the monk has another chance

[AsceticmonkParticipant 846]

i am a Christian monk. a terrible one.

i try hard a lot to please God and do right to people. sometimes i succeed and sometimes i fail. doing wrong is not ok, sin is not ok. but i believe God forgives me and will help me do better if i keep trying.

i feel bad when i wrong God or other people, because i know how it feels when someone wrongs me or hurts me, and i don’t want God or others to feel that way because of my wrong actions or carelessness.

i believe any monk, either formal monks in the monastery or informal monks trying to live single in the world, any monk who has learning does not consider himself wise.

i used to think i was wise. i was wrong. with clarity and experience, i can see i am very unwise and i am a sinner.

the man who sees clearly knows he is evil, and only does some good. the man who sees clearly about God that He exists, that He is both loving and just, fears God because the man who sees clearly knows he is evil and deserves to be destroyed by a Holy God.

God knows people fear Him and He takes pity. but He cannot tolerate sin.

we need Jesus Christ and His forgiveness not to be damned.

the experience of the monk is dealing with many things, privately, alone. alone with God who sees everything.

part of this experience is trying to deal with guilt in a healthy way.

the monk knows the Word of God is true, and the Father of Jesus Christ is God. the monk knows he is a sinner, he tries hard, but still fails.

sin is not ok. much teaching in the church is wrong. we need to be rescued from not only the consequences of our sin, but we need God to transform us to be rescued from THE DESIRE to sin.

the clearer a monk sees the more he sees that he is not good or wise. the monk that sees clearly sees how evil he is, because he knows the Word more and more and knows how sinful he is.

this is frightening because God is just. the monk knows he needs pardon, the monk knows he is a sinner, who has violated a Holy, good and loving God over, and over and over again.

the monk feels fear and begs God for forgiveness. God is tender and kind and knows the monk is afraid, and trying, but the monk isn’t good enough on his own.

the loving God of the universe reaches down from heaven, forgives the monk and restores him.

the monk is no longer dead in sin, he is pardoned again and has new life in Christ Jesus. the monk has another chance to convince God to include him in the loving family of heaven for all eternity.

the monk has another chance.

[bladeParticipant]

That was a nice read . Forgiveness of others wrongs and recognizing my own wrongs

THE PLANTATION HAS NOW TURNED INTO THE KILLING FIELDS . WOMAN ARE NOW ROLLING CAMBODIAN STYLE .

[StealthParticipant 5341]

Asceticmonk, I always value your posts and look forward to reading them.
I was a devout Christian well into adulthood. It is interesting to compare the perspectives of Christian guilt versus being a man going his own way. Depending on how one approaches each, there can be a big difference between the two, or not. I tend to think the way of Christian guilt is a problem within Christianity designed to keep men reliant on the church, rather than growing into maturity as a godlike decision-maker for his own life.

Theologically speaking, there is a spectrum as to the interpreation of how we should live our lives in relation to the doctrine of original sin, from constant fear and trembling at one end, where the Christian is taught he is guilty from the start for everything he ever does, says, or thinks, and sins constantly… to Wesleyan puritanism at the other, which takes the approach we are to be holy as Christ is holy and has called us to live, and that we have put behind the life of the flesh, and no longer sin as we grow into maturity in Christ. Everyone finds their own place on this spectrum based largely on what they think sin is. I tend toward the latter end, which emphasizes responsibility and free will, and Christian freedom. I used to ask Christians who claimed they sinned daily, did you murder today? Commit adultery? Lie? Steal. “No…” theirs was not actual sinning, but an attitude of constant guilt that kept them in a volatile psychological framework. From my own journey with God I have learned for myself that is ultimately not as healthy.

When we look at the concept of being a man, it involves virtues like personal responsibility, confidence, action, deciding for yourself. Being godlike in the classical sense. The pagans had this down. Their heroes were capable of attaining divinity through perfecting themselves, and their gods had very humanlike qualities. The boundary between god and heroic man was not as clear cut. The Christian traditions which emphasize humility (a franciscan virtue from the middle ages) try to undo this older tradition. It’s my opinion that something more natural & primal is lost in the process—which might have been their point.

