Sin and the Alternative Holy Roller
This morning I almost posted a Facebook status update about God and Grace, etc, but I stopped myself. I could just see all 218 of my friends cringing after being forced to read yet another 'religious' posting. In many ways I'm no better than my 'Jesus-Freak' friends (I say that with the utmost love and affection, assuredly). I spout off about God quite often, too often I'm beginning to think. Without even trying, I've turned into some alternative Holy Roller. Yipes. I'm not sure if I need to fix that or not. I'll deal with that another day, because what lies ahead is yet another 'Faith' blog. They've always been quite popular. At least up til now.
I've taken a pretty good look at God, salvation, and Grace recently and come up with a few conclusions and opinions. Shocking I know. When it comes to salvation and forgiveness, the Catholics seem to have a few good ideas, but they don't seem to embrace them to their fullest potential. Why don't all Catholics get out of bed every morning and say a couple Hail Marys and a half dozen Our Fathers while the coffee's perking? That's what I'd do. That way if I committed a sin, either purposely or accidentally, I'd be covered on a daily basis. Because I guarantee you, give me a good twelve hour period and I'm going to sin, especially given the standard Catholic view of sin (which is a lot like the Republican view of sex. Coincidence? I think not). Whether I covet a neighbor's wife, have carnal knowledge of a female, say the Lord's name in vain (I am breathing, so this is bound to happen flagrantly and without forethought), or simply run a red light, I want to be ahead of the game. Just in case. My mother always said to be proactive rather than reactive. Why not start the day ahead and skip confession all together?
See, that's just it for me (and probably why I'm not Catholic. Sorry Grandma Elsie). My sin is between me and God. Exclusively. I don't need to blab to some middle-man and hope that he gets the nuances right when word of my sin finally makes it to God. I've played 'Telephone'; I know the inherent issues here. Additionally, I'm not quite sure what God does with all those Hail Marys and Our Fathers anyway. Does He have some huge tally sheet up there in Heaven that the angels keep score on? I'm doubtful. The God I believe in (for right or wrong... Feel free to disagree) is more of a macro-manager than a micro-manager. His concern is for my total life - did I live a good life? Did I complete the lessons I needed to complete in order to pass through to the next level of What's Next? Hail Marys don't really figure into this equation.
Honestly, I'd never given much thought to sin until recently. I've been told time and time again that I am a sinner or that I have sinned (usually in reference to my affinity for married women). Interestingly, those same people also express concern for my salvation. So, sin and salvation go hand in hand? Given that I don't worry about my salvation (in my beliefs, mine is guaranteed without acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Saviour), I was never too worried about sin. Then I wrote a blog about salvation (see 'One About Jesus' from a few weeks ago) and a Christian friend left me a very insightful and thought-provoking comment (she will refer to Jesus, while I refer to God. Same difference, I think). She didn't make me realize that I am truly a sinner or anything. She simply gave me pause to think. In her words, "My 'sins' are just actions that hurt my own body... I don't really see Jesus trying to stop me from having fun.. I see Jesus as trying to get me not to do things that hurt my physical,emotional, or psychological well-being. The consequences of things we may think are fulfilling... Filling the void so to speak with whatever 'feels good' ... only to be completely disappointed in the final outcome of it...". She further explained, "God says it (sin) keeps you away from Him. I think that means it keeps you away from true happiness... genuine happiness".
I found her view of sin to be quite progressive and non-traditional based on my previous experience with Christianity and sin. In the traditional view of sin, as I understand it, anything that defies the Church's control equates to sin. This can be everything and anything from violations of the Ten Commandments to dancing to cutting one's hair to wearing pants to having sex with the same sex. All such transgressions can impact salvation. But what if I've been 'saved', what if I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour? Doesn't that mean that my salvation is guaranteed no matter what I do? It's these kinds of loopholes and double standards that made me run screaming from Christianity long ago. However, my friend brought something new to light for me. If I'm interpreting her interpretation right, she is saying that sin is not what prevents us from being saved. Sin is what prevents us from living a fulfilling and happy Christ-filled life.
