Gregg

Apparently a priest in the Kansas City area has been accused of child molestation about 10 yrs. after the fact. The TV news showed a couple of his flock defending him. One, a young mother with a baby, said something like "We know that the Devil especially tries to tempt men of the cloth, so he needs our understanding and support."

Yes, the Devil makes them do it.

Gregg

K

I also heard one minister claim that Christians were tempted by sins of the flesh more than others. He said it was because Christians are unique in this world in that they have so much love for everyone. All I could think was, "ok, this guy's cheating on his wife."

I ate Pascal's Wafer

LOL!!

I wonder how many times he's pulled that argument on his wife when she found him in an affair?

-Nick

Shake

Wife walks in to find hubby on top of another woman. ...
WIFE: Dear! How COULD you?!
HUBBY: Sweetheart! I don't know what's come over me ... the Devil must have overcome me. Please forgive me after I finish having my way with this vile temptress.
WIFE: Oh, you're right, it must be the Devil! I'll go put some coffee on for you. See you in a few minutes!

I ate Pascal's Wafer

LMAO!!

The unfortunate thing is that I wouldn't be very surprised if it actually happened like that.

-Nick

Captain Pedantic

So I am told that I have never heard the word of God because I haven't opened my heart enough. Fair enough, I suppose. But it now seems that opening your heart to God also allows Satan to get in more easily, as well.

A Catch-22 for the religious community, no? Presumably, a religious person would want to avoid the evils of Satan - and it turns out that the best way to do this is to avoid God as well.

It's just as well I don't believe in either of them, really. And it's a pitiful excuse for attacking people and having affairs.

Steven Carr

<a href="http://www.damaris.org/discuss/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=Damarisstudygroups&Num ber=167&page=1&view=expanded&sb=5&o=" target="_blank">http://www.damaris.org/discuss/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=Damarisstudygroups&Num ber=167&page=1&view=expanded&sb=5&o=</a>

Christians (in this case Nick Pollard) also say

'A Christian worldview would say...
- a Christian is not affected in this way by such demonic influences (as the Bible says "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness" Colossians 1:13)
- someone who is not yet a Christian can be affected in such a way - is that why I meet so many non-Christians who seem to have a blindspot for the Christian message??'

So as Christians are immune from Satanic attack, they cannot use that as an excuse.

HelenM

It's scary when people have an excuse ready-prepared ahead of time for whatever sin they want to commit

Like the days of 'indulgences' only this is a self-granted verbal one.

I've never heard any Christian leader actually say this - I'm glad to say. I'm disappointed that you have...

Helen

Steven Carr

In Chapter 48 Verse 2 of the Qu'ran, Muhammad was the first person to recite that God would forgive Muhammad of any sins that he had committed and any sins that he would commit in the future :- 'That Allah may forgive thee of thy sin that which is past and that which is to come, and may perfect His favour unto thee, and may guide thee on a right path'.

It must have been a strange feeling for Muhammad as he declared that the Creator of the Universe would forgive him for anything that he ever did and ever would do, no matter what it was.

HelenM

To be fair - since this is essentially what many Christians believe - not everyone takes that to mean 'therefore go and sin as much as you like'. They still would do their best to try not to sin but it means that they aren't afraid that God's acceptance of them is conditioned on them having a perfect track record - which they know is impossible.

It's like if a parent takes a child and says "I really hope that you never do such-and-such. If you do I might be disappointed in you, or angry with you; I won't pretend it won't upset me. But I want you to know that I'm not going to disown you, regardless".

So the child knows the parent's support is not conditioned on behavior but he/she also knows that the parent cares about the way he/she lives.

And perhaps in there, the parent will say he/she recognizes that in the end, the child has the right to make his/her own choices.

But since 'sin' is the issue, I'm thinking more of things that are generally agreed to be wrong in their subculture - maybe things that are illegal. Not just "we may not agree on what to wear" - those kinds of things.

So - it's only some people who would consciously see "I forgive you everything" as a license/excuse to sin.

Others would appreciate the unconditional support in that statement but would still do their very best not to sin anyway.

Although - I do wonder if it's really possible not to subconsciously have lower standards, if you believe that you'll be forgiven...

But even if such a promise does lower peoples' standards of behavior subconsciously, I still think that the alternative "behave or else" is worse because it's attempting to make people behave through intimidation. And I'd rather not see people motivated by fear of punishment if there are any other options.

Helen