Anyway, it’s a great topic which I’m glad you bring up. Being a modern Christian man means bearing a wide array of contradictory messages. Original sin is one of those that I don’t buy into heavily, since life to me has always been good, and find myself more free because of it. Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has long ago approved what you do, Eccl 9:7. Relating to God as parental moral figure helps with moral education, but it’s my view that at some point that ends and you get to lay down the law yourself when you become an adult man. Then you converse with God, and sometimes He even listens to you.

"Once you’ve taken care of the basics, there’s very little in this world for which your life is worth deferring." -David Hansson. "It’s not when women are mean or nasty that anything is out of the ordinary. It’s when they are NICE to you that you have to be on high alert..." -Jackinov.

[Branched offParticipant 10934]

Thanks for this, it is an interesting read. The monastic life must be a very interesting one in which one contemplates ones limitations a lot.

The concept of sin does vary a lot across faiths, even significantly among Christians as stealth points out very well.

I was raised as a Christian, left at 23, and tried three times to return to it as an adult but my last relapse ended when I decided I was done after pope Benedict the 16th offered a plenary indulgence to all who went to Lourdes that year. It was so arbitrary. There I was trying hard not to sin because it was a bad business that would send me to hell and here was the leader of the Christian church saying that if I took a holiday that year to a place in France, it would not matter if I had killed 1000s of men and sold their virgin daughters into slavery as whores, I would still be allowed into heaven. However a poor man who could not afford to travel to Lourdes that year might not be so lucky if he had popped down the whore house just once.

I am interested in the classical idea of sin. There is not a lot that is really a sin in classical terms. The only sinners that the gods punish are those who commit crimes against close family members or who think they are equal to or better than the gods. It is not to say that murder is a good thing in classical terms but it is a matter for men to pass judgement on, not the gods. Killing a man, for example, can be appropriate and even our cucked up law permits it today in certain circumstances. However to kill a close family member unless in self defense is never good because one is effectively harming one’s own genes, it goes against nature. The gods only care that men live as men and do not transgress against nature, men can then regulate their own sphere as they see fit. This suits me going my own way- I am the arbiter of right and wrong. I must take responsibility for my choices. It is a very big sin in Christian terms but it makes more sense to me than an imposed code, imposed by people who have not lived my life and may have been dead for millennia.

I still respect serious Christians a great deal. They are more serious and dedicated people than I am and that I admire.

A woman is like fire -fun to play with, can warm you through and cook your food, needs constant feeding, can burn you and consume all you own

[Gravel PitParticipant]

Hermit and Collin will be here in about 8 hours… I’d bet my paycheck on it.

As long as you’re not spewing some Muslime crap, I’m in your corner pal. Go full-on Jesus Freak

I attend AA meetings, that’s as much religion as I can take. We hold hands and recite the Lord’s Prayer for unity.
My personal opinion is whether this universe is run by Gravity or by God, the point is that I don’t run it.

The more I try to control the outcome, the more it becomes uncontrollable, the more I suffer mentally and emotionally as a result… The solution is to let the God of Gravity do His thing… Resistance is FUTILE lol.

Your will, God’s Will — same thing when you’re using the Serenity Prayer properly.
Serenity to accept what I cant change, Courage to change what I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

Sorry I cant be any more pious than that… but you have my sympathies gents.

[Dark KenshiParticipant 2132]

I respect the gods and Buddhas, but I do not depend on them, for anything.

The only one I can depend on is myself. Will I trample in a lot of faiths teachings? Yes.
Do I care? No.
Why? Because their faiths and dogmas are out of my control. My actions is something I can control and I thoroughly do so, therefore, I always seek virtue and weed out my own vices. How can I keep up with something that wants me to feel guilty, who wants to hold me down, who teaches me that being a sheep, not a wolf, is the better way to live?

I am not sheep. I don’t follow. I am my own man, my own master.
If god himself comes down to Earth and commands me to do something, and that thing is out of my control, I am really sorry, but god will be left wanting. I do not bother with things out of my control.

The problem with our mindset these days, is that much is spoken about how to be a good man, or how a good man is and a lot of time is lost on just being a good man. What we need to do is stop talking, and start doing.

Be a good man. What YOU think is a good man.

"Young was I once, I walked alone, and bewildered seemed in the way; then I found me another and rich I thought me, for man is the joy of man." Odin, Hàvamàl, stanza 47.

