I find it interesting the excuses we use to justify our sinful actions. A popular one that I've heard within the Christian community is "Well…as long as you are in the presence of believers who know where you stand spiritually, then you're fine". Here's an example: Two Christians are talking about something that is wrong (i.e. an unfortunate event that has happened, such as the end of a friendship) and in one person's frustration he/she swears. Let's even say that person swears a lot during this conversation. I find myself excusing my sin to some unfortunate event which somehow "gives me permission" to get away with swearing (sinning)…something that is clearly not a good thing within Christian morality. I try my best to keep my frustration bundled up inside. Then, when I get to someone who I feel is safe to vent to, everything comes out…sometimes with an abundance of expletives. I acknowledge that I do this often, and that it is something I should probably not be doing as a Christian. But the salt in the wound is when I start dancing the line of excusing my sin. Aristotle says that "every rational activity aims at some end or good". We think of ourselves as least in some way as right/good…until we have some small doubt. No one wants to think of themselves as a bad person. So what do we do instead of admitting our fault? We have an explanation for each of our actions…painting them as "rational" or "okay". A passage many Christians inappropriate use to rationalize their sinful actions is the following:
"Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." – 1st Corinthians 8:9-13 (NIV)
Instead of focusing on not being a bad influence on the "weaker brother", many Christians take this passage as, "that means if someone understands/knows me and we share our faith in Christ, then my visible sin won't so negatively influence them, thus making it alright for me to do". Again, this is a very convenient excuse for our wrong actions. We make up some lame excuse for our actions, painting the picture that we are in "fine" moral standing with God, rather than acknowledging that we are going down a slippery slope of excusing our sins. This eventually makes us believe that sin is not that big of a deal.
I recently watched Ben Affleck's directorial debut movie Gone Baby Gone, starring his brother Casey. The movie's "bad" guys were people that I and others could easily identify as. The "bad" characters try to protect someone, and even go about it in a way most people would think was the best choice…but, in fact, it is wrong. Another false idea that we have is that IF we do evil, in order to accomplish good, that somehow it takes away the evil we did. It was probably the most realistic representation in a movie that I've seen of someone doing the right thing regardless of the unintended consequences. That's something I think we don't quite understand: the fact that doing the right thing is difficult and that it comes with attachments.
The next movie I'll reference is The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I really don't feel bad for somewhat-ruining the ending, seeing how EVERYONE should have at least seen it once already. But at the end of The Dark Knight, Batman chooses to take the blame for something that he was innocent of doing. The movie ends with a powerful monologue about how he is "the hero we deserve…just not the hero we need right now". He will take the role of a dark knight "because he can take it". I try to make things as easy as possible, whenever possible. This sometimes means that I rationalize my actions regardless. In The Last Kiss, Zach Braff's character must stop what he's doing and put everything into getting something good back. His girlfriend's father tells him, "The way to win is to not give up". He then sits on her porch for days on end in order to win her back. Sometimes doing the right thing takes a lot of time and uncomfortable moments.
Regardless of what we may be able to rationalize in our mind about something not being "that big of a deal", sin is sin. Sometimes we just need to bite the bullet for our actions, despite how convenient it may be to continue to see ourselves as innocent of any wrong doing. I think we need to act the same way in front of believers as we do in front of non-believers. When faced with the fact that we are human and sin, we need to admit fault and change. Jesus did not call those who thought themselves to be righteous, but those who knew that they were sinners. That involves not cowering behind illegitimate excuses for what kind of person we are.
Agree or disagree? Let me know. Comment.
5 comments:
hey dude.
sorry its taken me so long to jump on here and check your stuff out. its good that you're tackling some of these things and put them into words so that you can look it and analyze it some more.
if i may try and summarize your argument: some christians when they get around other christians, they feel as though they are in a safe place, and so they can throw out their morality, and justify it based on 1 corinthians, "i'm not causing my brother to stumble so it's okay."
that is probably a very rough and hard paraphrase but i understand what you're saying. in know way am i saying that these things don't happen, and should happen, or that its okay for these to happen. the problem is in the scripture you chose to support your argument.
what paul is talking about, is the exact opposite. he's talking about eating meat sacrificed to other gods. in pual's heart and mind, there are no other god's and so the meat was sacrificed to...NOTHING...so it is NOT a sin to eat it because the gods they sacrificed it to DON'T exist. believers who know this have been eating the meat. and paul is not telling them to stop because it's a sin, because it isn't.
the issue is not whether its a sin to eat meat or not, the issue is perception by younger believers who's not at that level of understanding. these younger brothers would see them eating the meat and go, "well, i guess they believe in that god too, and that god, and that god, so i can go and be taught by those teachers and these teachers and it's all the same."
this is the reason paul asks them not to eat the meat. not because its a sin, but because it would confuse weaker brothers/sisters as to the way of Christ.
interesting...well if i sin my whole life then ask for forgiveness on death bed, i will still be foregiven and go to heaven? just a thought.
-phillip w
In response to Phillip: if someone lives a life full of sin, and then grows a conscious on his death bed, would you forgive him? Or better yet, if you lived a morally "good" life and then someone who had lived a completely care-free life was forgiven on his death bed, would you be okay with that?
The scenario you present shows a God that is essentially an easy button to life. That we can do whatever we want, regardless of what he tells us to, but if we "ask forgiveness" we'll be okay. I don't believe in that kind of a God/religion/theology. If you can rationalize that kind of a God, then more power to you.
not trying to be a jerk at all in my last comment, just always thought that if that person whole heartily believed in Christ they could go to heaven one second before they die? i can rationalize a god like that in some sense because of my interpretation of Christianity.
Sorry. I didn't mean to sound defensive. I was just thinking out loud your philosophy on the matter with mine.
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