blue-duncan:
I am uncomfortable with the notion that God Kills, God allowed them to be killed, I can accept. The entire 2 Maccabees is the story of these Soldiers fighting with Judas Macabees to retake Jerusalme from and as we see just a few passages earlier, there was great battle in the city of Karnion where 25,000 died.
So, yes the Jewish soliders wore amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which Jews were forbidden to wear, so yes, this was a superstition and showed a lack of trust in God, and thus a sin, on that point we can agree.
Nevertheless, these men did die for God and restoring the Temple, which is where Jews worshiped God. So, the point of the story is that false idols, whatever they are, can lead you away from God and not only cause physical death, but more importantly spiritual death. Interpreting these passages in light of Christ, the Catholic Church sees that we can hope that somehow by God’s Grace and how in ways known only to God, that the Church prays for the dead, that God’s Mercy can still save the dead.
In other words, we don’t know the last dying breath these men uttered and from Catholic doctrine, there are temporal consequences to all sin, so while these Men may have repented before they died, and they did die fighting for God while at the same time whereing amulets, the effects of their sins through the prayers of the Church may be wiped away by God’s Grace which is why the Catholic Church to this day prays for the Dead. Remember, we are bound by time, God is not.
I do not much think God cares how comfortable you are with His judgement.
Read the OT..Noah,and Sodom come to mind easily
God is the author of life and is sovereign over it