by mrs violetI was reading in the book
Healing the Wounded: The Costly Love of Church Discipline that often churches and Christians are quick to criticize sexual sin because they see this as being a 'moral sin'. Yet there are many other sins that are let go in churches because people don't feel they are big enough to lovingly hold each other to account on.
The authors say that often we think that sexual sin seems to be of more importance to God in the hierarchy of sins because of how frequently it is mentioned in the New Testament. They suggest that this is not necessarily the case, but rather they are mentioned so frequently because so many people struggle with them.
The authors believe that we look for the obvious and let other things slide in our own lives. They go on to list the following sins from Proverbs 6:6-19 as being incredibly important to God also.
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
- Haughty eyes
- A lying tongue
- Hands that shed innocent blood
- A heart that devises wicked schemes
- Feet that are quick to rush into evil
- A false witness who pours out lies
- A man who stirs up dissension among brothers
Do Christians tend to emphasize some kinds of sin over others?
Comments (56)
I would argue that about 96% of Christians spend the vast majority of their time fretting and complaining about 3 or less specific sins and disregarding, or at least not caring about near as much, other sins of the same caliber in God's eyes. It's pretty annoying.
I think that they do and I dont think they necessarily do it on purpose, I think it doesnt really occur to them what really are horrible sins.
Paul gave several lists of seriously-wrong behavior, including the following:
quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder
20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
It's interesting that envy, gossip, discord, and selfish ambition are listed right there with sexual immorality, murder, and drunkenness as characteristics of those who are given over to wickedness and are outside the Kingdom of God.
The "religious right" in America tends to focus on the six passages about homosexuality and ignoring the hundreds about helping the poor, hungry and needy.
Without doubt. I find this topic related to the much-discussed homosexuals in Heaven entry.
We spend way too much time trying to identify and quantify these types of sin, while we're oppressing the poor at the same time! Washing the cup and drinking corruption.
Does God prefer a flamer that is kind to the homeless over a chaste oppressor? Which group did Jesus call a "pit of vipers"?
Many of those listed sins were poured onto my family at my parents' last church. The culprits: Elders, pastor, pastor's wife.
And the sad thing is, they still refuse to see it that way. In their eyes, they did no wrong. Instead of holding each other accountable (including my family), they spread hurtful rumors, lied and back stabbed.
I have seen this occur to many families from many different churches. I think we, as Christians, need to work on ourselves before we start pointing fingers at others' sins.
Specks and planks.
I saw a t-shirt that says Jesus hates the Yankees, but I'm not sure you can back that up biblically. I don't know, maybe you can.
chastity breeds insanity.. well it did when I tried it... sorry thats a bit off the point but it was the first thing to pop into my noggin.
We all have to have some self control, and humans in terms of sexual activity are booby trapped to procreate. We enjoy it so much so that it has to mentioned quite alot.
Without management, sexual urges are as bad as alcohol.
I didn't know God hated anything. Thought provoking post...
In answer to your question: yes.
I think that many Christians like to make a 'hierarchy' of sins. Homosexuality seems to be the favourite 'sin to end all sins' for many American Christians nowadays, while things like lying and gossiping are somehow seen as 'little ol' sins' that EVERYONE commits...so they're no big deal. I honestly think that most Christians like to make a hierarchy of sins to justify their own behaviour. As long as they're not committing the 'sin to end all sins' they feel like they're okay.
I think the list of sins is really a list of behavoirs that can be a result of sin which is seperation from God . The focus on those behavoirs rather than the reason for them is like treating a symptom of a disease but never curing the disease itself.
Seeing as God is supposedly "Omni-benevolent" (All loving), I would imagine It wouldn't "hate" anything/one.
These posts are just so annoyingly inspid and vacuous.
@Schristian@xanga - then don't read them. Because God is all loving, He is also all-just, and since He is so perfect, He can't stand sin. He HATES sin - regardless of how much He loves His creation. How do you interpret a verse like "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated?"
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - I second that.
@nicolevw@xanga - Their "insipidness" is what draws us evil unbelievers here in the first place, don't ya know?
i think part of the reason why homosexuals are such "easy targets" is because over the years, their voice has become louder. i'm sure it's such a hot topic now because of laws that have been passed allowing gay marriages. recently, gay marriages were allowed here in California (back in april, i think) and now i'm seeing propositions to reverse it.
somehow, people can justify all other sins because society in general doesn't deem them to be such a big deal. i wonder how many of the "anti-gay" arguments would spring up if more than half of the population were homosexuals?
i've said it before and i'll say it again: a sin is a sin is a sin. no "if's" or "but's" about it. where does "holding each other accountable" end and judging begin? i agree with Breath, it's all specks and planks when you really get down to it.
sometimes i find it easier or more accurate to identify myself as a sinner than a Christian. just calling it how i see it.
@Schristian@xanga - Regardless of what your imagination may suggest, according to the bible, God hates all kinds of things;
wickedness
divorce
injustice
idolatry (sacred stones)
The bible also refers to him as a jealous God.
@Theophilus166@xanga - hmmmmmmm not sure what you mean.
@Roadkill_Spatula@xanga - I agree.
@mrsviolet - [Regardless of what your imagination may suggest, according to the bible, God hates all kinds of things]
Is that meant to be sarcastic or bitter?
@mrsviolet - this is what I mean.
@Extremegoatmaster@xanga - neither at all.... just addressing the fact that we can conjure up all kinds of images of God, but his character is shown to us in his word.
@Schristian@xanga - Sorry if I came across as bitter and sarcastic, that was not my intent. I did however want to address the issue of how we can not rely upon our imagination when it comes to God. Please forgive me if I have caused offense.
@Theophilus166@xanga - I am sorry, where you addressing me when you wanted me to justify it biblically? Or was it just a general thing? Forgive me I am a little confused.
@mrsviolet - nevermind, it was all a joke.
@mrsviolet - Okay. I'll admit that I've never been perfect either. It does strike me as odd however that an all-loving god could hate. Would you care to explain?
@Extremegoatmaster@xanga - I'll take a crack at it.
Let's say that you love someone--say, for instance, your daughter--more than anything in the world. And say someone maliciously harms your daughter. Our natural, knee-jerk response is hatred, if not toward the person that hurt your daughter, at least toward the action that hurt her.
Hatred is linked, in a way, to love: you hate that which damages/hurts/destroys that which you love.
God hates sin, these seven in particular, for two reasons:
1) Sin is defined as that which is against the will and character of God. Lies are sin because God's being embodies truth; injustice is sin because God's being embodies justice, ect. It is literally against his nature; and thus we, as sinful beings, are separated from communion with God. God hates sin because it separates those he loves (us) from himself.
2) Sin harms the sinner (us). All these "rules" God set down over the millennia aren't arbitrary--God isn't a cosmic killjoy--but for our benefit, to protect us from various things. God hates sin because it harms his beloved (us).
oh dear. i think sin is a contrust of man. god dosen't hate anything. it's up to YOU to learn what you believe to be right and wrong. also, did god tell you he hates these things? do you speak to god? i dislike it when people try to speak for god. you just can't speak for the devine as a human being. all you can do is say 'this is what i think is right and wrong.'
@no_more_grace@xanga - Agreed. Of all the things that could lead to sin, when did homosexuality become PUBLIC ENEMY #1? Geez, some of the day you almost wonder if the Far Right feels that homosexuality is like some sort of air borne virus.