"Gray" morality?

[Not David]

...sometimes, there can be such a thing as "too much of a good thing." For instance, empathy is usually a good thing to offer another person, much offering too much empathy or being permissive with that other person's 'bad choices' could become a form of unhealthy enabling, one that allows the other person to continue along in a disastrous course of actions.

That's something parents can do to their children too

 

[Not David]

The real question is: what is love in our current unholy modern age?

 

[SPF]

The real question is: what is love in our current unholy modern age?

The same as it was 2,000 years ago.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

That's something parents can do to their children too

Yes, good point, David!

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The real question is: what is love in our current unholy modern age?

In an age that generally eschews God's Word, then "love" can be a protean idea. And you know how difficult it can be to deal with something that claims the status of Proteus (That's my attempt at a clever X-men innuendo).

 

[bèlla]

The real question is: what is love in our current unholy modern age?

Tolerance and acceptance without question or judgment. Feelings are the barometer and truth is skewed.

~Bella

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't say it just because my avatar is Jean Gray but have you thought that some concepts are in a gray area? For example, one might think empathy is good but it might not always be?

Any thoughts?

Everything good, every good gift, IS FROM ABOVE.

Everything born of the flesh is flesh, and profits nothing.

Where does 'empathy' come from ? God or man/flesh ? (or lower??!)

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The real question is: what is love in our current unholy modern age?

The same as it was 2,000 years ago.

Amen. The Truth never changed, and never changes.

Oh, however, love is MORE mis-understood, MORE dis-honestly represented(deceptively), MORE 'wickedly used' today than it was 2000 years ago... if that helps ....

 

[Vicky gould]

Titus 2:11-12 tells it is now the grace of God that not only can do that for us because Grace has the power for us to lively godly lives. Grace has the power to let us live godly but we are told in 1 Co. 15:55-56 that the Law opens the way for sin to become utterly sinful. Why would the Lord move us under Grace is easily seen He wants mature believers. The Law says ax head drops in the water x must happen. Cause your neighbor loss of his flock you must do y and never have a need to turn to the Lord for guidance. But under Grace we don’t just pray when we are in trouble we pray because the gray areas are design for us to do that very thing. Babes have laws that tell the little child do this, do this and this will happen. But when our child becomes an adult we don’t have A 2 year olds rules for a 18 year old kid. We understand there are gray areas and we cannot give a rule that is ready to deal with these areas and we expect our adult child to make the choice in these gray areas and only they know that the gray areas are growth areas just as they are in physical life.

 

[Cis.jd]

I don't say it just because my avatar is Jean Gray but have you thought that some concepts are in a gray area? For example, one might think empathy is good but it might not always be?

Any thoughts?

Yes. Everything depends on circumstances and the Bible can't contain answers for every circumstance.
Empathy is good but there can be situations where it isn't, you can be enabling someone or allowing yourself to be taken advantage.
Killing is wrong, but we can imagine a situation where it maybe necessary.

 

[SkyWriting]

I don't say it just because my avatar is Jean Gray but have you thought that some concepts are in a gray area? For example, one might think empathy is good but it might not always be?

Any thoughts?

All sin is between the individual and God. Only God can see ones heart and is qualified to judge.

What Does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

 

[Not David]

All sin is between the individual and God. Only God can see ones heart and is qualified to judge.

What Does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

Except sin affects others.

 

[SkyWriting]

Except sin affects others.

Of course it does. Everything does.
God doesn't punish victims.

 

[Loversofjesus_2018]

Yes. Everything depends on circumstances and the Bible can't contain answers for every circumstance.
Empathy is good but there can be situations where it isn't, you can be enabling someone or allowing yourself to be taken advantage.
Killing is wrong, but we can imagine a situation where it maybe necessary.

Is being taken advantage of just a part of the persons life who is truly trying to follow Christ? Christ said give to those who ask. I don’t remember him saying unless we feel they are taken advantage then we don’t have to anymore. So if we are actually going off of what Christ said, and not what we want it to say then clearly being taken advantage of would not be of our concern.

 

[SPF]

All sin is between the individual and God. Only God can see ones heart and is qualified to judge.

SkyWriting, how do you reconcile the quoted statement here with what Paul did in I Corinthians:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

I completely agree that we are not in a position to judge the heart. However, as Christians, we are called to judge the actions of people who profess Christ and to hold them accountable to a life that honors and glorifies Christ. What you said seems to contradict this clear and essentially universal understanding that the Church has always held.

Do you actually believe Paul was in the wrong?

 

[Not David]

SkyWriting, how do you reconcile the quoted statement here with what Paul did in I Corinthians:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

I completely agree that we are not in a position to judge the heart. However, as Christians, we are called to judge the actions of people who profess Christ and to hold them accountable to a life that honors and glorifies Christ. What you said seems to contradict this clear and essentially universal understanding that the Church has always held.

Do you actually believe Paul was in the wrong?

He says it is odd that Paul was blinded by Christ when no one else was.

 

[BryanJohnMaloney]

To start with the example cited at the beginning. Empathy is not good. Empathy is nice. We are brainwashed to equate nice to good. If someone goes into a church and tosses the contents of the collection plate into the street is that person doing good or doing evil? That person certainly isn't being nice.

If someone went to a temple and tossed the moneychangers into the street?

If someone told people that they wouldn't give their children stones to eat, even though they were evil people, is that person doing good witness by calling everyone around him evil? That person certainly isn't being nice.

Is that "gray" morality? Is it a contrast between what we enjoy calling good and things that aren't nice?

How much "good" is actually emotional self-gratification? How much "good" is actually legalism? How much "good" is an attempt to rationalize avoiding good by being nice, being proper, "working a higher plan", or a whole host of excuses?

There's nothing gray about this. The attempt at graying out out is simply an attempt to whitewash a situation where mortal desire has been given precedence over Divine Will. Do I do it? Yes. I have done it, and I will probably do it in the future. Ought I do it? No. Is that fair? Matthew 5:48, we are commanded.

 

[DennisTate]

I don't say it just because my avatar is Jean Gray but have you thought that some concepts are in a gray area? For example, one might think empathy is good but it might not always be?

Any thoughts?

True.... if we have too much empathy for the wrong people we can get ourselves angry at the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.

1 Corinthians 5

1Co 5:5

Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed[fn] and he himself[fn] will be saved on the day the Lord[fn] returns.

 

[Cis.jd]

Is being taken advantage of just a part of the persons life who is truly trying to follow Christ? Christ said give to those who ask. I don’t remember him saying unless we feel they are taken advantage then we don’t have to anymore. So if we are actually going off of what Christ said, and not what we want it to say then clearly being taken advantage of would not be of our concern.

no. There is a difference between sacrifice and just feeding someone who is co-dependent.
For example, I have a loved one who is always asking me for money. He probably needs the money, everytime he/she asks, but if this person is starting to live off you and not do his/her part to have respect for you, then isn't your giving wrong at this point?


We have to take in mind that the bible is only 1,200+ pages, it doesn't document every situation/circumstances and this is something Christians have to realize when it comes to deep issues that may require wisdom via experience and not by interpretation.

 

[SoLaVeoMiDinDeia]

I don't say it just because my avatar is Jean Gray but have you thought that some concepts are in a gray area? For example, one might think empathy is good but it might not always be?

Any thoughts?

The devil is always in the details(gray areas).