[AwakenedParticipant 35202]

I can’t do all that religious “stuff”. because From my vantage point, all the “devout” religious individuals that I have come across have either been fake hypocrites or completely judgmental and miserable. There’s also a lot that are some combination of both.

When YOU CHOOSE to have all these religious beliefs then YOU ALSO CHOOSE to take on all the psychological/emotional CRAP that comes along with it…….Yeah, I think I’ll continue to skip all that.

In a World of Justin Beibers Be a Johnny Cash

[Branched offParticipant 10934]

Dark Kenshi wrote:

I respect the gods and Buddhas, but I do not depend on them, for anything.
The only one I can depend on is myself. Will I trample in a lot of faiths teachings? Yes.Do I care? No.Why? Because their faiths and dogmas are out of my control. My actions is something I can control and I thoroughly do so, therefore, I always seek virtue and weed out my own vices. How can I keep up with something that wants me to feel guilty, who wants to hold me down, who teaches me that being a sheep, not a wolf, is the better way to live?
I am not sheep. I don’t follow. I am my own man, my own master.If god himself comes down to Earth and commands me to do something, and that thing is out of my control, I am really sorry, but god will be left wanting. I do not bother with things out of my control.
The problem with our mindset these days, is that much is spoken about how to be a good man, or how a good man is and a lot of time is lost on just being a good man. What we need to do is stop talking, and start doing.
Be a good man. What YOU think is a good man.

Yeah I think you make a good point about the fact that it is preferable not to follow the advice of anyone who tells you to be a sheep. If you cannot be a sheep at least be a goat (they are a lot more self sufficient and they have more fun in their daily life) but better still be a wolf. A wolf may get killed by a shepherd, however all loyal sheep who succeed in being protected by a shepherd will one day be killed by a human, after being fleeced and milked for all they are worth. Jesus’ priests, the shepherds of his flock still eat for free today, nearly 2000 years after he started the racket.

A woman is like fire -fun to play with, can warm you through and cook your food, needs constant feeding, can burn you and consume all you own

[AwakenedParticipant 35202]

Just Walk Away and keep Walking…..see if YOUR LIFE doesn’t get better the further that you get…..or continue on your current path….Like MOST THINGS, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!

In a World of Justin Beibers Be a Johnny Cash

[TwistParticipant]

I like the air and the music in church, and the history of the scripture. And the $100 I spent on my annulment was an excellent value.

[Branched offParticipant 10934]

Twist wrote:

I like the air and the music in church, and the history of the scripture. And the $100 I spent on my annulment was an excellent value.

Crikey that was a good deal. I was quoted £1000 sterling over a decade ago. It seemed a bit much on top of the divorce bill.

A woman is like fire -fun to play with, can warm you through and cook your food, needs constant feeding, can burn you and consume all you own

[narwhalParticipant]

I used to be pretty devout. I still am in some ways, but I really struggled to find a place for myself in the church after divorce. The church as a culture to it, and those that don’t fit that culture won’t feel like they belong. There are some variances in the culture, ranging from the more formal Catholics, to more laid back non-denominational, to more trending churches. In most cases, they are rather locked into their culture because this is what makes people feel safe and comfortable, particular the women members.

The reality is that in terms of good works and the grand scale of sin, it’s not that hard to find good people outside of church as it is in. They aren’t devoting their lives to the church, but they often have greater love for friends and family because there is no church culture filter in between them. It also means that sometimes they don’t give each other wise counsel.

Not exactly sure. I’m beginning to believe that life is meant to be lived somewhere in between allegiance to a group and being a distinct individual.

Ok. Then do it.

[Ranger OneParticipant 16836]

If I walked into a church, the doorway would probably catch on fire.

All my life I've had doubts about who I am, where I belonged. Now I'm like the arrow that springs from the bow. No hesitation, no doubts. The path is clear. And what are you? Alive. Everything else is negotiable. Women have rights; men have responsibilities; MGTOW have freedom. Marriage is for chumps. If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart-R'as al Ghul.

