Basically good or bad?
A common point of debate among theologians focuses on the question, are human beings basically good or basically evil? The hinge upon which the argument turns is the word "basically." It is a virtual universal consensus that nobody is perfect. We accept the maxim: "To err is human."
The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Despite this verdict on human shortcomings, the idea persists in our humanistically dominated culture that sin is something peripheral or tangential to our nature. Indeed, we are flawed by sin. Our moral records exhibit blemishes. But somehow we think that our evil deeds reside at the rim or edge of our character and never penetrate to the core. Basically, it is assumed, people are inherently good.
After being rescued from captivity in Iraq and experiencing firsthand the corrupt methods of Saddam Hussein, one American hostage remarked, "Despite all that I endured I never lost my confidence in the basic goodness of people." Perhaps this view rests in part on a sliding scale of the relative goodness or wickedness of people. Obviously some people are far more wicked than others. Next to Saddam Hussein or Adolf Hitler the ordinary run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint. But if we lift our gaze to the ultimate standard of goodness - the holy character of God - we realize that what appears to be a basic goodness on an earthly level is corrupt to the core..
The Bible teaches the total depravity of the human race. There is no part of us that is left untouched by sin. Our minds, our wills, and our bodies are affected by evil. We speak sinful words, do sinful deeds, have impure thoughts. Our very bodies suffer from the ravages of sin (old age, disease, and death).
Only by the power of the Holy Spirit may we be brought out of this state of spiritual death.
************************************************************************************
The above passage means than humans on earth who are born into ignorance (of how they originated, who is God, where is God, why we exist, etc. as opposed to born in perfect and complete knowledge) are basically BAD. Not bad, actually; depraved. Humans enjoy sports where people get hurt, treating that as enjoyment, watching women being raped on TV in movies, hurting others for their own personal comforts and satisfaction, even being compassionate only when it favors them and losing all compassion completely when faced with a trying situation where personal interests are compromised in doing the "right" thing.
Even the "so-called" morals are as temporary as the life of these species. Morals prove superficial when personal comforts and sense gratification are under attack. The thing is: Morals are for their own sake, not for our own sake. They are to be taken shelter of always, not just when it suits us. Why morals exist is another story.
Why are we like this? And why do we not feel this way about ourselves (that we are completely corrupt to the core, the biggest cheaters and completely depraved) although it is true? Because we are conditioned souls who rebelled against the authority of the same God who created us. Thats why we have a planet full of hypocrites:
I love God, I worship Him everyday (in return for His favour that my health and life and money increase to MY satisfaction), because love is all about take and take.
I pray to God everyday! What a divine person I am!
and last but not the least: I am so great that I actually acknowledge God exists, bow down to my amazing wisdom. I have adjusted this life in such a way that even though I claim to believe God exists I can completely ignore Him - whoever He is anyway, and live anyhow without wanting to know why I am here or what the hell is going on here or why is everyone so.... depraved?
Less worse hypocrites are those who admit the truth: Why is God the king, why can't I be the King and the supreme enjoyer? I am jealous of God. At least they are honest that they HATE Him and are jealous of Him. They are probably the only ones who have the answer to why we are here, albeit unknowingly.
Why should I believe in God and pretend I like Him? God doesn't exist (and neither does He want to exist for you and be there for you - you don't need Him, well, guess what? He doesn't need you either).
The Stupidest of the lot says: I am God. We are all God. I love being God because that makes me perfect (as per definition) no matter how depraved I am, no matter what little control I have on my anger, genitals, lust, desires, mind and senses. Even though I may be a third class intoxicated idiot - believe me - I am God.
Then there are delusional people who assume God is just like them, full of imperfections, get some satisfaction from this exercise. They can feel good about themselves, finally. I'm a good person, you know, I am GREAT, in fact look at God - He's worse off than me - He is really perverted and depraved. I am so nice. It's Him who should be feeling guilty about existing without any reason - not me.
The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Despite this verdict on human shortcomings, the idea persists in our humanistically dominated culture that sin is something peripheral or tangential to our nature. Indeed, we are flawed by sin. Our moral records exhibit blemishes. But somehow we think that our evil deeds reside at the rim or edge of our character and never penetrate to the core. Basically, it is assumed, people are inherently good.
After being rescued from captivity in Iraq and experiencing firsthand the corrupt methods of Saddam Hussein, one American hostage remarked, "Despite all that I endured I never lost my confidence in the basic goodness of people." Perhaps this view rests in part on a sliding scale of the relative goodness or wickedness of people. Obviously some people are far more wicked than others. Next to Saddam Hussein or Adolf Hitler the ordinary run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint. But if we lift our gaze to the ultimate standard of goodness - the holy character of God - we realize that what appears to be a basic goodness on an earthly level is corrupt to the core..
The Bible teaches the total depravity of the human race. There is no part of us that is left untouched by sin. Our minds, our wills, and our bodies are affected by evil. We speak sinful words, do sinful deeds, have impure thoughts. Our very bodies suffer from the ravages of sin (old age, disease, and death).
Only by the power of the Holy Spirit may we be brought out of this state of spiritual death.
************************************************************************************
The above passage means than humans on earth who are born into ignorance (of how they originated, who is God, where is God, why we exist, etc. as opposed to born in perfect and complete knowledge) are basically BAD. Not bad, actually; depraved. Humans enjoy sports where people get hurt, treating that as enjoyment, watching women being raped on TV in movies, hurting others for their own personal comforts and satisfaction, even being compassionate only when it favors them and losing all compassion completely when faced with a trying situation where personal interests are compromised in doing the "right" thing.
Even the "so-called" morals are as temporary as the life of these species. Morals prove superficial when personal comforts and sense gratification are under attack. The thing is: Morals are for their own sake, not for our own sake. They are to be taken shelter of always, not just when it suits us. Why morals exist is another story.
Why are we like this? And why do we not feel this way about ourselves (that we are completely corrupt to the core, the biggest cheaters and completely depraved) although it is true? Because we are conditioned souls who rebelled against the authority of the same God who created us. Thats why we have a planet full of hypocrites:
I love God, I worship Him everyday (in return for His favour that my health and life and money increase to MY satisfaction), because love is all about take and take.
I pray to God everyday! What a divine person I am!
and last but not the least: I am so great that I actually acknowledge God exists, bow down to my amazing wisdom. I have adjusted this life in such a way that even though I claim to believe God exists I can completely ignore Him - whoever He is anyway, and live anyhow without wanting to know why I am here or what the hell is going on here or why is everyone so.... depraved?
Less worse hypocrites are those who admit the truth: Why is God the king, why can't I be the King and the supreme enjoyer? I am jealous of God. At least they are honest that they HATE Him and are jealous of Him. They are probably the only ones who have the answer to why we are here, albeit unknowingly.
Why should I believe in God and pretend I like Him? God doesn't exist (and neither does He want to exist for you and be there for you - you don't need Him, well, guess what? He doesn't need you either).
The Stupidest of the lot says: I am God. We are all God. I love being God because that makes me perfect (as per definition) no matter how depraved I am, no matter what little control I have on my anger, genitals, lust, desires, mind and senses. Even though I may be a third class intoxicated idiot - believe me - I am God.
Then there are delusional people who assume God is just like them, full of imperfections, get some satisfaction from this exercise. They can feel good about themselves, finally. I'm a good person, you know, I am GREAT, in fact look at God - He's worse off than me - He is really perverted and depraved. I am so nice. It's Him who should be feeling guilty about existing without any reason - not me.
posted by Vyoma at Saturday, November 10, 2007
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