Your faith requires you to believe in "sin" and "evil", so that any new paradigm of looking at inter-personal problems must be rejected if it fails to contain those two characteristics.
It is well that medicine was able to lift itself out of demonology so as to treat mental illness with something better than holy water.
But your need to interpret events as "the work of the devil" and to look for the worse in others only furthers a need to insulate yourself from the rest of humanity and see them as "evil corrupters of faith".
And yet, without the concept of "Satan" and "evil" and "sin" your faith has no real basis for existence, beyond learning to love one another which most other faiths and philosophies advise anyway.
So isn't it true you must believe in sin, Satan and evil to justify your faith in a God who saves you from all of that? Doesn't my refusal to be converted represent an evil, sinful nature in your eyes, and thus colour all else you interpret of me?
2007-07-11 08:41:24 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
... After reading your question, I feel compelled to ask:...
Doesn't your take on this subject lend one to believe that you do not accept that the varied perceptions of 'good' and 'evil' are constructs of mankind as a whole; that they are, instead, the sole creations of Christianity?
Does this view of yours also deny that the foundations of these constructs have allowed mankind to employ moral ambiguities in a effort to define that which was necessary for survival?
Would not these denials force anyone to see Christians, or any other collective which has created doctrines and tenets which support and promote such a dichotomous morality, as 'perpetuating a myth'?
And, by default of these denials,...
... isn't your denigrated view of Christians then rooted in the creation of your own 'new paradigm', - a paradigm which allows you to 'colour' how you interpret others (particularly Christians)?
Is not that paradigm, really then,...
... just another perception of 'morality'?
[EDIT: I'm agnostic...]
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2007-07-11 10:03:10 · answer #1 · answered by Saint Christopher Walken 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sin and evil existence is a myth? Sin and evil a creation by Christians? Sin and evil ONLY exists because of Christians continued belief in it? Are you serious?
Have you watched the news lately? Have you talked to police? Judges? Jurors? Did you happen to missing seeing/hearing about the Towers fall on 9/11?
I do not think Caligula, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Jim Jones, Jeffrey Dahmer, Saddam Hussein, & Ted Bundy to name a few, were myths or figments of my, the world's, much less a product of Christians' imaginations.
Evil and sin are equal opportunity destroyers.
Evil and sin could care less whether a person is a Christian or not.
Evil and sin can only proliferate if the person(s) CHOOSES to accept it, & allow it to rule their thoughts, actions, and deeds.
Every human being makes MANY choices each day. They CHOOSE whether to do the right, honest, and honorable thing or not.
Evil, sin, or Satan can not MAKE a human being do anything. A human being MUST CHOOSE to do it.
I think too many people give Satan too much credit. I think too many people are quick to say "the devil made me do it", when in fact, the bottom line is every one of those people CHOSE evil and sin.
That does not dismiss or discount that there are those with viable mental illness, that adversely effects their ability to reason out and discern things within reality. But those who actually suffer from such severe mental handicaps are the exception, not the rule. Most mentally challenged recognize and can discern and comprehend right from wrong. Those that can not, belong in mental institutions where they can not harm themselves or anyone else and they can be cared for by professionals in the field for the rest of their lives.
The foundational premise of law and order was founded on Moses law thousands of years ago. That foundation has been expanded upon since then, but the foundation of those simple 10 Commandments are the yardstick of civilized mankind. Moses Christian beliefs ran parallel to the law. The laws of Almighty God, given to Moses for mankind, did not exclude different races, religions, belief in Almighty God or non-belief in any Supreme being governing the world and their lives.
They were/are fair, just, & without bias.
As a Christian, I believe in Almighty God, Jesus Christ, Satan, Heaven, Hell, The Holy Bible, & The Lake of Fire because I know they exist and I CHOOSE to believe that everything in The Holy Bible is the absolute truth.
I have friends that I love and care for, who are from all walks of life & they are good people but they do not believe in Almighty God or Jesus Christ. I do not perceive them as evil, only as spiritually lost.
I am sorry that you do not believe in Almighty God and Jesus Christ and I am saddened that you reject Their existence, & Their love for you, but I do not hate you. I do not believe that you are "evil" simply because you do not believe in Almighty God & Jesus Christ.
2007-07-11 09:43:33 · answer #2 · answered by faith 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Great Question!
