Why be good when you can just be forgiven?
Its been a while since I updated this blog. Too many things going on all at once. One of the things that's chewing me up big time is the plan for my possible relocation to Europe in the next 6-10 months, for business reasons that's getting harder and harder to turn down.
Anyway, back to boring spiritual topics. There is a question that hit me a few years ago when was I reading up on Abrahamic religions. Why be good when you can just be forgiven?
I'm sure you've read about famous deathbed confessions, penance and so on by rapists, murderers and the like. After a lifelong pursuit of sin, they decide to turn over a new leaf just before they check out. Which isn't hard to do I suppose, upon realizing that you're about to leave behind all your ill-gotten gains and when it finally hits that you will burn down there for a long time. Not unlike the kid who cries after looking at the rod he's about to be spanked with.
Non Abrahamic practices have similar histories. The Buddhist story of Angulimala for instance. Being a notorious gangster he murders scores of travelers who pass through his section of the woods in ancient India until he chances upon one traveler who turned out to be the Buddha himself. After some deft "kung fu" Angulimala realized he had found his match, his mind suddenly just went in reverse and he repented, becoming a monk himself.
Both Abrahamic and non Abrahamic recognize that people can change and that's cool. I believe in that. But there is one thing that bothers me. If I am a bad person who knows that I can be "forgiven" in the last 20 seconds of my life, provided I think and say the right things at the time, why should I bother being good?
I know what you're going to say. You don't know when you'll check out so isn't it better to just be good now so that you got yourself covered, just in case?
The problem I have with that is the human penchant for contrivance. The feeling that goodness is something you barter like insurance just to save your ass, something you can hold back until you've reaped maximum benefit, rather than something that grows out of genuine compassion for self and others. In our society, man seems more interested in self-benefit than well, being good.
"I'm still young. Its not like I'm gonna die tomorrow," they'll think, "and I know I will be forgiven if I repent in the last few seconds of my life, so why shouldn't I spend the next 40 years of my life having fun raping and plundering everything in sight?"
It wouldn't so tragic if I haven't personally met people like this. Just talk to a worshipper who also happens to be a foul-mouthed conniving schemer and you've found your man. Or woman.
So, why be good when you can just be forgiven?
5 comments:
well , if a christian have that "sin all i want and confess before i die" in his mind ..
He's just trying to outsmart God . Don't you think so ? ;p
i guess the almighty God didn't figure that out ! oh no ..
Oh. You met one. Don't worry, I know. When I was young, the adults are always saying " Did you go to church?! You didn't?! You're going to hell. You must go to church." But I don't see them going. =\
Well, it's the same with people I know who are really pious and then lose their tempers quick and cry foul at the drop of a hat. But I guess that it's what we say and not "God".
In my context, these things happens and then he/she goes through a ritual on the death bed and TA DA! clean. We might feel that it's unfair, but that's our say. Not God's. It's really unfair at this point looking from our point of view. I think it's the state of your soul/thoughts when you leave the earth and life's that journey. Some take a longer time, some are naturally born with it. However, in my opinion, if you're really a good person, you won't actually start doing all the bad stuff just because. Like a vegetarian wouldn't start eating meat. I heard that they get indigestion. =\
For the last 20 seconds, a bad person cannot turn good unless it's miraculous. It is so miraculous that every incident is reported. But, usually if let's say a person plan to be bad till the last seconds, I don't think they'll be "sincere" enough to enter heaven. This is God you're talking about. You can't fool him. You can fool the people around you. The people's opinion don't matter. (although the bible says something that goes: they'll cry out to the lord" ) Only God's so that's the barrier.
@gappie,
Haha people urge me to take Pascal's wager all the time. They tell me that a doubtful person should live as though God exists because he has everything to gain if its true that God exists, and nothing to lose if he doesn't. These ppl go to church not because they believe but because they don't want to lose out in case the religion is true. So yes many ppl believe God can be fooled.
@Xen,
I actually do believe people can turn around in times of great stress, like when someone dies in the family or in execution chambers in prison. These are life changing events. But there is a diff between that and someone who purposely looks the other way until he's ready to check out. Got friends who say, "I'm too young to bother with church. I'll do that when I'm old"? I do, plenty. The practice of postponing moral behavior (premeditated repentance?) till we're on the deathbed is common. And whether they are sincere or not at that point, hard to say.
This is over a year old but I'll try answering this.
Based on my understanding, in Christianity you have to be truly "sorry" in order to be forgiven. You can't just ask for forgiveness because you're afraid of going to hell.
While in Buddhism/Taoism, being truly sorry can help you a little, but you will still be punished for the bad deeds that you have done.
It doesn't sound like you're at Peace with the ONE who Judges you. You're assuming Grace, but not looking at the bigger picture. Pride has led you down the wrong path.
If you think you're "bad", then that's your Judgment.
Forgiveness is just a measure of Grace. If you don't have Grace, then your ONE doesn't have Grace.
You don't need religion or belief. Actually those may not lead you well at all.
Just be good for goodness sake.
Post a Comment