In Reply to: Re: "sin".. posted by An SG on April 12, 2004 at 15:34:35:
now i get it. i appreciate your taking time to explain it. obviously, my "shorthand" did not communicate what i was trying to say too effectively either.
in the flow of the discussion, i was pointing out , by some qt.s i'd just recently read, the crux of the situation w/ "sin", from a theological and personal experience perspective. are you familiar w/ m. scott peck? i was fascinated to read how he came to trust in christ primarily thru recognizing as a secular psychiatrist, w/ no religious background, the the biblcal myth of the creation & fall, was the best explanation he had found to explain the human condition. there is both original grace and original sin, the optimistic/pessimistic perpectives spoken of, and i think, generally experienced by people that are even semiconcious.
as a 19 yr old, i could not really explain the theology of it all (despite 13+ yrs of catholic education,) but i sure knew something was gnawing away at my insides. and yes, seriously, that is what led me to seek a savior, and eventually have a lifechanging encounter w/ the spirit of christ. of course that is a unverifiable, subjective, and difficult to communicate concept. i guess the choir would relate better than those who's impression is formed thru a long encounter w/ a hollowed out shell of the reality called "the family." i have a slew of kid's that have lived w/ us from birth, and i haven't figured out how to effectively overcome the mass of evidence they observed in the unreality of the cult to tip the scales toward the step of faith that is essential to experience the reality of the risen christ. i confess that this issue is the single most frustrating dilemma in my life. all i can think to do is try to "witness" the inner realities as far as i experience them, and try , in my very imperfect way, to demonstrate the positive benefits of trusting in him. i guess i always post in that hope.
does it make a difference, and if so how? yes. a profound difference. a peace, tho not 100% consistent or unruffled, but that has seen me thru some things i do not believe i could have otherwise survived. and someone to ask forgiveness when i really really need it. and someone to thank when the sheer wonder and goodness of life sometimes just bowls me over.
pretty subjective. sounds like a canned commercial for christianity inc., perhaps. and maybe i've even overstated it a little, given my borderline lukewarm lifestyle. but what can i say? whoopdedoo, i am definitely glad to have opened my heart to him. "so with every eye closed, and every head bowed, choir, can we get a chorus of 'just as i am'.."
thanks for your thoughts. i appreciate the dialogue.