If we want to avoid sin, God will always make a way for us to do so. Hungry people do not need to steal food. Cold people do not need to steal clothing. Lonely people do not need to borrow another person's wife. Poor people do not need to covet another person's possessions. Fearful people do not need to bomb apartment buildings or torture their prisoners. Oppressed people do not need to murder innocent civilians. Policy makers do not need to lie.
God will always make a way for our legitimate needs to be met without causing us to sin. Count on it! Sin is always avoidable. It is never necessary for any of us to sin against other people or against God.
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." _____________________________________________________________
Although these words were written by Paul to the Christians at Corinth in the first century, A. D., they actually apply to all people, everywhere, at all times. This is a "universal truth," like the Law Of Gravity, applying to everyone. WE DON'T NEED TO DO EVIL IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH GOOD. God will provide us a "way of escape" from the temptation.
Jesus makes the same point in a different way: It is necessary for temptations to come, but it is not necessary for us to yield to them.
"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire." _______________________________________________________________________
The teachings of Jesus apply to all people, not just to Christians. (The Qur'an specifically teaches Muslims that Jesus ("Isa") is a prophet.) Regarding Jesus as a prophet, the Qur'an says . . .
Say: We believe in Allah and (in) that which had been revealed to us, and (in) that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoub and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Musa and Isa, and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit. (Qur'an 2.136, Shakir translation)
Note: Allah means God; Ibrahim means Abraham; Ismail means Ishmael; Ishaq means Isaac; Yaqoub means Jacob; Musa means Moses; and Isa means Jesus.
Rev. Bill McGinnis is an Internet Christian minister, writer and publisher. He is Director of LoveAllPeople.org, a small private think tank in Alexandria, Virginia, and all of its related websites, including InternetChurchOfChrist.org,CommitteeForTheGoldenRule.org,CivicAmerican.com, and AmericanDemocrat.net. His agenda is to help maximize the happiness and well-being of all people. His blog is located at http://blog.myspace.com/revbillmcginnis
Normal individual cannot build his/her life on the perception of avoidnace of sins. Normal individual has to take chances and bear responsiblities. What normal person has to do is not to lie to thyself and know what he/she has done and here he /she stands. Then Jesus or Allah or whoever would appreciate honesty and the level of effort. But those who either hypocritically or maliciously deceive themselves first and others later are more than sinners. They are corrupted souls.
by
Mark Sashine (42 articles, 19 quicklinks, 227 diaries, 3219 comments)
on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 3:22:27 PM
If you weren't an 'atheist'....you'd make for the 'perfect Christian'.....human.
(Now this is what I call 'a very good research question'! It must always begin with an 'observation'.....not a thought!)
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Katrin R. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 506 comments)
on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 4:17:45 AM
Panurg is on point. The Rev. misunderstands the nature and extent of sin to such an extent that a theological treatise on the subject would be necessary to rebut his arguments. I suggest a six week study of Romans 6-8 (for believers) KJV, for a good understanding of the inability of a Christian to stop sinning, even though his or her new self truly never sins again. For non-believers, the whole argument is beside the point. Their focus needs to be on development of a generally accepted moral code for humanism.
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W.M.L. (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 257 comments)
on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 7:00:15 PM
My 10 yr. old son is friends with these two neighborhood boys (brothers), and their mother is one of those fanatic 'reborn christians'....the type who is an insult to Christ. (in my opinion). "Has the poor man not suffered enough?" I feel
like saying.... "without you on top of all else?"
So , Patrick was at their house, and he found the two brothers rather depressed. Apparently, an uncle had gotten a divorce, and they were obsessed with this. So Patrick, in an attempt to make them feel better, said: " Listen, it's not the end of the world. A lot of people get divorced........" The mother overheard him saying this, and she confronted my son. "Don't you ever say that divorce is not a terrible sin! You will go straight to hell!" When Patrick ran home and told me about this, his lips were quivering....he was trying very hard not to cry. (We talked about this, of course) Now, who is the sinner here? The uncle, Patrick, the mother, the 50% of all couples who make promises to each other in church that they cannot keep, and then get 'ugly' divorces? Or I.....in that I never got married for the above reason, and I have a wonderful relationship with the father...and he also is a great father.
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Katrin R. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 506 comments)
on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 11:32:30 AM
My IQ is only around 50....so you know! I don't understand nothing about the first one. Nr. 2? I ain't sure about the 'necks', only the 'women'....I think...maybe!
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Katrin R. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 506 comments)
on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 9:37:10 AM
Do you have any idea just how easy it is for me to not to sin according to your rules? In fact, you are suggesting that every-time I feel tempted, or depresses, or in pain, or angry, or numb, or alone.....it is OK for me to just cut off my arms, or my feet, or rip out my eyes? You are saying self abuse is no sin? You think it's easier to rip off another person's arm than my own? You think, if I were married to Mar....and another man raped me....he should cut off his arm and rip out his eyes, and do nothing to protect me, or interfere.....that he should not even be thinking about me at a time like this but only about his possible journey to hell vs. heaven after he dies? You think he would respect himself? you think I could possibly love him more for anything than his standing up for me at a time like that? You have to understand some thing here. Only each man for himself...and each woman for herself...can only know for him/herself what is right and wrong...what is a sin and what is not. For some people, all it may take for them not to go to heaven is not to kill...and/or believe in Christ and God as little as one hour before they get the lethal injection. For me....not sinning according to your superrficial rules does not make me a 'good person'...it makes me a lucky and privileged person. i am not a good person because i do not hurt other people....I am not even capable of that, and that does not make me 'good'. On the other hand, i am very able to cut off my arm......do you suggest I do that in-front of my children, and so they will be forever traumatized and have a great role model to look up to. And you better believe me...if i saw some pervert hurting my child, i would never forgive myself if I did not at least try to kill him. And there is nothing more loving and wonderful Mar could do for me (his wife, a woman)...and no better way to demonstrate his love for me, than by going after the man who is trying to hurt me. And i hope he would also respect himself a lot more by doing that than by thinking about Jesus' rules, hell, and possibly missing out on a chance to spent his eternal after life sitting on a cloud, and next to other me who allowed some monster to violate their woman, while standing by and doing nothing. The thing is, that Jesus had just as much problems as anyone else....and he really was not very successful in his pursuit to teach 'man'...on the contrary, he accomplished the opposite. He did not have a self, and for someone like him , he only feels the pain in others, and as a witness, and not himself. In a way, a selfless person's way of being selfish is to be selfless. I know this man better than any other person i know...he was not that special..just not 'the norm'. and obviously, god is not that great of a father either. The first temptation Adam and eve came across, and they couldn't stop themselves from being human either. i would think you can figure out that the forbidden fruit was 'intercourse'. if I do not stop now, I never will. (I now understand....Mar)
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Katrin R. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 506 comments)
on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 9:39:06 PM
