Any Christians out there?

[charmingdimples]

How does the no big or little sin work on a day to day practical basis?

So lying is the same as murder? That's either really harsh or really...unharsh.

Christianity is pretty clear on the 10 commandments being the important bits and the 7 deadly sins and such.

This is not intended to make you struggle more...but I like hearing things put into words if you can.

I thank you for your comments. Its just my beliefs and I dont push them on anyone. If asked I will state them and leave it at that. I dont debate them anymore. I believe that a sin is a sin: They are not categorized. In the Bible Jesus said that if you hate someone you have already commiteed murder in your heart. If a man lusts after woman he has already commited adultry in his heart. That is just my opinion.
Thank you for inquiring

 

[FurryFury]

That has never made any sense to me. If lusting (which one can't really help doing) is the same as adultery sin-wise why NOT just DO it?

 

[Recidiva]

I thank you for your comments. Its just my beliefs and I dont push them on anyone. If asked I will state them and leave it at that. I dont debate them anymore. I believe that a sin is a sin: They are not categorized. In the Bible Jesus said that if you hate someone you have already commiteed murder in your heart. If a man lusts after woman he has already commited adultry in his heart. That is just my opinion.
Thank you for inquiring

That's a tenet of a certain branch of Buddhism as well. Thinking something means you have committed the act and are liable to the karma as if the act had been done in reality.

I find this is impossible for me to uphold as my mind wanders. I do try to harness my speech and my thoughts as much as possible, but don't hold myself harshly responsible if I fail.

I think it's good with the right mindset. Pressed upon children, though, or people who aren't disciplined, I feel it leads straight to people thinking they're evil.

And once someone's accepted that they're unsalvageably evil and they're going to do the time, why not do the actual crime...?

I don't believe in literal punishment for thought. For myself I have to keep my thoughts free to do what they will and learn what I can for them.

I do believe I can't really control how I feel or what I think. I can however do the best to control what I do. And that's hard enough.

Thank you for sharing

 

[rosco rathbone]

I'm fucked.

 

[Valleyl81]

I'm fucked.

We all are. That's kinda the point. No one can possibly live up to all the rules and laws set out in the Bible, no one can live up to God's standards. That's why He sent Jesus, because He loves us and wants us with Him, even though we all mess up. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to follow what God wants for us... like most parents who set up rules for their kids, they really are for our benefit, whether or not we understand the purpose of the rules at the time.

 

[Myskaninen]

I'm fucked.

and here I thought I was safe but it seems like I am a fallen soul also... oh well

 

[graceanne]

not fantasizing about hurting the guy that cut you off on the freeway, .

WHAT?

Ok, that's just more than I can handle!

 

[graceanne]

.



Obviously I'm no catholic sage, but I've had the ineresting misfortune of spending a lot of time talking to one. One interesting tidbit I did pick up is that the seven deadly sins are NOT in the bible, but were written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, making them distictly a catholic thing.

I had always wondered until then where they'd come from; now you know as well.

Yep. I've read the whole bible (except numbers and leviticus, I just couldn't bring myself to read them -BORING!). There is no mention of 'deadly sins' or whatever in the Bible.

That doesn't mean that they're invalid or whatever. There are many books (The Screwtape letters, by CS Lewis comes to mind) that I feel have valid points and should be read. But the seven deadly are more of a catholic thing than protestant.

 

[Recidiva]

Life was not always more prescious than honesty. Thats kind of a recent development.

Obviously I'm no catholic sage, but I've had the ineresting misfortune of spending a lot of time talking to one. One interesting tidbit I did pick up is that the seven deadly sins are NOT in the bible, but were written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, making them distictly a catholic thing.

I had always wondered until then where they'd come from; now you know as well.

I was aware. Having read the Bible just 'cause, there's so much that came later and under different Christian flags.

Wherever they came from, I consider the seven deadlies to be an interesting bit of work too, including the corresponding virtues.

A little less wrath and a little more humililty are good things.

The Rapture is a distinctly American thing treated as if it were Gospel, and that bit showed up in the tents of 1800s evangelism.

So regardless of where bits of what came from, it's still distinctly Christian.

 

[FurryFury]

I personally think that hatred, as well as many other so called negative emotions, serves a valuable function.

 

[Recidiva]

I personally think that hatred, as well as many other so called negative emotions, serves a valuable function.

I agree. I think of them as signposts and warnings.

Without them I'd have no warning system.

But I don't grab onto them and hold them forever as if they're real in themselves, any more than I think digging up a sign and carrying it with me means I'm in that place.

 

[FurryFury]

I agree. I think of them as signposts and warnings.

Without them I'd have no warning system.

But I don't grab onto them and hold them forever as if they're real in themselves, any more than I think digging up a sign and carrying it with me means I'm in that place.

It's good to hold onto for a while. For myself I have a problem creating space from toxic people in my life. This helps. Forgiveness is over rated and inappropriate while they are still trying to manipulate and hurt me in ways I don't wish to be manipulated and hurt.

I can understand why they are how they are. I can wish they'd make different choices. I can even love them but I can also use my negative emotions to keep my safer from them when I need to.

 

[Recidiva]

It's good to hold onto for a while. For myself I have a problem creating space from toxic people in my life. This helps. Forgiveness is over rated and inappropriate while they are still trying to manipulate and hurt me in ways I don't wish to be manipulated and hurt.

I can understand why they are how they are. I can wish they'd make different choices. I can even love them but I can also use my negative emotions to keep my safer from them when I need to.

