Discussion Does anyone else find the idea of religious repentance odd?

[Forever Sleep]

I think it can be useful of course. Reflecting on our own behaviours that weren't great means hopefully, we will be less likely to repeat them.

However, how many 'bad' things do we really do without realising already that they are bad? So- how genuine and restitutional is repentance really? I'm sorry for doing this thing which I knew was bad at the time, that I knew I should try to avoid but hey- it benefitted me to do it and, now I've said I'm sorry, we're all good- right? Even if I choose to repeat the behaviour next week and, the week after? As long as I bow down and ask God's forgiveness, it's a 'get out of jail' card effectively. That seems weird to me.

It makes sense in creating a need for religion and God. We need them to save us from hell because we've been designed with such a huge amount of temptation to sin against them.

I just find the concept odd though I suppose. The very odd one is suicide. (Assuming it is a sin.) We can't exactly say sorry afterwards- although, I suppose our souls can maybe.

How can you honestly be sorry for something you know is probably bad but, intend to do anyway? You can't entirely- surely? Otherwise, you wouldn't do it to begin with!

I guess maybe the hope is that God can see inside our hearts/ heads. Can see how much we tried to do the right thing despite the temptation to do wrong. That maybe God would forgive people who's intentions were pure.

I have a lot of issues with religion really. I always wonder I suppose. Do religious people think God will still forgive the most heinous of acts if repented? Specifically, will God open the doors of heaven to all the priests that molested children and ruined their lives underneath God's (church) roof? Surely, professional religious people have the most expertise in praying and begging forgiveness- before repeat offending next week... Will heaven be populated by paedophile, molestor priests and repentent rapists/ murderers?

Or, will they be cleansed of their bad behaviour/ thoughts upon entry? Will all of us? Will we all be entirely good with anything 'unpleasant' stripped away? Will 'we' actually be 'us' then though?

Have you ever wondered that? That maybe if you reunited with relatives say- in part it would be nice. How long would it be though before the earthlike criticisms come in? Why did you choose that career? Why did you wear your hair like that or, get a piercing, why didn't you call your mother more? How would we even recognise one another in heaven, if we weren't 'us' anymore?

 

[Pluto]

 

[Apathy79]

My general view is the karma of what has been done isn't undone, you're going to experience some rough equivalent of what you inflicted on others yourself, whether in this life or another or in whatever form comes after. It's why I'm about the only person on the planet that feels bad for the mass shooters that immediately kill themselves - because I see they've just set themselves up for about 50 consecutive horrific lifetimes in 5 minutes.

Repentance I guess is designed to recognise the error and alleviate the additional guilt from it, which for many weighs much heavier than facing the karma of the action. You're also not repenting to something you can fool, if it's not real, there's no benefit to it. But there is always the potential to alleviate that burden if you are open to changing. The principle being roughly that you're chosen for who you are not who you were. In most cases, leopards don't change their spots.