
Let's do a simple mind experiment. I think we can all agree that generally speaking, lying is bad. Your a Dutch citizen in Holland in August of 1944. Which is worse: lying when you're asked if there are any Jews hiding around your neighborhood, or betraying Anne Frank's family to the Nazis?
I once read a short story called "The Cold Calculations". A very sad story. An astronaut was delivering a supply of vaccines to a planet devastated by a plague. These vaccines would save millions of lives. His approach is very finely calculated, with the weight of his shuttle a critical factor. BUT, he discovers he has a stowaway on his shuttle. A young girl trying to visit her mother, if I remember correctly. In the end, she has to jump out to her death, or else millions of people will die.
Of course, it would be better avoid BOTH the greater and lesser evil--for example, if a parachute was available for the young woman.
And also the "greater good" argument is often abused, like when the greater good is nowhere near as certain or clear as the proponents of the temporary evil deed would have you believe. For example, launching a war and invasion to take down a dictator, claiming that the dictator will wind up killing a lot of people, when you really don't know that your war will wind up killing just as many, maybe more people in the events that unfold as a result.
But ultimately, yes, we should consider both the good and the bad in a person, and not all evils are equal.
Finally, I would point out that under the Christian doctrine of Grace, all evils are pretty much equal, and in fact your works in life don't even matter. The only thing that matters is that you believe in Jesus and then all other sins, even mass murder, are forgiven. Therefore the only thing that matters is belief. Belief becomes the only real virtue, and rational skepticism the only real sin, under such a doctrine. Pretty revolting notion if you ask me.
No. Ro 5:12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.
Romans 6:22 However, now that you were set free from sin and became slaves to God, you are producing your fruit in the way of holiness, and the end is everlasting life. 23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.Or “released; pardoned.”
It depends. If you are only doing good deeds to make up for your sins then it doesn't count for anything. If you do good deeds out of love then it gives God something to work with.
If you legitimately try to avoid sins because they are wrong and you ask for help (pray), God will help you. And when you overcome your sin nature, after many trials, Gods love will flow into you.
The benefit of your good deeds must reach the people who were affected by you in the past. But I don't think that this will relieve you completely from your past sins. You may happen to suffer at least for a lesser period for your sins.
God cannot watch each and every human being at the same time. That's why He had created the spirits to watch, guide and determine the destiny of the human beings from their daily activities, talks and thoughts too. Your past determines your present and your present determines your future. God has given freewill to all creatures including human beings. According to this, all human beings have all right to live a life as they wish. But if it happens to be bad and hurts someone, they have to face the consequences. These consequences are created by spirits. It's a natural system. After death no one lives in any form. Heaven and hell are only for spirits. Spirits are separate elements. A human being is not a single spirit. A human being during his/her life time is living with many spirits which have joined one by one since birth. They are knowledge, skills, feelings, emotions, interests and everything. Even thoughts are not your own. For example, when you want to take a decision on a subject, one after another the spirits think and you just listen, choose or reject the ideas which they transmit to your mind through your brain in the form of thoughts. A human being is just a robot made of flesh, bones, tissues etc., and a toy of the spirits for their games.
No God is not one to be bribe, He sees the heart and know if the person truly repented. Galatians 6:7-10, 7 Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap; 8 because the one sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but the one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. 9 So let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out. 10 So, then, as long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.
Praying to God and good karma does cancel out sins from the past, but sins are so powerful that it takes a lot of good work to cancel them. Above all, complete faith in GOD will cancel them out, you cannot redeem yourself, only GOD can.
I don't really have a concept of sin, but whether it does or not, trying to make things right by anyone you've wronged is just a good thing to do, isn't it?
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I prefer to rephrase it as thus: Can the good and bad we do be weighed against each other to make a net judgment about a person's total goodness/evil? OR, is it acceptable at times, to perform or allow an evil deed in the service of a greater good?
