Christianity has often emphasized self-sacrifice as a virtue, but history shows that this emphasis has sometimes led to harm. Many have inflicted suffering on themselves in the name of God, encouraged by Church teachings—examples include figures such as St. Polycarp, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, and Padre Pio.
Hypothetical Argument
Suppose, purely as a thought experiment, that God were to require one person to accept unending suffering so that others might be saved through that person’s prayers and self-denial. Whether or not such a situation could ever actually occur is irrelevant to the moral point being tested. If this were truly God’s will, then moral goodness would require a character shaped toward extreme renunciation: a person trained through penance, discipline, and the deliberate forgoing of pleasure to be capable of consenting to such a sacrifice. In this framework, ordinary moral development would be insufficient; one would need to suppress attachment to comfort and personal happiness in order to become the kind of person willing to accept limitless loss for the sake of others. The implication is that, if such a demand were morally valid, then pleasure would not merely be optional but morally suspect, and systematic self-denial would be a necessary preparation for moral excellence.