Do Christians feel inherently evil?

Question

I don't mean this question as an insult -

It just seems to me that "Santa Clause Syndrome" (He knows if you've been bad or good) runs rampant in Judeo-Christian faiths.

If you are only doing good because of what God thinks, then isn't that sort of "evil" in a way?

In my belief - if you do good, it's because it helps others and creates a better atmosphere for you and the rest of humanity.

To have an ulterior motive based on a promise of personal reward would be contrary to the point.

Can anyone shed some Christian light on this for me?

Answer 1

Actually, they have it both ways. Yes, Christians do inherently feel they are evil (at least in the sense of being imperfect and unable to meet God's impossibly high standards). This is reasonable. An examined life surely shows that we are imperfect and do sin, where sin is defined as violating God's will or rules. On the other hand, Christians believe that we are the most important thing in the creation and the object of God's ultimate love! To the point that God would come to earth and die for us.

Good works are an expression of gratitude, joy, and worship as we attempt to attune ourselves to the God that loved us by also loving others. Christians that think they are earning God's love by good deeds are somewhat immature. Great benefits do flow from trying to reflect and share God's love, but getting benefits is not the real reason for following God.

I am reminded of the scene on the TV show "Frasier", where Frasier is commenting on the difference between men and women on how women sometimes use sex to get what they want while men never use sex to get what they want--sex is what they want. The true Christian doesn't use their relationship with God to get what they want--their relationship with God is what they want.

Answer 2

In your belief - "if you do good, it's because it helps others and creates a better atmosphere for you and the rest of humanity."

So, by this ethic, to do good is an option "if". How is it not selfishly motivated in that your hope is for a better world for yourself which would be your own personal promise of reward? So, how is your ulterior motive different? If Christians are inherently evil by your reasoning, then so are you.

When I realize that God knows not only all that I do but why I do it, both good and bad, and I seek to good for the right reasons, my conscience begins to synchronize with God and all humanity. The foundation for the Christian ethic is Love (agape). If I do anything outside of this ethic it is evil. Now, knowing that those who do good and speak the truth will be hated, God makes a promise of rewards in heaven. For some reason you think this evil, to do good out of love because there is some reward. Well, there is reward for doing the right thing, a clear conscience and a heart full of love. Now, you seem to think this is evil? How is this evil, to preach peace and truth and show love towards your fellow mankind? Because it is rewarding? Well, it is rewarding in this present life and there is a promise of reward in heaven as well.

Answer 3

Try to imagine my heart as a three tier water fountain, and His love is the water flow. It pushes up and bubbles out, then fills the top bowel...this is my heart...

and the love continues to overflow...my heart can't hold it back anymore, so it overflows to the next bowel...this is my family.. both home and church family...

and yet..the water flow continues to flow even more... and now the flow spills over to the next bowl below...my community.

You're right...if I'm being "good" to impress others, than my motive is wrong and I cease being "good". But if my acts are caused by His love... then I don't need any promise of reward...I just want to please Him because He has done so much for me...I could never repay His Grace..

... but even if I know I can't repay Him... I'm not going to stop trying.

It's called gratitude.

Answer 4

19:16 Once a man came to Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?"
19:17 "Why do you ask me concerning what is good?" answered Jesus. "There is only One who is good. Keep the commandments if you want to enter life."
19:18 "What commandments?" he asked. Jesus answered, "Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely;
19:19 respect your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself."
19:20 "I have obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else do I need to do?"
19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me."
19:22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.
19:23 Jesus then said to his disciples, "I assure you: it will be very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
19:24 I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."
19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were completely amazed. "Who, then, can be saved?" they asked.
19:26 Jesus looked straight at them and answered, "This is impossible for man, but for God everything is possible.

*eye of needle is one of the tiny gate in Jerusalem, which a camel will hurt its leg when it shud thru it.

Answer 5

Good one Pink,

I wrote a piece on exactly the ominous threat in that song as listened to by a naive child.

"You had BETTER WATCH OUT !!!

Hey! YOU'D BETTER NOT SHOUT !!!

YOU...HAD BETTER BE,,,GOOD !!!

DON'T STICK OUT THAT LOWER LIP AND BE A POUTIN" !!!

I'M TELLIN YOU WHY !!!

" HE'S COMMIN! THAT;S RIGHT...HE'S COMMIN !!!

"HE KNOOWWSSS WHAT YOU'RE DOING !!!

AND YOU WON'T KNOW WHEN GE GETS HERE BUT i WARNED YOU..YOU'D BETTER...WATCH OUT!

Jaysus, what a threatening set of words. consistent with stone-age man's attempt to control human behavior.

It was just Put to a cute little melody! I like the music done in jazz by competent musicians.

Good to see you're still thinking Pink!
Oh! Before I forget; YOU'D BETTER WATCH OUT !!!

Answer 6

Ideally our good behavior should be based on a love for God first and for others. Still, as a parent, would you rather have your child misbehave because they would be behaving for the wrong reasons, or would you rather have them behave because you told them to, and they know that if they don't, they will be punished.

so don't misbehave just because your behavior would be for the wrong reason, that's dumb.

Answer 7

As far as most fundamentalist Christians go, their good works are simply a form of "selfishness on the layaway plan", thinking that doing them will someday get them into heaven rather than really doing good things for their own sake. And yes, they think their God as revealed in the Bible is the ultimate standard of right and wrong, rather than using their own sense of reason and judgement or having any innate good will towards humanity.

Answer 8

I can help.
A TRUE christian tries to do what God says.
This is not for selfish gain of eternal life.
This is not for terrible dread of an unknown, eternal death.
It is because we LOVE God.

When you love someone, (a boyfriend/girlfriend/etc...)
you do whatever you can to make them happy.

The same is true of the Christian. We do good, as God says,
to make God happy, because we love Him, and want it that way.

Answer 9

1.We are here for God's purpose first

2.Yes He promised reward for obedience

3.What God thinks is far more important than what any man thinks.

4.God wants us to seek reward,but He wants us to put Him first in our lives.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousnesss;then all theese things shall be added unto you."

Answer 10

They feel as though they are the only people in the world who are not evil, and whatever evil they do is justified because of their wonderful motives.