Another christian newsletter

[borrofburi]

I get these in my email once in a while. Most of the time they're pretty boring; sometimes they are more interesting and I repost (I mean, they are always encouraging me to share so that these magic emails will convert people...). I like this one because I have half a mind to respond with various "citation needed" phrases embedded in the original email:

There's a story in the Bible of a woman so traumatized by guilt that her tears literally bathe Jesus' feet. That woman's guilt was a healthy psychological response to her destructive lifestyle. Guilt is often a healthy psychological response to what you've done. If a business person cheats their partner, it's healthy for the cheater to have trouble sleeping. If you cheat on your taxes, it's healthy to fear the IRS. Of course, guilt can be an unhealthy psychological response to the fact that we live in a broken world. Children of divorce often have unhealthy guilt over their parent's divorce.

Guilt, both healthy and unhealthy, adds to the world's brokenness. Using porn makes people selfish and short-tempered, and de-humanizes others because they're viewed as objects rather than children of God. Consumer debt inhibits generosity and causes debtors to live anxiously rather than freely.

Jesus' forgiveness gave peace to a "sinful woman." Jesus' forgiveness will set you free from guilt, too.

It's important to note that Christ's teaching begins not with condemnation, or even correction. Jesus' teaching begins with blessing. He blesses the poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who are hated. Jesus goes out of His way to speak a blessing upon those who aren't experiencing blessing.

The account of this "sinful woman" weeping over her guilt is an intense image of what repentance. Self-righteous people don't feel a need for Jesus,they can take Him or leave Him. Humble, repentant people comprehend that they can't fix what they've done. Their desire for release from their guilt drives them to Jesus where they can receive forgiveness and so live in peace.

All people live with guilt, both unhealthy guilt and healthy. God in Christ brings forgiveness. He is anxious to say to all who humbly repent, "Your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved you; go in peace."

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

 

[Squawk]

Jebus Christ on a stick. Healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt, what a great concept.

 

[DepricatedZero]

 

[lrkun]

Well, porn is best enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. Otherwise, why bother watching? Might as well do some alebra problems.

Jesus blesses? What bible is that from? ... I must have missed that in Sunday school when I was a Christian drone. Jesus is like more like Lucifer rather than a Saint, since he did doubt the teachings of the heads of the church in his time (assuming the bible stories are true).

At any rate, there is nothing shameful with admiring the human body.

 

[nasher168]

Well, porn is best enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. Otherwise, why bother watching? Might as well do some alebra problems.

:lol: Somehow, the image of someone masturbating furiously over simultaneous equations doesn't quite work...

 

[lrkun]

Well, porn is best enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. Otherwise, why bother watching? Might as well do some alebra problems.

:lol: Somehow, the image of someone masturbating furiously over simultaneous equations doesn't quite work...

True. Then again, I can't claim to know what drives a person to do the act of onanism. ^^