What the Scriptures mean , not to love the world?

[Athanasiy]

How to justify the dancing , card playing , rock music , and the involvement in the secular affairs
with the words from the Scriptures :

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 Jn 2:15) ???
Thank you.

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

How to justify the dancing , card playing , rock music , and the involvement in the secular affairs
with the words from the Scriptures :

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 Jn 2:15) ???
Thank you.

From www.usccb.org:

[15] The world: all that is hostile toward God and alienated from him. Love of the world and love of God are thus mutually exclusive; cf James 4:4.

James 4:4 Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

I think that it is important to look at verse 16 which states “For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.”

Again from usccb.org:

[16] Sensual lust: literally, “the lust of the flesh,” inordinate desire for physical gratification. Enticement for the eyes: literally, “the lust of the eyes,” avarice or covetousness; the eyes are regarded as the windows of the soul. Pretentious life: literally, “pride of life,” arrogance or ostentation in one’s earthly style of life that reflects a willful independence from God and others.

I really cannot say it better than they did.

 

[Athanasiy]

Thank you very much for your answer Mirror
Is it possible to turn the question in the other way in order to understand your answer better ?.

Why the dancing , card playing , rock music , and all general involvement in the secular affairs ; can not be called as a sinful ?
And in what way , if they are not sinful , they can be called spiritual ?

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

Thank you very much for your answer Mirror
Is it possible to turn the question in the other way in order to understand your answer better ?.

Why the dancing , card playing , rock music , and all general involvement in the secular affairs ; can not be called as a sinful ?
And in what way , if they are not sinful , they can be called spiritual ?

Personally, I do not view them as inherently sinful. A lot will rest upon the person that is involved. I feel that the acts when performed in a proper manner can be good and even beneficial to those that participate. Dancing is a wonderful expression and even good exercise. Card playing generally involves fellowship. Rock music can be driven towards God in the lyrics that are contained.

Mind you all three things mentioned above can become sinful, but in and of themselves they are not. It is the person that is participating in that act that can make them a sinful act.

Can the acts be spiritual? Sure. In the bible it mentions leaping and dancing for the Lord. Again, there is fellowship in card playing, it is not all about gambling and winning and losing. Rock music as I mentioned does have bands that promote God and Christianity, even Catholicism.

 

[Athanasiy]

I am acustomed to think that every thing that doesn’t involve God’s service is sinful.
Whatever I did , I would hear the warning of the more spiritual friend , why don’t you pray instead ?
Why don’t you read the Bible instead ?
Why don’t you preach and doing that or that vain thing ?

Of course its good to be the maximalist in the life , and to consider the life as a ministry and ministry as a life, but I am sure that the creator of beauty and the innocent pleasures of life , does not created us feelingless and unearthly.

When the Evangelical preachers have a Evangelization , they always point at conserts , secular music , dancing and gambling
as a things which are totally opposite to the spiritual.
And always the argumentative verse is quoted from the Scriptures : “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 Jn 2:15)

 

[Nita]

Hi Athanaisy,

As MirrorMirror pointed out, dancing, card playing, secular music etc. are not necessarily sinful. However, they are if:

1. they become more meaningful in your life than God;
2. an inordinate amount of time in your life is spent on them;
3. they express something sinful. For example:

**card playing **(if played for money does it lead you to greed or neglect of family duties, etc)
**music **(if the words are contrary to God’s will; vulgar; degrading, etc)
dancing (if the moves are suggestive; meant to arouse sexual desires in oneself and/or one’s partner).

Generally, a good rule is to ask yourself whether Jesus would like what you are doing - the way you are doing it. Is it something you can offer to Jesus that would please Him.

Nita

 

[Ne_OrangeKnight]

I am acustomed to think that every thing that doesn’t involve God’s service is sinful.
Whatever I did , I would hear the warning of the more spiritual friend , why don’t you pray instead ?
Why don’t you read the Bible instead ?
Why don’t you preach and doing that or that vain thing ?

Well, it all depends how you interpret “involve God’s service.”

Here’s a concrete example: I really like rock ‘n’ roll, so if, for example, a Tom Petty song comes on the radio, it’s not uncommon for me to thank God for the chance to hear it. God also gave me a great singing voice, so when I sing along with what’s on the radio, I try to give glory to Him for the talents that He gave me. I can’t imagine that He’s displeased with me just because I’m not listening to the Christian music station instead.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

 

[Nita]

Have been thinking about your situation some more.
This is just my personal advice, so you might like to check it out with a priest.

I would say, if your conscience bothers you at all about doing any of these things, heed your conscience (since it is certainly not sinful to refrain from any of these activities).

It is never good to go against your conscience (unless it is telling you to do something Scripture and the Church definitely say is sinful). Your conscience may be misinformed about the sinfulness of these things, but acting contrary to your conscience can lead to deadening yourself to its voice or feeling comfortable in ignoring it.

Then, I would say, continue to pray about it; ask God to lead you to the truth about whether or not it is sinful.

Much of the music and dancing today is immodest and sinful. Unfortunately many who participate don’t even seem to recognize its sinfulness; their consciences have been deadened by our culture which continually tells them its okay.

Nita

 

[VociMike]

How to justify the dancing , card playing , rock music , and the involvement in the secular affairs
with the words from the Scriptures :

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 Jn 2:15) ???
Thank you.

Notice how this contrasts the love of the world with the love of the Father. This passage is just another statement that no person can have two masters (found in both Matthew and Luke):

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

We cannot love both the world and God. That does not mean, however, that if we love God we cannot take great (but properly moderated) enjoyment out of the world he has made.