Originally posted by djranko
For the first 25 years of my life I walked with my head down. I carried a burden of guilt. I could not look another person in the eyes. I was living as every christian who takes the bible seriously should, with guilt.
What is the nature of this guilt? In the begining Adam sought knowledge (rationality), gained knowledge of good and evil (morality) and the punishment was to toil in the fields(productivity). Now we face this life with a God who is un-knowable for the wisdom of man is foolisness before God. We are condemned for failing to live up to a standard which is not attainable for all have sinned and fall short.
What can I do?
My sin is that I was born. My crime is that I am a Man. And my guilt is that I exist.
Not any more. Rationality, morality, and productivity summarily condemned as evil.I now hold them as my highest virtue for they are the means by which we all exist.
I pronounce myself NOT-GUILTY!
djranko@hotmail.com
It really sounds like the church or religious upbringing was similar to mine in which I was basically taught to love God out of fear of what would happen if I DIDN'T love God.
It took me 40 years and dying on the operating table during open heart surgery to reallize that is not the love God wanted from me nor anyone else. God wants us to love Him because we CHOOSE to love Him. Those who converted out of fear can not really claim the biblical Love (Agape) which transends so much the love we know on a daily basis.
We are not supposed to walk with our heads down out of guilt, we are supposed to walk with our heads held high, because WE have the love of God, and we CHOOSE to Love Him back the same way.
I would like, if you don't mind the trouble, of you telling me more explicitally what it is in your teachings that made you feel that you were supposed to feel guilt or shame. I can not guarantee that I will give you an answer you will accept, but I promise I will give you the most honest answer I can possibly give, even if that answer is "I really don't know."
Don't declare yourself to not believe in Jesus, nor deny God, because of the teachings of those who NEED to teach fear to show they are gaining converts. That is what happened in the church starting about the 4th century AD. For the first 300 years, every christians really DID love everyone as their brother. They really DID sell everything and give it all to the communal christian system and then they moved into the group with them. The rich, the poor, the well, the infirmed, the happy, the devestated, no matter who you were, as long as you accepted Jesus, Loved God with all your heart, and loved everyone else the same way you loved yourself, you were part and got the exact same feelings returned to you 100 fold.
The big difference between then and today, is people have such a hard time loving each other UNCONDITIONALLY. Without reservation. Without condemnation. If you sinned, it would be pointed out, and they would help you be strong to stay from that sin. Those who continued to commit the very same sin repeatedly were rebuked and taught. If they continued to behave that way, then they really didn't accept Jesus, because the Holy Spirit lives in each person whoconfesses (to God in prayer, you do NOT need a mediary) their sins, and truely does work to stop them. And with the Holy Spirit inside, and the communal system in place on the outside, christianity grew no matter how hard they were tortured, how many that were killed, how many leaders martyred. The only way it COULD grow is because they not only taught the way of Jesus, they LIVED the way of Jesus.
I will be here for you, as God is ALWAYS there for you. If you ever need strength, I will give you all of mine. If your faith weakens, I will give you mine.
But never believe a christian lives his life in guilt or with head down. Raise it high because THAT is the Glory that is God. Let HIM shine through your eyes, and in every action.
I am sincere in my offer, and I know there are others here who will do the same. There is no shame in asking for help. That is the reason I joined this forum. I needed loving fellowship to offset the hate and anger in another forum. I needed the strength and faith I can get from here, so I could go back there, and do everything God has commanded me to do to bring souls back to God. I welcome you with open arms, open heart, open eyes, and probably the best of all, open mindedness.
God bless you and all those you love. May God's hand touch you again, and may you never again feel the need to remove His hand from you.