# Is Crimes Against God Worse Than A Crime Against A Human **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128 "2010-11-10T01:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/1 "2010-11-10T01:31:04Z")
Assuming God as an infinite, omniscient being existed would a crime against Him be more immoral than a crime against a fellow human being? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/2 "2010-11-10T01:34:21Z")
Your title makes me sad. And no. Either god doesn’t exist in which case there is nothing to commit a crime against or god is a god and therefore a big enough boy to get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/3 "2010-11-10T01:35:07Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Your title makes me sad. > > And no. Either god doesn’t exist in which case there is nothing to commit a crime against or god is a god and therefore a big enough boy to get over it. Which is why I said in the OP: > [@](#): > > Assuming God as an infinite, omniscient being existed ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/4 "2010-11-10T01:36:28Z")
If bad grammar is a crime against God, you are so going to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/5 "2010-11-10T01:37:17Z")
So? Did I not answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/6 "2010-11-10T01:40:14Z")
What crimes could you commit against an infinite, omniscient God? Break into his house? Key his car? ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/7 "2010-11-10T01:41:07Z")
God would be big, both in the sense of infinite and in the ‘be a mensch’ sense. God is also not harm-able, and can change the fundamental conditions of the universe. People are weak, and tiny and mortal and vulnerable. Harming a person is bad, harming God is impossible. People. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/8 "2010-11-10T01:45:53Z")
I might be more inclined to believe in god if he wasn’t, by most accounts, so damned petty and quick to take offense. I mean, you’re GOD ferchrissake. Man the fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/9 "2010-11-10T01:53:37Z")
There’s two lines of thought- both which make a sort of sense- 1.) Crimes against Eternal Purity are eternally impure & thus much worse than crimes against tainted/sinful mortals. 2.) An Eternal Pure Infinitely Majestic Being, such as God is, should be big enough to take offenses & shrug them off, especially if He keeps His existence elusive. On the other hand, a human being is a fellow being that we can see & should empathize with. Thus, crimes against them are worse. I lean to this. BUT crimes against an Imminent Apparent God are both inexcusable & stupid, which is why the acts of God in Torah make sense & actually shows great patience. He’s right there & they’re bitching & worshipping idols & having orgies right in front of Him. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/10 "2010-11-10T01:54:11Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > People are weak I was there the day the strength of people failed. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/11 "2010-11-10T01:55:41Z")
The question presumes that it is possible to commit a crime against people which is not a crime against God. Christians - and I suspect the adherents of many other religions - would deny this. For them, therefore, the question has no meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/12 "2010-11-10T02:00:49Z")
It would not be possible to commit a crime against an omnimax God. It would not be physically possible to do such an entity any injury, take anything from it, deceive it, betray it, kill it, rape it or do anything at all to cause it harm. In fact, it would not even be possible to do anything against its own will. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/13 "2010-11-10T02:01:38Z")
I can’t even comprehend what the phrase “crime against God” could possibly mean, and it’s not just because I’m an atheist. If I can suspend my disbelief, what on earth could you do to a God that would harm him? Or are you referring to disobedience? You’d not only have to believe in such a God, but also believe in a whole lot of religious dogma for that to be meaningful. And it still wouldn’t technically be a “crime,” as a parallel to crimes against humans. A crime against a human means you have violated his rights in some way. Are you implying that God has rights, and that we are able to violate them? This is crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/14 "2010-11-10T02:04:46Z")
It wouldn’t even be possible to disobey him unless he wanted you to. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/15 "2010-11-10T02:06:02Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It wouldn’t even be possible to disobey him unless he wanted you to. What if He simply permitted you to disobey Him but not force you to? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/16 "2010-11-10T02:08:24Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It would not be possible to commit a crime against an omnimax God. It would not be physically possible to do such an entity any injury, take anything from it, deceive it, betray it, kill it, rape it or do anything at all to cause it harm. In fact, it would not even be possible to do anything against its own will. This. It is not only invulnerable, but it already knows exactly what we are going to do and arranged for us to do it. On the other hand, there’s also the problem of defining “crime”. Gods being a bit thin on the ground the law doesn’t really get into the question of whether or not a god qualifies as a person under the law. So legally speaking I think it would be up in the air whether or not, say, stealing from a god is a crime any more than stealing from a wild animal is. Not that arguing that position in court against Zeus would be very healthy. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/17 "2010-11-10T02:09:27Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What if He simply permitted you to disobey Him but not force you to? Then if you disobey him it’s his own damn fault for permitting you to. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/18 "2010-11-10T02:21:34Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What if He simply permitted you to disobey Him but not force you to? Then it would be his choice for you to disobey him, since he already knew what you would do before he created you. It is logically impossible for anything to happen against the will of an omniax God. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/19 "2010-11-10T02:33:19Z")
The seriousness of the sin doesn’t depend on whether it’s against God, nature or fellow human, it depends on the evil in the heart of the sinner. I once had a religion teacher who claimed the only unforgivable sin (and therefore the worst) was the rejection of God as Savior. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128/20 "2010-11-10T02:40:29Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What if He simply permitted you to disobey Him but not force you to? Basically, assuming a sin occurs, either the Omniscient God (hereinafter, the “OG”) consents to your sin by knowing about it and choosing to permit it for some goal that only the OG can know, or he is just being a dick, in which case, fuck that dude. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-crimes-against-god-worse-than-a-crime-against-a-human/560128.md?page=2)