I'm pretty scared by the idea that all 'sins' carry the same weight with 'God'. I can't say I'd get along with a being that would stand me and Hitler together and give us the same treatment. What sort of person does it take to think that a white lie ('no you don't look fat in those jeans') and cold-bloodedly slaughtering millions of people because of their race are even comparable, let alone equal?
This is how I see it:
Greg Brady beats his wife because dinner isn't ready when he gets home. It's only the occassional bruise.
Peter Brady beats his wife, and has pushed her down the stairs once. She has had to be taken to the hospital a couple of times.
Bobby Brady says really harmful things to his wife, comments on her weight when she gains five pounds, tells her she's ugly, says he could do better, and jokes about how he is going to leave her for a younger woman. His wife cries, but he things she is too emotional.
Mike Brady cheats on his wife, but he's a guy, and guys have needs, so he sees nothing wrong with it.
Oliver sits on the house, does none of the housework, doesn't help with the kids, and regularly forgets their anniversary and her birthday, but expects a cake and a huge party on his own.
Now, can you "rank them" in order of good to bad husbands?
Or are all of them bad husbands?
Can Greg say, "Yeah, I slap my wife, but
I don't break her
arm, like
Peter! That's just wrong!!!"?
Can Oliver say, "I show no love to my wife, but at least
I don't
cheat on her, like
Mike!!"
Does any of this fly with you?
When one tries to say, "I'm not that bad compared to_______", does relativity really matter? Does that suddenly make them a better husband? Or are they trying to minimize their own inadequacies as bad husbands by pointing to someone else?
Buddhism teaches that one should be more concerned about the unpure thought than the unpure action. Christianity usually goes the other way. Sure, you thought about having an affair, set it up, were even going to meet her, but your wife came home, so, technically, you didn't really do anything wrong. Are you going to stop, since the thought and desire is still there, and the thought and desire is considered innocent, apart from the action?
Buddhism, on the other hand, would have you first look at the thought. Why are you thinking about cheating on your wife. Thought leads to word, and word to deed, but by taking the weed by the root, rather than simply plucking off the dandelion flower, you prevent the word and deed from ever coming into existence.
All of the Brady's could say, "Hey, I cheat on my wife, have put her in the hospital, and don't show her love, but it's not like I killed 6 million Jews, so it's not that bad, right?"
How do you answer?