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January 24, 2019
We have the Ten Commandments and Church teaching, but, given extenuating circumstances, can’t there be an exception to the rule?
It’s a trick we’ve all tried to pull. When a particular sin is too hard for us to avoid, we say to God—or perhaps a priest—something like, “I know the Church says don’t do this thing, but in my case it’s different.”
In my case, there are obstacles that make avoiding the sin impossible. In my case, I think doing that thing is justified because of xyz, in my case … etcetera.
This is what Fr. Mike calls exceptionism (not to be confused with exceptionalism, which Fr. Mike touches upon here).
Exceptionism, Fr. Mike says, is the belief that we are the exception to the rule, and God will take that into account when it comes to his judgment of a certain sin.
But there’s a reason why we say justice is blind, and our God is the God of justice.
He will always be merciful to the contrite heart, but—contrary to what many people believe today—he doesn’t make exceptions to the law he gave us.