Now this doesn't differ from my viewpoint as much as one might think. I believe that our actions in this life are intended to bring us closer to God and closer to being God-like. We accept and complete lessons through an Eternity of lives here on Earth that inch us closer and closer to our ultimate goal of living out the rest of Eternity in God's presence. Sin, as my friend describes it, may just be something that impedes our progress. I take it a step farther. I believe that sin, those actions, thoughts, words, etc that hurt our well-being, are a necessary part of our lessons here on Earth. Think of it this way, the best lessons I have ever learned followed mistakes, the bigger the mistake the bigger the lesson. Touch a hot stove. Mistake. Hot. Burn. Ouch. But you never do it again, right? Sin is simply a more grandiose example. So, if one lives a life without sin, without ever harming his or her mind, body, or spirit, one may never learn the lessons needed to move through Eternity.
So is sin good or bad? Ah, the eternal question. Christians like to dichotmize everything - good vs. bad, God vs. Satan, Heaven vs. Hell. I argue this - how does one know good without knowing bad? How does one truly experience happiness without ever experiencing unhappiness? I don't think it's possible. I could go into a whole diatribe about the parable of Adam and Eve, but I think I will skip it for today. Suffice it to say, that sin, in my opinion, is neither good nor bad as long as a lesson is learned. This is God's Grace - to rise from ashes as a Phoenix, to overcome fear, to find true happiness.
I may be a bit alternative, but I'm not as different as many think. The bottom line for me? Religion controls. God through His Grace frees us. Not to do anything we want assuredly, as there is a right and a wrong way to live (read through the Ten Commandments and certain sections of the U.S. Constitution for details), but to make our own choices, accept the consequences of those choices, and to find Grace within those consequences. This, my friends, is salvation, otherwise known as true happiness. It does not and cannot exist without Grace. So before anyone goes picking apart sin, good, evil, Heaven, or Hell, know that God (Jesus) lives in all and He is here for us. In any case, that's how the God I believe in works. Feel free to believe whatever you want.
~
Many thanks to my blog reader and friend for her wonderfully thought-provoking comments. I promised her I would assure you that her thoughts are merely her interpretations, her spin, if you will, and not new and original ideas. Just as my thoughts are simply my interpretations, my spin, and not new and original ideas. In any case... Thank you, my friend, for your Spin, as it inspired some of my own.
I've taken a pretty good look at God, salvation, and Grace recently and come up with a few conclusions and opinions. Shocking I know. When it comes to salvation and forgiveness, the Catholics seem to have a few good ideas, but they don't seem to embrace them to their fullest potential. Why don't all Catholics get out of bed every morning and say a couple Hail Marys and a half dozen Our Fathers while the coffee's perking? That's what I'd do. That way if I committed a sin, either purposely or accidentally, I'd be covered on a daily basis. Because I guarantee you, give me a good twelve hour period and I'm going to sin, especially given the standard Catholic view of sin (which is a lot like the Republican view of sex. Coincidence? I think not). Whether I covet a neighbor's wife, have carnal knowledge of a female, say the Lord's name in vain (I am breathing, so this is bound to happen flagrantly and without forethought), or simply run a red light, I want to be ahead of the game. Just in case. My mother always said to be proactive rather than reactive. Why not start the day ahead and skip confession all together?
See, that's just it for me (and probably why I'm not Catholic. Sorry Grandma Elsie). My sin is between me and God. Exclusively. I don't need to blab to some middle-man and hope that he gets the nuances right when word of my sin finally makes it to God. I've played 'Telephone'; I know the inherent issues here. Additionally, I'm not quite sure what God does with all those Hail Marys and Our Fathers anyway. Does He have some huge tally sheet up there in Heaven that the angels keep score on? I'm doubtful. The God I believe in (for right or wrong... Feel free to disagree) is more of a macro-manager than a micro-manager. His concern is for my total life - did I live a good life? Did I complete the lessons I needed to complete in order to pass through to the next level of What's Next? Hail Marys don't really figure into this equation.
