Okay, brace yourselves: I have a theory that I would like to run by the mass of intellectuals on this site:
My thought today is that pride is the source of shame. Think of it: WHEN DO WE FEEL ASHAMED? When we do something that breaches our code of ethics. WHY DO WE FEEL ASHAMED? Because we, and others, expect better of ourselves. WHY DO WE EXPECT BETTER OF OURSELVES? Because even though we know that humans are inescapably flawed, we believe that we have ascended above the typical human. A.K.A. - Pride.
So when Adam and Eve felt ashamed in the Garden of Eden because they were naked, it was not because God commanded them to wear clothes and they disobeyed. No, it was because they believed that nudity was below them.
Likewise, when I lay stripped bare and naked before God in all the glory of my sinful self, feeling overwhelming shame for all the atrocities buried in my soul, it is only because I sincerely believe that I am above sin. Pride.
So is shame itself a form of sin? I believe that it is a symptom of the disease of pride. I also believe that shame and pride create a cycle of stagnation in the typical Christian's life. We feel pride, and when we fail, we feel shame that reinforces our belief that we ought to be better (pride).
I'm not saying that we should take great pleasure in sinning because it is implanted in our human nature. I'm saying that agknowledging that sin is, and always will be, the biggest influence in our decisions may be the first step into seeing ourselves as God sees us.
I agree with the premise of about 75% of your last post, however I do not agree with the apparent ease you make assumptions. You cannot base doctrine on assumptions. Many scholars believe that Pauls thorn in the flesh was his poor eye sight. If you just assume it was some sin then you've created doctrine out of thin air. Furthermore scripture is clear that God did not take the thorn away, so how can you assume God helped Paul get over his temptation?
Hang on - the victim of rape feels shame because they believe that their value has been decreased by someone else's actions. They feel that an injustice has occured and that they are worth less than they are entitled to be. I still see an underlying current of pride there.
But I do see what you're getting at. Some people feel shame because they believe that they're given MORE than they deserve. But if humility is the opposite of pride, remember that humility is not the same as self-hatred. Might be apples and oranges here...
I can see your point...and I do think I was just reading too far into your post, but it just sounded like we don't have to do anything about sin in our lives. This is a great example of how I think it works.
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A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.
This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing it with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Noticing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man�s weary mind. �You have been pushing against this rock for a long time, and it hasn�t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.� Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These troubling thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. �Why kill myself over this?� I�ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.
And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his thoughts to the Lord. �Lord� he said, �I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?�
The Lord responded compassionately, �My friend, When I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?�
�Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven�t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock.�
True, true. Honestly this was discussed in a class and the assumptions were introduced by our teacher. And you're right that if the assumptions are not true that the doctrine doesn't hold water.
I wonder then how much of what we truly believe about scripture is truth and how much is just oppinion based on assumption. I mean, there are so many different ways to interperate scripture based on how literally or figuratively you take it as you read. How do we know if our interpretation is EVER the correct one?
I think...that our search for the truth in scripture is partly our correct reading of the text and partly God's revelation of it in us. I chose to run with my professor's interpretation of this scripture because at that point in my life, there was an ideal situation to which I could apply it. Does that make it infallable? Absolutely not. But whether it is correct or not, God used it to help me past a block in our relationship.
I see what your saying, and I think that story is a great example of our calling to trust God and be obedient. And I don't believe that Christians should do nothing about sin - I know that's how it sounds at first.:glow:
Just as DHTM's cabin man is called to push against the rock so we are called to study and pray, wrestle and struggle with scripture for the correct interpretation. That is what makes you strong. Just listening to someone else yell you what scripture says is the equivalent of DHTM's cabin man just going out every day and leaning on the rock. ;-)
I loved my Mother. She has been dead two years, and I miss her terribbily.
Yet, whenever I did the least little thing wrong, even if it was very minor, she made me feel so guilty that I still have trouble getting thinks from 30 years ago out of my mind!!!!!!!
God forgave, parents did NOT!!!!!!!! My brother, and sister called it getting Beat With Mom's Guilty Stick!
I only learned to forgive myself recently, in church. Some shame is good, but if you feel guilty about just being happy, like I did, Get Help!
