That's the basic Christian worldview, all humans are sinful by nature (the concept of original sin) and you can't resolve that by simply trying harder and implementing better laws. You have to take human nature into account when trying to build a viable society. Anyone who has studied especially the Communist history of the 20th century …
That's the basic Christian worldview, all humans are sinful by nature (the concept of original sin) and you can't resolve that by simply trying harder and implementing better laws. You have to take human nature into account when trying to build a viable society. Anyone who has studied especially the Communist history of the 20th century knows what absolute atrocities are born out of utopian ideas and grand ideologies. Progressive ideology isn't different, it sounds great but it can not withstand the reality of human nature.
This is one area where the Christian view and the scientific align.
Christianity says we’re born in sin. Science says we’re animals. By either view, unless we BOTH readily acknowledge our innate tendencies AND strive to rise above them, we’ll do evil / act as the self-serving pack animals we are.
By accepting that by our nature we are not good, we’re that much more likely to question whether our feelings and actions are as good and pure (and valid) as we feel and believe they are.
Conversely, if you instead believe you are good and pure by nature, it follows that you’ll trust that your heart and mind will never lead you astray.
Jesus Christ believed humans were both malleable (“You need to be reborn”) and perfectible (“Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect”). No one can say Jesus Christ wasn’t one to “take human nature into account.” His vision vis-a-vis the perfectibility of humans, and hence society, was unconstrained. He believed perfection was possible, indeed, mandatory.
Perfectable only through Him, otherwise His sacrifice was unnecessary. Only the most cursory reading of the Bible would lead someone to believe in an unconstrained world view. He believed we should strive for perfection, but that we’re unable to attain it.
If we could attain perfection on our own, the law of the Old Testament would have been sufficient. Nobody was able to keep all of the laws, so we have to be faithful but also realistic.
Nehemiah 4:9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
The so-called "Old Testament" does not say that one is supposed to attain perfection on one's own. Rather, it comes through prayer and seeking God's help and through the hard work of examining oneself and taking concrete steps to improve one's character traits (such as envy, greed, lust, etc.) There is no magical "saving" by saying "I accept You, I'm saved!" No, it's through prayer AND hard work on oneself!
Well put! I have a friend with an "unconstrained" worldview - this idea that all humans are inherently good - and it is fascinating to see the way that she parents her young children. Any time her child acts out she takes the blame on herself for putting her child in a situation in which she would act that way. Over time she's had to concede that it is impossible to accommodate all of her daughter's misbehavior and it's left her confused and frustrated that "negative outside influences" have tainted her children. It seems exhausting!
Parenting is hard. It's being kind but firm in enforcing reasonable expectations of behavior. Too many people with children today have replaced parenting with coddling and letting the child set the rules. The ultimate expression of this is believing it's best to "affirm" your child when he or she says they want to change genders. The woke say, if you object, the state should take your kid away.
That's the basic Christian worldview, all humans are sinful by nature (the concept of original sin) and you can't resolve that by simply trying harder and implementing better laws. You have to take human nature into account when trying to build a viable society. Anyone who has studied especially the Communist history of the 20th century knows what absolute atrocities are born out of utopian ideas and grand ideologies. Progressive ideology isn't different, it sounds great but it can not withstand the reality of human nature.
This is one area where the Christian view and the scientific align.
Christianity says we’re born in sin. Science says we’re animals. By either view, unless we BOTH readily acknowledge our innate tendencies AND strive to rise above them, we’ll do evil / act as the self-serving pack animals we are.
By accepting that by our nature we are not good, we’re that much more likely to question whether our feelings and actions are as good and pure (and valid) as we feel and believe they are.
Conversely, if you instead believe you are good and pure by nature, it follows that you’ll trust that your heart and mind will never lead you astray.
Even as you celebrate a massacre.
That’s it in a nutshell. Sadly, there’s too many that can’t accept that reality and truth. We are flawed by nature accept it learn to manage it.
Yes, those silly humans get in the way of a morally righteous objective.
Jesus Christ believed humans were both malleable (“You need to be reborn”) and perfectible (“Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect”). No one can say Jesus Christ wasn’t one to “take human nature into account.” His vision vis-a-vis the perfectibility of humans, and hence society, was unconstrained. He believed perfection was possible, indeed, mandatory.
Perfectable only through Him, otherwise His sacrifice was unnecessary. Only the most cursory reading of the Bible would lead someone to believe in an unconstrained world view. He believed we should strive for perfection, but that we’re unable to attain it.
If we could attain perfection on our own, the law of the Old Testament would have been sufficient. Nobody was able to keep all of the laws, so we have to be faithful but also realistic.
Nehemiah 4:9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
The so-called "Old Testament" does not say that one is supposed to attain perfection on one's own. Rather, it comes through prayer and seeking God's help and through the hard work of examining oneself and taking concrete steps to improve one's character traits (such as envy, greed, lust, etc.) There is no magical "saving" by saying "I accept You, I'm saved!" No, it's through prayer AND hard work on oneself!
Perhaps not: "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
But not with human means. Only via the spirit.
Yes!
Well put! I have a friend with an "unconstrained" worldview - this idea that all humans are inherently good - and it is fascinating to see the way that she parents her young children. Any time her child acts out she takes the blame on herself for putting her child in a situation in which she would act that way. Over time she's had to concede that it is impossible to accommodate all of her daughter's misbehavior and it's left her confused and frustrated that "negative outside influences" have tainted her children. It seems exhausting!
Parenting is hard. It's being kind but firm in enforcing reasonable expectations of behavior. Too many people with children today have replaced parenting with coddling and letting the child set the rules. The ultimate expression of this is believing it's best to "affirm" your child when he or she says they want to change genders. The woke say, if you object, the state should take your kid away.
Your friend needs an intervention.
Before the cancer claims her children.
Believe it; I lost my daughter.
I'm sorry to hear that. That must be so painful. :(
Words cannot describe. Teen girls are particularly susceptible to the TikTok path to self destruction in its innumerable permutations.
I pray for her to come back to you and to a family…