Absolution ain’t morality

GOOD NEWS, Christians! Jesus died for your sins. Accept him and, presto!, no more eternal rap sheet.

Churches vary on what constitutes accepting Jesus, but all agree that doing so absolves you of your misdeeds. Say you robbed a store or assaulted someone and now fear a post–mortal fire and brimstone future. No problem. The atonement of Jesus will pay for and thus erase that sin. No more fire and brimstone worries for you.

(For their part, the store owner or assault victim damn well better get over it. Failure to forgive is a stain on their record. Were you not so righteous, you might even find some satisfaction in that.)

Now, you’re only human, meaning there’s a good chance that you’ll sin again. No problem again. As often as you blow it—I have it on good authority that you’re allowed up to seventy times seven—you can dip your garments in the Blood of the Lamb* to make them spotless as new.

And that’s the problem with absolution. It offers every incentive to cleanse your eternal record and none not to sully it in the first place. 

A result is Christians** whose first thought upon messing up isn’t “I feel terrible, I must right this and take steps never to do it again.” Rather, it’s “This could keep me out of heaven.” Being cleansed becomes the priority. Lesson–learning and self–improvement? Optional. 

So it is that many Christians see in the doctrine of absolution a get–out–of–jail–free card. Some even turn it into a sin–now–pay–later plan. (I submit Exhibit A: “Don’t get me wrong,” I said, “I’m enjoying this, but I know your church’s rules well enough to know we’re breaking them. How do you deal with that?” “No problem,” she replied, “I’ll just confess and be forgiven.”) Some even build future repentance into their game plan. (I submit Exhibit B: “I know it would be wrong, but I can always repent.”)

It’s a marvelously exploitable loophole, and no one exploits it more adeptly than Christians.***
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* Ew.
** I know, I know: some not all.
*** Once again, I know, I know: some not all.