Amnesia question for Catholics.

Mojotronica

Mojotronica

Expect Irony.
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Supposing you had committed a heinous sin, but on your way to confessional you are somehow afflicted with complete amnesia in the classic soap opera interpretation of it...

You had not actually confessed your sin, but you have no recollection of it to confess. No living person ever connects you with the sin.

You rebuild your life and live in a pious and God-faring manner going forward... On your deathbed you confess all of your known sins, but the forgotten one remains unconfessed.

Do you go straight to heaven, or have to hang out in purgatory for awhile, or are you damned? The sin is REALLY bad, like murder or some-such...
 
Interesting poser.

Being a heathen, I have no answer, but I am sure you will get some good reactions.

I am very impressed with our religious posters on CFC. :)
 
short answer - Purgatory, though I don't believe in purgatory as the reference to it is weak at best in the bible. I think its like a baby, he has no knowledge of his sins and cannot be blamed for them.
 
hua hua hua!

if I forget Im innocent? no mojo, this doesnt work that way, you have to pay for every sin you have commited.
sorry, forgetting wont help you.

lets say I killed someone 50 years ago, no matter if I remember or not, the person is dead and by forgetting my sin he wont came back to life therefore the sin remains, always.
 
Not being Catholic :crazyeye: but trying to think like one and going off of the info you give I'd say the person would not be condemned if they were on their way to confess the supposed heinous sin they committed. If it is something illegal though a much better response would be for the person to turn themselves into the authorities (instead of asking for an attorney they can ask for a priest) which now brings up the question of motivation. Is this person going to confess :confused: his sin to the priest and then go to the police (if it is illegal) or is he just confessing the sin to the priest so he can cover himself with that priest confidentiallity crap? There is a thing called sincerity.
 
Laser Guided - The priest will not forgive his sin if he does not confess to the police.
 
while not being a catholic, it suppose their logic goes something like this:

1. God created you after His own image.
2. Then He foresaw your entire fate, and wrote in his book that you are damned.
3. Then He gave you a free will.
4. You commit a terrible sin out of mean character.
5. Afterwards, by His mercy, you are struck by amnesia. Punishment is suspended until judgement day.
6. On judgement day, you are definitely damned, cause you didn't meet the high expectations of your God.

What a life!
 
Wouldn't God have been more "merciful" to allow you to confess. I don't see how keeping you from confessing your sins, and thus pre-emptively dooming you, is merciful.

Keeping in mind that I'm not Catholic ;)
 
Originally posted by Immortal
Laser Guided - The priest will not forgive his sin if he does not confess to the police.
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No, anyone that asks recieves forgiveness. If you don't ask, then your screwed to put it simply.
 
Originally posted by Zarn

No, anyone that asks recieves forgiveness. If you don't ask, then your screwed to put it simply.
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Isn't it a sin in itself not to report a crime to the authorities? A constant state of sinfulness that cannot be "forgiven" because it is ongoing until turning oneself puts an end to the sin. I will not get into a debate on whether God is vengeful or mercifull, but the Catholic God sure seems gullible. To think it is more important to talk to some child molesting middleman than to potentially take your justful earthly punishment for a crime seems too easy of a way out. BTW - I grew up Southern Baptist and we have it easy too - just get yourself dunked underwater and then you can sin at will as long as you continually toe the party line on professing Jesus as your saviour.

I wonder if it is a sin to withhold a tithe or gift to the church because you think it will go to pay the victims for abuse caused by Church leaders rather to the building of a new Cathedral? Seems to be the newest way for Catholics to weasal out of financial generousity to their church.

Seems I forgot what the question was that this thread posed, so hopefully I will be forgiven.
 
Please don't call priests that. I am truly insulted. Your comments in my eyes were ignorant. A truly sorry person that confeeses is forgiven. There is no need for 'authorities' to be forgiven.
 
So, the Church is a higher power than the State? And saying rosaries is a better punishment than the lockup? And, there's no "three times you're out" policy as there is with some crimes like sex offenses?

I may become a Catholic ;)
 
You have to be truly sorry. You can't apoligize to save your own behind. Besides, God is the ultimate authority. No one is above Him.
 
Its my opinion that repenting doesn't have to involve a priest. One can forgive oneself, and God will accept. So the person would go to hell, unless they got the amnesia RIGHT as they sinned.
 
If you a truely sorry, you would want to give the victim's families a sense of closure. Short of killing all of the family members off and then confessing to the probably non-abusive middleman, then I would think a trip to the worldly authorities would be a part of any program to show true remorse for your actions.
 
Originally posted by JollyRoger
If you a truely sorry, you would want to give the victim's families a sense of closure. Short of killing all of the family members off and then confessing to the probably non-abusive middleman, then I would think a trip to the worldly authorities would be a part of any program to show true remorse for your actions.
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I think you are attacking my faith and should stop. It's not like that at all.
 
Originally posted by Zarn

I think you are attacking my faith and should stop. It's not like that at all.
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Only your own doubt in what you believe can attack your faith. I am merely making references to some of the shortcomings I perceive with those associated with your faith and the doctrines that are associated with your faith. Being an outsider that has no desire to become an insider, I am sure that there are things that I don't understand and unfortunately I don't have the eloquance of Martin Luther so my attacks will always seem juvenile in comparison.
 
It would most likely be a convenient answer just like all theological questions with a chance to confound normal religious dogma usually are. He would simply be absolved from all sins he hast forgotten. This is the same as all cultures who had no prior knowledge of Judeo-Christianity being completely unnacountable for any actions that might otherwise render a Judeo-Christian-Muslim in breech of holy law.
 
We can all agree, I think, that it's not right for you to be condemned merely because you cannot remember your sins, ESPECIALLY when you MEANT to repent it when you DID remember it. Clearly the only thing keeping you from repentance is something totally out of your own control. Why should you go to hell? It's a technicality! God knows you meant to repent... is the actual ritual of repentance more important than the intent to regret the crime?

On the side topic, Zarn: you say that I have to truly repent, and not be "saving my ass". Well, my view of the matter is that repenting to God, but not making amends to the humans around me, IS "saving my ass" - it is repenting without being vulnerable to any consequences for my actions, other than reciting prayers. Such repentance has no value - in [my] moral system - you will disagree with that.

Actually, here's a question: WHY would you repent to God but NOT tell the family of the victim you murdered? Unless, of course, you are afraid of the actual consequences of your actions - which either means that you are afraid of death [hence you couldn't possibly be a true believer in an afterlife, or you don't believe you are going to the right one and sense you haven't really repented] OR you are afraid of punishment, which again means you aren't sorry for what you did. Any logic-path you take, it ends up that either you tell mankind as well as God, or you don't really repent.

Unless I'm missing something.
 
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