You are correct to state the need to believe in sin and evil for there to be the need to have an avenue to be "right" before God.
The question is, if you were to just ignore wrong and evil, would it just go away?
Those who believe the Bible would turn to this verse and others: "For as by one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death by sin, so (spiritual) death passed upon all men (mankind), for all have sinned".
In other words, sin and evil have been "passed down" to us and sin and evil are inescapable. Simply ignoring the problem does not make it go away. By the way, you are right, holy water doesn't work either.
The next verse is...."but in Christ all (who accept by faith) will be made (spiritually) alive.
I am not trying to convince you of one faith over another, you need to discover that for yourself.
Just because someone believes they can be "saved" or "delivered" does not eliminate sin and evil in their life either.
Your "refusal" to "be converted" to something is your choice and shouldn't skew someones opinion of you. What is important is that you find the answer and you become convinced of your position before God.
You asked a great question, your search will be rewarded.
2007-07-11 09:05:10 · answer #3 · answered by Schneiderman 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sin= either a mistake, or willful wrong act. Are you saying that there is a possibility that people never make mistakes or do wrongful things?
Evil= willful and purposeful action to cause harm to or destroy another human being. Are you saying that no one has ever done this? If you don't believe people are capable of evil, you've probably never been abused, tortured, or the victim of other cruelty.
Satan= a spirit that is evil, and encourages and gains power through human rejection of God.
I don't see all non-Christians as evil, nor corruptors, necessarily. I see humans on an individual basis, and let their actions and words speak for them and their character.
"God saves from sin" does not mean something mystical, or mysterious. It means that he saves you from the full consequences of your mistakes and wrongful acts. mind you, this is only if you are really trying to do right, God is not mocked or taken advantage of. When you try, struggle, and try again to do right, and to love, God gives you grace for your mistakes, and covers you. That's not an obsolete concept!
2007-07-11 08:51:02 · answer #4 · answered by peacetimewarror 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well lets see if we can try to remove the whole premise of sin and evil since, as you say, only exist because we perpetuate a myth. There would be no reason to punish people for murder, rape, theft, child molestation or anything because, evil and sin are just myths right? Or maybe there will be merely because these things are just "wrong"? If so, then we know "right and wrong" will still exist, and people will still be doing each.... sorry I don't see the logic in your assumption. Unless of course you would rather not consider these things wrong, and believe we should all do exactly what we feel like.
2007-07-11 08:48:41 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Christ tells us never to give up on people, but to recognize that sometimes, no matter what we say or do, certain folks just aren't ready yet to move forward or to hear the Good News. In that circumstance, Jesus tells us not to badger, get angry, or condemn. Just move on. Shake the dust from your feet and move on. Hold those folks always in prayer, and hope for the future, but let them be.
It's hard to do, but in the long run, the best gift we have for such folks is our silent, respectful caring and hoping. So when that moment comes, don't judge, just commend them into God's hands and let go!
Mt 10:7-15
2007-07-13 06:09:42 · answer #6 · answered by cashelmara 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No the concepts sin and evil exist because God does...
I don't believe in Holy Water...
Your refusal to be converted doesn't taint my picture of you... You are still a precious person who God loves dearly... I pray that one day you will find Him... (he already knows where you are...) He stands at the door and knocks any one who opens the door he will come in and dine with them and he with them... Revelations somewhere....
2007-07-11 12:52:48 · answer #7 · answered by Abbasangel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I need God and do my best to separate myself from my sinful nature, which is difficult. Your refusal to be converted represents your will and desire to determine your own set of values and leaves you to pick and choose what is right and wrong, which I doubt you are capable of doing a good job of (especially since you imply that nothing is evil in your opening statement).
2007-07-11 08:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by L.C. 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love you brother.
Man looks on the outward but God looks on the heart.
It is a fearful thing for me to judge from the outward because it simply does not come from faith.
Mankind calls evil good and good evil.......who could be saved?
I can only hope that my trust in God and belief in Jesus Christ as my Saviour is the Truth that sets me free.
The righteousness from God comes from faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe. Romans 3:23
no strings attatched.........pure unadulterated good news
2007-07-11 08:51:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sin and evil were here before they had names. It is pointless to discuss this stuff. I believe what is is. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. The difference in you and I is that I have the sense to accept the gift Jesus is offering, and you have yet to do so.
2007-07-11 08:46:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