Re: on the lesser of two evils
Submitted by sally on March 27 2002 19:26:56
In reply to on the lesser of two evils submitted by Bach on March 26 2002 16:39:01
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I don't share the view that fantasy and thought is sinful. As you have read here, I find them suitable expressions of our sexuality. I see your desire to crush all sexual feelings (assuming celibacy) as unhealthy and repressive. I don't think that Jesus' teaching on marriage goes this far. I'm willing to listen to your reasons... I think the fantasy life bad for a couple of reasons. 1) it interferes with real life... we are dreaming instead of working for the kingdom... we only have a short time here and I think there are better ways to redeem my time than to fantasize. 2) it is a complaint against God, often... he has not given me this sex-life, car, money, power, house, job, whatever, in real life so I will dream it up. 3) if the fantasy includes anything that God forbids in real life then it is certainly sinful for us to play with it in our minds. And I suspect that people often fantasize about forbidden things-- precisely because they are forbidden and they'd ruin themselves if that actually partook of the thing they are dreaming of. I think too much TV watching and novel reading are sinful for the same reasons. I have read that you do not want to question what God has done with creation - and yet, I must ask myself why on earth I have any sexual feelings at all, if they are so inappropriate that I am not even to think about the attraction. Why not ask God instead of yourself. =0) Sorry, I couldn't resist. But, seriously, I'm not sure what you mean. Why on earth are we passionate people if we aren't to be angry or jealous? We are passionate and we have sexual passions and those passions are not inappropriate unless we use them in violation of God's plan. Some people may have passions that are all out of sorts with what God tells us we should be. They may have tempers or they may be sexually attracted to what is forbidden, Bathsheba or a boy, for instance. Just because they are born with or have been nurtured to have a skewed appetite for fits of temper or other men's wives doesn't mean they are allowed to play with such things in their minds does it? It all seems pretty simple then... we just obey. But Sally, I *am* obeying what my understanding of the Scriptures is. Why am I disobeying God's commandments simply because you do not agree with me about what the Scripture states? I am doing what God requires of me. And part of that is talking - talking to you and talking to my fellow BLs. God required me to talk to my church and share my journey with them. God has required of you to come and confront us with your exhorations. But let's not pretend that "obedience to God" is a clear-cut, obvious directive. But, Bach, I think that in this case it is clear-cut. You are more than welcome to disagree. I think you are disobeying God's commands and if I said differently I'd be lying. You have read the Bible and come to different conclusions and one day we will see face to face and probably find out that neither one us has a perfect understanding. but... I've no doubt... that we will find... that I'm more right than you are. =0) sally |
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