I thought part of the RCC was that family could Pay the 'church' to help their loved ones spend less time In Purgatory. That That is one way the RCC has become rich and powerful?!
A couple years back I studied the cash flow from pennance's paid. Forgot most of my facts and figures. But I do recall this being a complete fallacy. The church did not gain a lot from penance's. I would think the same findings can be expected for this.
And it Is true that God determines when / how He will 'work' in history / events. Your term "full measure" and mortal / immortal sins. Isn't it really 'us' who catagorizes sins. As in as ax murderer is far worse than taking money from your mother's purse or your Dad' wallet without their permission. One is stealing and the other is killing someone,. Murdering is ending another person's life and stealing is Only taking that which does not belong to 'you' without the owner's permission. But in God's eyes -- isn't 'sin' Sin?!
Sin is sin
and sin has degrees to it. Teaching Matt 5:28 (adulterous thought = sin) has to be accompanied with a teaching on Matt 5:32 (only actual adultery is grounds for divorce).
Sin 'full measure' has nothing to do with categorizing sins. It is simply that point in time where God makes the decision to send someone to hell / concludes that there is no longer any hope left for an individual.
Degrees of sins point to it. As Jesus says 'you are known by your fruits'. A logical mind should conclude that someone continuing in a depth of evil be closer to sin full measure over someone battling only with a lessor sin. Of course only God can judge depths of intent, as Jer 17:9-10 makes clear. But this does not mean we are completely useless. Paul says we can judge properly in 1 Cor 6:1-9 and Gen 3:22 makes it clear that on the subject of understanding what is right and wrong, we are on God and the angels level. Meaning, if God ordain in the OT that a fitting punishment for murder be being stoned to death, we too should agree. The only reason it is not enforced now is due to a window for repentance as God has made clear to all what He hates. In the OT that murderer could repent and go to heaven, but would not escape the stoning.
And what does the term "full measure" refer To -- you mentioned in the Old Testament.
It refers to sin.
Examples would be all the occasions God empowered the Jews to annihilate their enemies. Those times God annihilated the wicked.
Amorites. They were very evil. God made it clear that the Jews would possess their land because of their wickedness in Deut 9:5. But we see in Gen 15:16, that it could only occur when their wickedness was full measure. Gen 15:16
In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
Sodom. Full measure when only one family was righteous. Gen 18:20 Then the Lord said,
The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous'.
A depth of evil can also speed up that 'full measure'. As we see with those who worshipped the golden calf. They were not annihilated because they thought about worshipping the golden calf. Or because they were bickering with one another. God saw the depth of wickedness their hearts sunk to in deciding to worship the golden calf.
