(Part 1 of a 5-part series)
Because Conversations with God says that “there’s no such thing as Right and Wrong,” people often ask me: “Is there no ‘justice’ in God’s Kingdom?” As I have understood the messages of CWG, the answer is “no.” Not the way we understand it.
Yet to fully answer this question we have to, first of all, define what we mean by “God’s Kingdom.” In the truest sense (which is the only sense in which I prefer to speak), everything in existence is God’s Kingdom—and that includes, of course, life on Earth. Which would mean that there is “no justice” on Earth.
There are many people who would agree with that. They would say that the “justice” we see meted out on Earth is all too often not real “justice” at all, but the result of a process that can be influenced (if not manipulated) by The System. No one would seriously argue, for instance, that on this planet the fabulously wealthy experience, on balance, a difference kind of justice than the terribly poor—to offer but one obvious example. And there are more.
Yet it is precisely those who yearn for justice on Earth, and cannot find it, who experience at least some small solace through knowing or thinking that there will be Justice in Heaven. It is very difficult to me to explain to them that there will be none. Not in the way that “justice” is understood on Earth. Not in any way, actually.
For “justice” to be part of the “system” of things in Heaven there would have to be some “laws” to be broken—and someone to be injured by the breaking of them. Neither exists in Paradise. Now there are those who say, “Yes, but both exist on Earth! The System of Justice in Heaven relates to the system of life on Earth, not life in Heaven. Life is Heaven is the reward for living righteously on Earth. And life in Hell is the punishment for not doing so. It’s the ‘payback’ for those who have caused others pain and suffering.”
But what, I would ask, of the person who has caused pain and suffering to no one at all? Will the person who was kind, caring, compassionate, understanding, generous, forgiving, and loving unfailingly with everyone automatically receive the reward of Heaven?
Not necessarily, some would say. Not unless that person believed in God in the “right” way. If he or she did not, then no amount of kindness or goodness, compassion or love that they displayed while here on Earth will matter one way or the other. They are still going to Hell, because they have offended God.
And so, some say, there is a System of Justice in Heaven that has nothing to do with whether one hurts or injures another on Earth. It has to do with whether one hurts or injures God, who lives in Heaven, but keeps tabs on what is happening on Earth and makes sure that “justice is served” one way or the other, now or after death.
Some say the amount of “punishment” that is meted out by God in Heaven depends on the severity of the “sins” one has committed on Earth. Small sins—something like spiritual misdemeanors—are punishable by a limited amount of suffering imposed by God, in a place that some call Purgatory. But Really Big Sins are punishable by everlasting damnation in Hell.
And some say that not believing in God in the Right Way is one of the Really Big Sins. In fact, some say, it is the Biggest.
One can commit no greater offense against God. Even a repentant murderer can get into heaven, clerics routinely tell prisoners on Death Row. But a repentant murderer who does not believe in God in the Right Way has no chance whatsoever. So this is the biggest offense.
This is how some religions have it structured; this is the doctrine some have taught. And we will talk more about all of this in Part 2 of this series, in the next entry here.
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