Let's do a simple mind experiment. I think we can all agree that generally speaking, lying is bad. Your a Dutch citizen in Holland in August of 1944. Which is worse: lying when you're asked if there are any Jews hiding around your neighborhood, or betraying Anne Frank's family to the Nazis?
I once read a short story called "The Cold Calculations". A very sad story. An astronaut was delivering a supply of vaccines to a planet devastated by a plague. These vaccines would save millions of lives. His approach is very finely calculated, with the weight of his shuttle a critical factor. BUT, he discovers he has a stowaway on his shuttle. A young girl trying to visit her mother, if I remember correctly. In the end, she has to jump out to her death, or else millions of people will die.
Of course, it would be better avoid BOTH the greater and lesser evil--for example, if a parachute was available for the young woman.
And also the "greater good" argument is often abused, like when the greater good is nowhere near as certain or clear as the proponents of the temporary evil deed would have you believe. For example, launching a war and invasion to take down a dictator, claiming that the dictator will wind up killing a lot of people, when you really don't know that your war will wind up killing just as many, maybe more people in the events that unfold as a result.
But ultimately, yes, we should consider both the good and the bad in a person, and not all evils are equal.
Finally, I would point out that under the Christian doctrine of Grace, all evils are pretty much equal, and in fact your works in life don't even matter. The only thing that matters is that you believe in Jesus and then all other sins, even mass murder, are forgiven. Therefore the only thing that matters is belief. Belief becomes the only real virtue, and rational skepticism the only real sin, under such a doctrine. Pretty revolting notion if you ask me.
No. Ro 5:12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.
Romans 6:22 However, now that you were set free from sin and became slaves to God, you are producing your fruit in the way of holiness, and the end is everlasting life. 23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.Or “released; pardoned.”
It depends. If you are only doing good deeds to make up for your sins then it doesn't count for anything. If you do good deeds out of love then it gives God something to work with.
If you legitimately try to avoid sins because they are wrong and you ask for help (pray), God will help you. And when you overcome your sin nature, after many trials, Gods love will flow into you.
The benefit of your good deeds must reach the people who were affected by you in the past. But I don't think that this will relieve you completely from your past sins. You may happen to suffer at least for a lesser period for your sins.
God cannot watch each and every human being at the same time. That's why He had created the spirits to watch, guide and determine the destiny of the human beings from their daily activities, talks and thoughts too. Your past determines your present and your present determines your future. God has given freewill to all creatures including human beings. According to this, all human beings have all right to live a life as they wish. But if it happens to be bad and hurts someone, they have to face the consequences. These consequences are created by spirits. It's a natural system. After death no one lives in any form. Heaven and hell are only for spirits. Spirits are separate elements. A human being is not a single spirit. A human being during his/her life time is living with many spirits which have joined one by one since birth. They are knowledge, skills, feelings, emotions, interests and everything. Even thoughts are not your own. For example, when you want to take a decision on a subject, one after another the spirits think and you just listen, choose or reject the ideas which they transmit to your mind through your brain in the form of thoughts. A human being is just a robot made of flesh, bones, tissues etc., and a toy of the spirits for their games.
No, forgiveness from God does.
Yes! They do on earth! This is called repentance positive deeds done over and over will help the sins negative effects to die!
Once you start to do that you ask God to forgive you and he forgets and forgives!.
But it's you that brings the healing to yoursel
WE need to strive to be good and do positive acts and try to be obedient to God.
These are all necessary things.
Only if that positive act involves kissing some ones AS$.
No God is not one to be bribe, He sees the heart and know if the person truly repented. Galatians 6:7-10, 7 Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap; 8 because the one sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but the one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. 9 So let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out. 10 So, then, as long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.
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Praying to God and good karma does cancel out sins from the past, but sins are so powerful that it takes a lot of good work to cancel them. Above all, complete faith in GOD will cancel them out, you cannot redeem yourself, only GOD can.
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I don't really have a concept of sin, but whether it does or not, trying to make things right by anyone you've wronged is just a good thing to do, isn't it?