B
Bartolome_Casas
Guest
Is selfishness the essence of all sin?
Think of these various sinful situations:
(1) The man who has sex with a string of women, leading them all one by making them think he might marry them, but has no such intention at all. Isn’t the sin here just the selfishness? The pleasures of sex are not a sin. The sin is that the man has not made a real commitment in marriage to love, cherish and support any of these women before taking pleasure from them. Right?
(2) The man who spends every waking minute to making more and more money, even though he already has more than enough to raise and educate his kids and provide a retirement for his wife and himself. Isn’t the sin here just the selfishness of wanting the status of being known as rich. Making money itself is not a sin. It is the vainglorious desire to be a “big shot” in the eyes of society, rather than dedicating one’s life to serving God and neighbor, that makes the sin. Right?
As I see it, in this country, the Left Wing generally promotes SELFISHNESS in form of the inordinate pursuit of FLESHLY (Golden Calf) pleasures.
The Right Wing generally promotes SELFISHNESS in the form of the inordinate pursuit of MAMMON (monetary) pleasures.
The “Catholic Wings” on the Angel of the LORD by contrast calls us to give up selfishness in ALL forms. Right?
When I read the New Testament, I again and again see JESUS CHRIST, and ST. PAUL and the other writers, promoting, in essence, UNselfishness.
That seems to be the CORE of what the WAY OF CHRIST is all about. Right?
Just recall how St. Paul wrote this:
“Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Romans 13:10.
Just re-read the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, the passage read at wedding (but which really isn’t meant for marriage specifically but for the entire Christian life). Here are some parts:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
When LORD JESUS was asked what is the greatest commandment, remember his answer? Love God, love neighbor. He kept it very simple. He didn’t announce that anyone had to adhere to dogmas or rituals. He was no Pharisee.
The whole New Testament , and the Lives of the Saints, seem to scream out that underlying essence of all sin is SELFISHNESS.
All the chaos in the world, in families, in politics, in businesses, in military hot zones, in parishes, in dioceses, and so on, is not this all just the results of selfishness of souls?
Isn’t the solution to all this for people to REPENT and CONVERT to the WAY OF UNSELFISHNESS, also know as AGAPE (Christian) LOVE?
Right or wrong? True or false?
Think of these various sinful situations:
(1) The man who has sex with a string of women, leading them all one by making them think he might marry them, but has no such intention at all. Isn’t the sin here just the selfishness? The pleasures of sex are not a sin. The sin is that the man has not made a real commitment in marriage to love, cherish and support any of these women before taking pleasure from them. Right?
(2) The man who spends every waking minute to making more and more money, even though he already has more than enough to raise and educate his kids and provide a retirement for his wife and himself. Isn’t the sin here just the selfishness of wanting the status of being known as rich. Making money itself is not a sin. It is the vainglorious desire to be a “big shot” in the eyes of society, rather than dedicating one’s life to serving God and neighbor, that makes the sin. Right?
As I see it, in this country, the Left Wing generally promotes SELFISHNESS in form of the inordinate pursuit of FLESHLY (Golden Calf) pleasures.
The Right Wing generally promotes SELFISHNESS in the form of the inordinate pursuit of MAMMON (monetary) pleasures.
The “Catholic Wings” on the Angel of the LORD by contrast calls us to give up selfishness in ALL forms. Right?
When I read the New Testament, I again and again see JESUS CHRIST, and ST. PAUL and the other writers, promoting, in essence, UNselfishness.
That seems to be the CORE of what the WAY OF CHRIST is all about. Right?
Just recall how St. Paul wrote this:
“Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Romans 13:10.
Just re-read the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, the passage read at wedding (but which really isn’t meant for marriage specifically but for the entire Christian life). Here are some parts:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
When LORD JESUS was asked what is the greatest commandment, remember his answer? Love God, love neighbor. He kept it very simple. He didn’t announce that anyone had to adhere to dogmas or rituals. He was no Pharisee.
The whole New Testament , and the Lives of the Saints, seem to scream out that underlying essence of all sin is SELFISHNESS.
All the chaos in the world, in families, in politics, in businesses, in military hot zones, in parishes, in dioceses, and so on, is not this all just the results of selfishness of souls?
Isn’t the solution to all this for people to REPENT and CONVERT to the WAY OF UNSELFISHNESS, also know as AGAPE (Christian) LOVE?
Right or wrong? True or false?