Well, anger and irritation may lead to a conclusion of "this person is toxic and is to be avoided."

That's the reality. But I rely on my intuition to guide me places, then reason draws the map.

I stick with the reasoned opinion unless there's new information.

I avoid people the way I avoid foods I don't like. I don't have to think bleu cheese is evil. I just avoid it.

Other people seem to like it, so what the hell. No harm done in my avoidance, I don't have to point it out or make an issue. Just decline politely.

Then there are genuinely poisonous people and foods. They get a stronger label.

 

[FurryFury]

Well, anger and irritation may lead to a conclusion of "this person is toxic and is to be avoided."

That's the reality. But I rely on my intuition to guide me places, then reason draws the map.

I stick with the reasoned opinion unless there's new information.

I avoid people the way I avoid foods I don't like. I don't have to think bleu cheese is evil. I just avoid it.

Other people seem to like it, so what the hell. No harm done in my avoidance, I don't have to point it out or make an issue. Just decline politely.

Then there are genuinely poisonous people and foods. They get a stronger label.

My intuition has been so fallible that I have to put up stronger barriers. I have hope that it's gotten better over the years.

Reason helps a great deal but with family members who I must see on a semi regular basis I need a little more edge to keep from being drawn back into that toxic brew they stew in.

 

[Recidiva]

My intuition has been so fallible that I have to put up stronger barriers. I have hope that it's gotten better over the years.

Reason helps a great deal but with family members who I must see on a semi regular basis I need a little more edge to keep from being drawn back into that toxic brew they stew in.

Aha.

Yes, I have a solution to that.

Move far away and don't always answer the phone.

 

[VelvetDarkness]

I'm Christian. I had bad experiences with my family's church so I'm not one for organised religion and one of my pet hates is religion interfering in politics.

I fought against my sub side for quite a while because I thought it was some kind of predisposition I'd acquired from the male ruled, 'thou shalt' culture of my youth. Now I have discovered that I really don't care from whence it came, only that I love my place at Master's feet.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Yep. I've read the whole bible (except numbers and leviticus, I just couldn't bring myself to read them -BORING!). There is no mention of 'deadly sins' or whatever in the Bible.

That doesn't mean that they're invalid or whatever. There are many books (The Screwtape letters, by CS Lewis comes to mind) that I feel have valid points and should be read. But the seven deadly are more of a catholic thing than protestant.

You missed some good stuff in Numbers and Leviticus.

I had the hardest time with Kings and Chronicles, because I kept getting lost with all the changes of spelling of names and convoluted chronology.

 

[Recidiva]

You missed some good stuff in Numbers and Leviticus.

I had the hardest time with Kings and Chronicles, because I kept getting lost with all the changes of spelling of names and convoluted chronology.

My biggest revelation was Judges and Jephthah's daughter. They never mentioned that in Sunday school. (well, I missed a lot of Sundays...)

One of the righteous Judges killed his most dutiful daughter as a sacrifice to God, because he told God he'd sacrifice the first thing he saw when he got home from war. And there she was, dutifully welcoming him.

So apparently Abraham's binding of Isaac and the offering of the ram instead only happens to boy children.

Holy ______.

 

[FurryFury]

Aha.

Yes, I have a solution to that.

Move far away and don't always answer the phone.

Well my husband doesn't want to move but I don't always answer the phone and I have caller id.

 

[Recidiva]

Well my husband doesn't want to move but I don't always answer the phone and I have caller id.

I'm a coward. It works for me.

Good luck with that brave thing. I hear it's a virtue.

"Take courage, now there's a sport...an invitation to the state of riga-mort." - Camelot

 

[FurryFury]

Brave thing?

 

[Recidiva]

Brave thing?

I'm accusing you of being brave. And patient.

Yeah! Right to your face!

 

[graceanne]

I want to point out two things, just for curiosity sake.

No where in the bible does it say you have to forgive those who haven't asked for forgiveness. Just remember that works the other way - He doesn't have to forgive unless you ask for forgiveness.

Also, hate in itself isn't a sin, as long as it's righteous hate. (Same with anger.) After all, the bible instructs us to hate sin.

 

[Recidiva]

I want to point out two things, just for curiosity sake.

No where in the bible does it say you have to forgive those who haven't asked for forgiveness. Just remember that works the other way - He doesn't have to forgive unless you ask for forgiveness.

Also, hate in itself isn't a sin, as long as it's righteous hate. (Same with anger.) After all, the bible instructs us to hate sin.

I find that the willingness to hate fades quickly behind my curiosity of wanting to understand "why."

But I am balanced by my husband who would prefer to shoot first and probably never ask any questions at all.

And sometimes, he's absolutely right.

My curiosity occasionally makes me absolutely heedless of consequences. But I have much more respect for not giving a damn now that I've seen how STUPID that can be.

I can hate those who harm children, who rob from others, who cause pain and destruction just 'cause. I tend to try to look for reasons WHY...

But then I end up in a regression back through history where nobody's really responsible for any of their actions because they're a link in a chain.

And at a certain point...it's got to stop.

There was a phase in my life when I wanted to commune with everything...I'd let mosquitos bite me because...they're just mothers, doing what mothers do...it's not their fault...

Then one day I thought "who wants more mosquitos?" and started mashing them again.

My desire to understand doesn't always result in harmony. It results in realizing something else out there doesn't give a damn what I think and it might be a good idea if I adopted that action to my own use.

 

[FurryFury]

I'm accusing you of being brave. And patient.

Yeah! Right to your face!

LOL