When did we all become Platonists??
Submitted by Ringo on 2002-12-2 19:32:13, Monday
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Man, I hope I'm doing this right. I don't have my notes with me cause they're at home, but here goes.... Reason Filled said something in a reply to me that just got me all riled up, so I figured I had to respond. :o) Something to the effect of "No matter, my desires are wrong anyway...it's just another way for Satan to tempt me." Now really, what in the hell is that??? A desire can be characterized as a desire of the flesh, non? Can we accept that definition? Ok, moving on... Does this means that EVERYTHING our bodies desire is wrong? And no, I don't mean food or drink, those are unescapable. But the desire for success, love, happiness...are those wrong? Some of you might chime in with that wonderful old "unnatural desire" phrase, so let me deal with that here and now. If there's ONE thing I learned in my "Introduction to the Old Testament" class (which did extend a little into the New Testament period, though we didn't deal with the text) is that it is WE who are largely responsible for this construct. The whole idea of the separation of body and soul where our soul is the holy, purified thing that must be kept immaculately clean (I mean, can we even drop cookie crumbs on our soul here? Would that send me to hell too?) and the body is this fleshly, earthly prison that we must suffer in silence. This notion was popularized by Platonic Christians in (come on memory, don't fail me now) the 3rd (?) Century AD. This is rather funny to me, because not only was Plato a polytheist, but he was (wrongly, but still) executed partly for 'possession by unnatural deities'. We've re-formed our theology and blunted our lives because of THIS guy? Come on now.... I am NOT advocating senseless orgies or depravation or anything like that, but God gave us these bodies, God gave us this life so that we could ENJOY it. Get as much out of it as possible while still being a loving servant to Him. Our bodies and our desires are not something to be shunned and closeted away let we let our "unnatural desires" run loose. Saying that "God gave me these feelings, he gave me the means with which to use it and enjoy my life, yet I cannot go about achieving this desire because it is wrong (i.e. homosexual sex) is, to me, the same as saying, "My Dad gave me this lollipop, he told me to eat it, he patted me on the head and smiled as he gave it to me because he knows how much I like lollipops, but I cannot eat it because eating lollipops is WRONG." Now really, isn't this pure silliness? And you may use Scripture to refute my case if you wish, but know that I do not hold the Bible to be the express word of God (because I also know a great deal about the way it was authored and when/where/how it coalesced into the document that we possess today). And I must also apologize, because I could provide more sustenance for my post were I 10,000 miles to the east, because then I would have my notes from class. Alas... Please help me understand this. I really would like to. I'd hate myself if I ever bcame complacent in my answers and stopped seeking knowledge. I wish only to present my current view on the subject. Ringo - who wonders when someone's fear of achieving happiness in a largely unhappy life will be characterized as "Satan tempting me to defy God" in an effort to shift the responsibility for the failure to take life by the horns and actually LIVE it, for crying out loud. ((())) |
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