Sitaram
kickbox
I post and correspond quite a bit at myspace.com/literarydiscussions
Here is an interesting post:
Sitaram replies to some correspondence (below):
There is a passage in the Old Testament, either in Ezekiel, which pertains to your question.
(paraphrased from memory)
"If a man should life all of his life in righteousness, but in his last days, should turn to iniquity, then, all of his righteousness shall be counted for nothing. BUT, if a man should live all of his life in iniquity, but, in his last days should repent, and turn to righteousness, then, all of his unrighteousness shall be counted as nothing."
Ezekiel 18:26 When a righteous man turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his
iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Ezekiel 18:21-22 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that
he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is
lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned
unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
What these passages from Ezekiel say, in a nutshell, is if you have
led a life of righteousness but in your last days you turn to
iniquity, then all of your righteousness shall be counted for
nothing. But if you life a life of iniquity, and in your last days
turn to righteousness, and die in that estate, then all of your
iniquity shall be counted for nothing.
St. Isaac the Syrian (6th century) in his homilies, said, "All the sins of all the world for all ages, are as but a handful of dust in the face of God's infinite mercy."
Sitaram adds that the catch is to discover the key which unleashes that mercy.
I would say that the secret lies somewhere hidden within the word "turn".
What does it mean to truly and completely "turn"? What may we say of that person who has genuinely turned or "returned."
The prodigal son "returned" at last, after years of living in a foreign land, working for a cruel master.
The Greeks speak of the "apotreptic" moment, the moment in which one turns about, a 180 degree reversal, a change, a sincere change.
Once, three students approaced the famous rabbi Baal Shem Tov (whose name means "Master of the Good Name") and asked,
"Rabbi. Suppose a man sins greatly, but later repents and prays. When and how shall he know that he is forgiven?"
Baal Shem Tov answered, "When the day comes that this man looks upon his sin, not with longing and a secred savoring, but with genuine disgust and revulsion, then, he may know by the miracle of his transformation, that he has been forgiven."
St. John Climicas (also 6th century) wrote that "On the day of Judgement, you shall recognize the righteous, because their heads shall be hung low, and they shall say, 'We have done nothing worthy."
----------------- Original Message -----------------
Dear Sitaram:
My 'problem' with hell is (maybe this has something to do with my accounting nature) what is the cutoff point; I mean, say if two people were equally bad till age 60, & then one reformed and did a few nice things, is that enough to get him off the hook. Does it really depend upon the people who were wronged providing forgiveness? If that's the case, doesn't seen fair that some 'bad" getoff scot-free 'cause their victims were extraordinarliy compasionate......
Here is an interesting post:
Sitaram replies to some correspondence (below):
There is a passage in the Old Testament, either in Ezekiel, which pertains to your question.
(paraphrased from memory)
"If a man should life all of his life in righteousness, but in his last days, should turn to iniquity, then, all of his righteousness shall be counted for nothing. BUT, if a man should live all of his life in iniquity, but, in his last days should repent, and turn to righteousness, then, all of his unrighteousness shall be counted as nothing."
Ezekiel 18:26 When a righteous man turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his
iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Ezekiel 18:21-22 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that
he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is
lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned
unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
What these passages from Ezekiel say, in a nutshell, is if you have
led a life of righteousness but in your last days you turn to
iniquity, then all of your righteousness shall be counted for
nothing. But if you life a life of iniquity, and in your last days
turn to righteousness, and die in that estate, then all of your
iniquity shall be counted for nothing.
St. Isaac the Syrian (6th century) in his homilies, said, "All the sins of all the world for all ages, are as but a handful of dust in the face of God's infinite mercy."
Sitaram adds that the catch is to discover the key which unleashes that mercy.
I would say that the secret lies somewhere hidden within the word "turn".
What does it mean to truly and completely "turn"? What may we say of that person who has genuinely turned or "returned."
The prodigal son "returned" at last, after years of living in a foreign land, working for a cruel master.
The Greeks speak of the "apotreptic" moment, the moment in which one turns about, a 180 degree reversal, a change, a sincere change.
Once, three students approaced the famous rabbi Baal Shem Tov (whose name means "Master of the Good Name") and asked,
"Rabbi. Suppose a man sins greatly, but later repents and prays. When and how shall he know that he is forgiven?"
Baal Shem Tov answered, "When the day comes that this man looks upon his sin, not with longing and a secred savoring, but with genuine disgust and revulsion, then, he may know by the miracle of his transformation, that he has been forgiven."
St. John Climicas (also 6th century) wrote that "On the day of Judgement, you shall recognize the righteous, because their heads shall be hung low, and they shall say, 'We have done nothing worthy."
----------------- Original Message -----------------
Dear Sitaram:
My 'problem' with hell is (maybe this has something to do with my accounting nature) what is the cutoff point; I mean, say if two people were equally bad till age 60, & then one reformed and did a few nice things, is that enough to get him off the hook. Does it really depend upon the people who were wronged providing forgiveness? If that's the case, doesn't seen fair that some 'bad" getoff scot-free 'cause their victims were extraordinarliy compasionate......