[Colin Combover in a ComaParticipant 5068]

Gravel Pit wrote:

Hermit and Collin will be here in about 8 hours… I’d bet my paycheck on it.
As long as you’re not spewing some Muslime crap, I’m in your corner pal. Go full-on Jesus Freak
I attend AA meetings, that’s as much religion as I can take. We hold hands and recite the Lord’s Prayer for unity. My personal opinion is whether this universe is run by Gravity or by God, the point is that I don’t run it.
The more I try to control the outcome, the more it becomes uncontrollable, the more I suffer mentally and emotionally as a result… The solution is to let the God of Gravity do His thing… Resistance is FUTILE lol.
Your will, God’s Will — same thing when you’re using the Serenity Prayer properly.Serenity to accept what I cant change, Courage to change what I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.
Sorry I cant be any more pious than that… but you have my sympathies gents.[/quote

In sterling please, none of that monopoly money. I know you don’t earn much as a teabag tickler, so I will only take two-weeks pay. Still enough left over for you to buy an implement to please a c~~~.
Now, the topic in hand. Oh, how I have tried to be smothered in the God of the bibles loves and laws. The more I read both the Tanakh and the synoptic Gospels, the more absurd it really is.
I still believe in a God(or Gods), and also believe we are fallible specimens in need of help.
Anyway, NO-ONE is Christian, as NO-ONE has every followed his every teaching.

[Gravel PitParticipant]

Colin Combover in a Coma wrote:

I know you don’t earn much as a teabag tickler, so I will only take two-weeks pay.

You’re right, Im broke as sh1t. I actually called my Payroll company Friday and gave myself a $5000 a year pay CUT. Yup, Im officially poverty level… just cant afford to pay myself because freaking business is too slow. Oh well, my basic needs are covered so Im happy. I will get by.

God only gives you just enough to get by. Store up treasures in heaven. But I think I will end up fairly well off in life actually. I anticipate some market stuff that will cause my line of work to explode. Once I sell my business, God told me to move to the desert and live in a double wide trailer and go NFG. He said the people in the city are sinners so leave the city AFTER I get rich.

LOL

[Colin Combover in a ComaParticipant 5068]

Gravel Pit wrote:

Colin Combover in a Coma wrote:

I know you don’t earn much as a teabag tickler, so I will only take two-weeks pay.

You’re right, Im broke as sh1t. I actually called my Payroll company Friday and gave myself a $5000 a year pay CUT. Yup, Im officially poverty level… just cant afford to pay myself because freaking business is too slow. Oh well, my basic needs are covered so Im happy. I will get by.
God only gives you just enough to get by. Store up treasures in heaven. But I think I will end up fairly well off in life actually. I anticipate some market stuff that will cause my line of work to explode. Once I sell my business, God told me to move to the desert and live in a double wide trailer and go NFG. He said the people in the city are sinners so leave the city AFTER I get rich.
LOL

Go and reside with fragile Herm and his Mother. Tumbleweed soup for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper……..
Which God? The desert one ha ha ha! oh the s~~~ and giggles.

[Daryll55Participant 2950]

To the OP:
A very insighful post, and I agree with most of what you wrote.

I believe there is a “GOD”, so much so that I took Jesus Christ as saviour some 30yrs ago. In my lifetime, I have walked away(completely) in my faith only to have my own self-guided life to melt into a pile of crap. I have since returned and find “a walk with the Lord” has and adds value to life. Not Religious mind you,(although a stalwart faith may be helpful to some),I believe in the free-will of Man rather than man’s interpretation of God.
How can one discern the written word from man’s?? It is hard being short of a studied Theologian, but a full(Amplified) version of Biblical text is best to study. In time you recognise that which you read is/has happened to YOU,just as it was written and reference same to see that it is truly inspired by something Other than man’s Interpretation.

My advice to anyone is seek first the Kingdom of God. Read scripture,(I am terrible at quoting it), and see how it applies to your life. Like so many others;I read a little expected God to answer me like a perfect slice of toast pops out of the toaster. Thing is: Like ANYTHING ELSE; you need to practice something in order to get good at it. I read scripture from a King James Version of the Bible with a Schofield reference which has theological proofing.
Each day I read ;I got a little more understanding, and realized that scripture was akin to what a FATHER would tell his son that he dearly loved, but could not be with physically.

GP….. you got it “squared” bro!
never look back

Marry again, Hell NO ! ( Even JESUS was hung on a cross just once)

[Author]

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