Honestly, I'd never given much thought to sin until recently. I've been told time and time again that I am a sinner or that I have sinned (usually in reference to my affinity for married women). Interestingly, those same people also express concern for my salvation. So, sin and salvation go hand in hand? Given that I don't worry about my salvation (in my beliefs, mine is guaranteed without acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Saviour), I was never too worried about sin. Then I wrote a blog about salvation (see 'One About Jesus' from a few weeks ago) and a Christian friend left me a very insightful and thought-provoking comment (she will refer to Jesus, while I refer to God. Same difference, I think). She didn't make me realize that I am truly a sinner or anything. She simply gave me pause to think. In her words, "My 'sins' are just actions that hurt my own body... I don't really see Jesus trying to stop me from having fun.. I see Jesus as trying to get me not to do things that hurt my physical,emotional, or psychological well-being. The consequences of things we may think are fulfilling... Filling the void so to speak with whatever 'feels good' ... only to be completely disappointed in the final outcome of it...". She further explained, "God says it (sin) keeps you away from Him. I think that means it keeps you away from true happiness... genuine happiness".
I found her view of sin to be quite progressive and non-traditional based on my previous experience with Christianity and sin. In the traditional view of sin, as I understand it, anything that defies the Church's control equates to sin. This can be everything and anything from violations of the Ten Commandments to dancing to cutting one's hair to wearing pants to having sex with the same sex. All such transgressions can impact salvation. But what if I've been 'saved', what if I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour? Doesn't that mean that my salvation is guaranteed no matter what I do? It's these kinds of loopholes and double standards that made me run screaming from Christianity long ago. However, my friend brought something new to light for me. If I'm interpreting her interpretation right, she is saying that sin is not what prevents us from being saved. Sin is what prevents us from living a fulfilling and happy Christ-filled life.
Now this doesn't differ from my viewpoint as much as one might think. I believe that our actions in this life are intended to bring us closer to God and closer to being God-like. We accept and complete lessons through an Eternity of lives here on Earth that inch us closer and closer to our ultimate goal of living out the rest of Eternity in God's presence. Sin, as my friend describes it, may just be something that impedes our progress. I take it a step farther. I believe that sin, those actions, thoughts, words, etc that hurt our well-being, are a necessary part of our lessons here on Earth. Think of it this way, the best lessons I have ever learned followed mistakes, the bigger the mistake the bigger the lesson. Touch a hot stove. Mistake. Hot. Burn. Ouch. But you never do it again, right? Sin is simply a more grandiose example. So, if one lives a life without sin, without ever harming his or her mind, body, or spirit, one may never learn the lessons needed to move through Eternity.
So is sin good or bad? Ah, the eternal question. Christians like to dichotmize everything - good vs. bad, God vs. Satan, Heaven vs. Hell. I argue this - how does one know good without knowing bad? How does one truly experience happiness without ever experiencing unhappiness? I don't think it's possible. I could go into a whole diatribe about the parable of Adam and Eve, but I think I will skip it for today. Suffice it to say, that sin, in my opinion, is neither good nor bad as long as a lesson is learned. This is God's Grace - to rise from ashes as a Phoenix, to overcome fear, to find true happiness.
I may be a bit alternative, but I'm not as different as many think. The bottom line for me? Religion controls. God through His Grace frees us. Not to do anything we want assuredly, as there is a right and a wrong way to live (read through the Ten Commandments and certain sections of the U.S. Constitution for details), but to make our own choices, accept the consequences of those choices, and to find Grace within those consequences. This, my friends, is salvation, otherwise known as true happiness. It does not and cannot exist without Grace. So before anyone goes picking apart sin, good, evil, Heaven, or Hell, know that God (Jesus) lives in all and He is here for us. In any case, that's how the God I believe in works. Feel free to believe whatever you want.
~
Many thanks to my blog reader and friend for her wonderfully thought-provoking comments. I promised her I would assure you that her thoughts are merely her interpretations, her spin, if you will, and not new and original ideas. Just as my thoughts are simply my interpretations, my spin, and not new and original ideas. In any case... Thank you, my friend, for your Spin, as it inspired some of my own.
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