Would you say that Orthodoxy is focused on the bad stuff?

AureateDawn

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My question has been pretty much answered. I have a better understanding now. Thank you all. :)

I don't really understand, and agree with Cappadocious who asked for an example.

Can you give an example?

An example to my question, "Why focus so much on what we do wrong, which further exacerbates the problem?" - In my experience, the less I focus on what I do wrong, the more it tends to fade away, if that make sense. The more I focus on what I do right, or what I want to do right, then that positivity puts itself in my life.

An example - I wanted to do a yoga fitness program. I had a difficult time starting this. If I missed a workout, I would feel bad, and then eat bad food (which I was also trying to eat a mostly raw vegan diet). I would say, "You messed up, Justin. You missed the workout. You did wrong." And that focus on what I did wrong perpetuated missing workouts.

But then, I changed my thinking. If I missed a workout, I didn't think about it. I didn't think about where or how I messed up. I just accepted it and went about my day, and I thought about tomorrow's workout as if I hadn't done anything wrong by missing today's workout. The next day, I did the yoga fitness workout fine. And so on.

By not focusing on what I did wrong, and bringing my attention to positive things, the negative (missing the workout, eating poorly) faded.
 
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Cappadocious

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My question has been pretty much answered. I have a better understanding now. Thank you all. :)





An example to my question, "Why focus so much on what we do wrong, which further exacerbates the problem?" - In my experience, the less I focus on what I do wrong, the more it tends to fade away, if that make sense. The more I focus on what I do right, or what I want to do right, then that positivity puts itself in my life.

An example - I wanted to do a yoga fitness program. I had a difficult time starting this. If I missed a workout, I would feel bad, and then eat bad food (which I was also trying to eat a mostly raw vegan diet). I would say, "You messed up, Justin. You missed the workout. You did wrong." And that focus on what I did wrong perpetuated missing workouts.

But then, I changed my thinking. If I missed a workout, I didn't think about it. I didn't think about where or how I messed up. I just accepted it and went about my day, and I thought about tomorrow's workout as if I hadn't done anything wrong by missing today's workout. The next day, I did the yoga fitness workout fine. And so on.

By not focusing on what I did wrong, and bringing my attention to positive things, the negative (missing the workout, eating poorly) faded.
I know what you mean.

But I was asking for examples of how Orthodoxy focuses more on the bad stuff.
 
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127.0.0.1

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Jesus told the adulteress that He would not judge her, but "go and sin no more." Jesus really believed in her that she could live free of sin.

No.

Christ healed the woman in adultery. The injunction Christ gave that she not commit that sin anymore wasn't given as a warning, or threat, is is often portrayed.

Rather, it is similar to when Christ told the paralytic to get out of his bed and walk. Christ healed the paralytic when he said that, which is why the paralytic was able to walk.

Christ doesn't want us to merely, not sin, He wants us to be healed from sin.

It's a more Protestant view to understand Christ as saying, 'Now, don't let me catch you doing that again now!'
Rather Christ heals the soul and whatever spiritual infirmity is causing the spiritual sickness, which is why Orthodoxy is about healing, not about obeying a law.
 
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Ariadne_GR

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It can. Some Orthodox are focused only on the bad - this and that are a sin, the ways of the world in our every day life are evil, we must do nothing but pray, read the Bible and listen to Orthodox chanting, jobs are evil, enjoying life is evil, so is free will and thought, you get the drift. That's one end of the extreme.
 
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inconsequential

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One could ask why hospitals only focus on disease and injury. But I do understand where you are coming from. It is a pastoral issue dealing with individuals because we ARE often so different. It goes back to the adage "One man's medicine is another man's poison."
 
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ArmyMatt

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By not focusing on what I did wrong, and bringing my attention to positive things, the negative (missing the workout, eating poorly) faded.

this is actually what Elder Porphyrios teaches. you dispell the darkness by letting in the light. you get rid of evil not by fighting it outright, but by opening yourself to, and focusing on, Christ.
 
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The Virginian

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Is not this what is done in the secular square, and therefore the reason for the myriad of laws we live under. Why then should it seem wrong for the Church to focus on correcting what we've done wrong spiritually. Is not this what Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did in his earthly ministry, albeit by contrast, in The Beatitudes, parables, and personal teachings.

God revealed Himself to us in the Incarnation; Jesus teaches us that we're to "...be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect...", and that "...it is enough for the disciple to be as his teacher." The Holy Spirit holds up before our eyes (and beside us), the life of Jesus who is Himself Light and Life, and when that happens we cannot but help see the deficiencies in our own lives that need correcting, changing, and or strengthening.

As humans, and especially so in the politically correct climate in which we Must live out our Christian faith, none like to be told or reminded that we're wrong in any manner, or about anything. If such is the case then the only alternative is to leave society and live as a hermit. But then; the facing of our demons is even more stark!

the sinful and unworthy servant,
 
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