A friend of mine is afraid she can be convicted and sentenced to hell for her thoughts.

She's a very devout Christian. Super nice person. She goes to church every Sunday and sometimes even in the middle of the week. She also prays to God every morning and night.

The other day, she mentioned something about going to hell. I laughed, because she's the most loyal Christian I know. But she wasn't kidding. She told me she has impure thoughts. She's married, but thinks about relationships with other men. She sometimes wishes bad things on people. Sometimes she's jealous of her sister and wishes something bad would happen to her. Nothing real bad, but like lose her job or something. She would secretly enjoy that. Ditto for some of her coworkers.

My friend also claims she has a form of mental Tourette's syndrome, where she'll just impulsively think something like, "I hate God". She doesn't know why this happens, she doesn't hate God, but she can't stop herself from thinking that and much worse, although she wouldn't tell me what worse things she thought.

Of course, anyone who knows me knows I don't believe in any of this. But she seems genuinely distraught over this and I told her I knew of an online forum where people seem to be knowledgeable about Christianity and sincere about helping people. So I promised I would ask this question for her...

Can you be convicted of thought crimes? My own answer would be most certainly not, but what do I know? It would surpass all the things I already think are barbaric about the bible. It seems appalling to think that your innermost thoughts are under supreme surveillance 24/7. What a way to have to live!

So I'm guessing/hoping you'll say she's ok. Again, she's one of the nicest sweetest people I know. She has to be for me to be posting a question on here for her. Even though I don't believe in any of this, I hate to see her so upset and worried about this. I'll print out some of your answers and show them to her. Thanks.

Fr_Chuck

Actually it sounds like a compulsion disorder but in this case it has taken a form within religion, People can be afraid of going outside, of touching a door knob, of any of a million things, in thier case, they are afraid of thier toughts.

Obviously they do not know enouigh about Christianity or thier denomination beleif, **unless they are in one of the few that require a sinless life, that I don't know about**

But the very first thing we learn is that yes of course our thoughts are sin, as our actions, but we also learn that we all sin every day, all of us, even the best Christain alive sins alot every day.

And we learn that Christ died for those sins and we are forgiven for them, so sin no longer dooms a Chrsitian to hell, in fact if we look, it is the not accepting Christ our physcial choice that decides if we are saved or not saved.

A few religions have came up with mortal sins that have to be confessed to God, but these are far from thoughts, so even in those denominations thier thoughts would not doom them to hell.

So I will agree, they either need to
1. learn more about Christian faith, since they appear to have forgotten what being saved is about.

2. get professional help, since they seem to have a disorder that has them obsessed over this.

lobrobster

I'll also print this post out for her, since your profile states you have actual experience in the ministry. Hopefully, she'll take comfort that you seem to be saying as long as she has asked forgiveness and accepts Jesus as her Savior, these thoughts she suffers with are ok. Maybe even a sign of temptation from the devil?

A question I would have is, couldn't not accepting Jesus also be a thought crime? I've never understood why it is that all other sins except that one can be forgiven. Especially since that seems to be the easiest to sin to commit. At least many of the stories about Jesus are the hardest thing to for me to believe about Christianity (well, maybe not 'the' hardest, but certainly among the many others).

Wondergirl

Or maybe because she is human, like the rest of us?

That's not the unforgivable sin. Having no love (hardening your heart against God and against love) is unforgivable. Jesus said, Love God and show love to each other. Those are the two greatest commandments.

lobrobster

Wait a sec... Are you saying I could get into heaven as a non-believer?! My heart is certainly not hardened against God just as it is not hardened against the tooth fairy. I simply don't think either has ever existed.

In most conversations I have with Christians, they INSIST that you must accept Jesus. So that if one person loved his neighbor and did good all his life, he STILL would have no shot at entering heaven without accepting Jesus. Whereas, a person who spent his life raping and killing children would walk straight into heaven if he accepted Jesus the moment before he died.

Surely you can see how this doesn't sit right to a rational thinking person who doesn't believe what you do. But maybe I'm wrong and about to learn something here?

Wondergirl

The very fact that you are asking these questions mean you are open to where and how God can fit into your life.

God's a lot bigger than people think He is. Too many try to push Him into a little box and tape it shut and then wrap it up with pretty paper made from all their hopes and wishes and imaginings and private musings.

I'd write more, but have to start getting ready for work. I'll think about you in between cataloging books and will toss in more thoughts later.

sassyT

Bad thoughts come to everyone Good and bad, but it does not mean she will go to hell for it. The bible says when bad thoughts come to your mind you must take them captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ and not dwell on them. Hope that helps

Galveston1

Some preacher of long ago said "you can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you don't have to let them build a nest in your hair". Impure thoughts can come from our own nature or from an evil spiritual source. Whether it becomes sin depends on whether we reject the thought or begin to consider it as a possible course of action. God judges intent, and it is not sin to be tempted. The fact that she is disturbed by these thoughts could be a pretty good indication that her heart is right toward God. If that were not so, then those thoughts would not bother her. (I have preached the Word of God for many years, in case you are wondering.)

N0help4u

You could also tell your friend that if she has such a struggle with forgiveness how can she ever expect that accepting Jesus is worth it. Tell her that she needs to trust God and read the verses I posted on page 1.
You want to know about a person that did good all their life that waits til their dead bed to accept Jesus vs someone that did wrong all their life and claimed to be a Christian. I believe that each relationship with God is individual and you can not go by 'somebody else' that is one of the reasons people saying hypocrite gets to me. God knows your heart, he knows you will mess up but the question is are you playing games with God or are you learning from your mistakes? God knows whose hearts are pure and who is not really interested.

lobrobster

I actually have the opposite question... How is it that a kind and gentle person who does good all of their life but NEVER managed to get himself to believe in virgin births, gets shut out of heaven before the guy who commits evil all of his life but starts believing in the moments before his death?

I will never understand this one thing if I live to be a million. How can we call this a compassionate, loving, and fair God?

Wondergirl

And who said this is what God does?