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Sin as a source of progress (?)

 

01-14-15 05:27 AM
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I have heard a couple of times about the idea that each of the seven sins is necessary for the development of humans and/or humanity. Now, I don't necessarily believe it's true but there IS something to it, maybe.

Arguments in no particular order:

Greed: Desire to have things means having to make an effort to have those things, which ties onto the positive value of effort and motivation.

Pride: Well, if you have things to be proud of in your life (a job, a family...) there is nothing wrong with personal pride in your accomplishments. A lack of pride in yourself might lead to psychological problems.

Envy: It is what keeps the economy moving xD. Seriously, though, envy of others' traits or belongings can lead to self improvement by taking another as a role model. Hell, one can even "envy" Jesus, in a way.

Gluttony and Lust: These ones lead more to personal enjoyment. Pleasure is positive for the individual, so these sins are useful (also, there is a very solid argument that lust is what keeps the species going)

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Any thoughts on this? As I said, I don't totally agree with this argument, but parts of it make sense...
I have heard a couple of times about the idea that each of the seven sins is necessary for the development of humans and/or humanity. Now, I don't necessarily believe it's true but there IS something to it, maybe.

Arguments in no particular order:

Greed: Desire to have things means having to make an effort to have those things, which ties onto the positive value of effort and motivation.

Pride: Well, if you have things to be proud of in your life (a job, a family...) there is nothing wrong with personal pride in your accomplishments. A lack of pride in yourself might lead to psychological problems.

Envy: It is what keeps the economy moving xD. Seriously, though, envy of others' traits or belongings can lead to self improvement by taking another as a role model. Hell, one can even "envy" Jesus, in a way.

Gluttony and Lust: These ones lead more to personal enjoyment. Pleasure is positive for the individual, so these sins are useful (also, there is a very solid argument that lust is what keeps the species going)

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Any thoughts on this? As I said, I don't totally agree with this argument, but parts of it make sense...
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01-14-15 06:26 AM
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Wow. I never actually thought about it this way. Very interesting.
Wow. I never actually thought about it this way. Very interesting.
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01-14-15 06:56 AM
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These seven sins do not help a society, and in fact all Civilizations would be better off without them. I'll go through the big problems with each sin. Then at the end I'll address the problems with assuming their being productive.

Greed is stronger than want or anything else. Greed: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Greed is something that keeps me from being content with what I have. I would say it's lust. Lusting after something I do not have. Craving it unto the point where I am obsessed with having the good. (Thing.) 

Pride... Pride cometh before the fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction. Proverbs 16: 8 Pride isn't being confident and happy about an accomplishment. Pride refers to being in a mindset of, "I'm better than you!" "Look what I have done." 

Envy: This is similar to Greed, except it is defined as: A
 feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. This refers to a STRONG desire to have something else, something that isn't yours. This MUST be the same thing, not something similar, not the same type of car, but THAT car. It's wanting to take something that isn't yours. 

Gluttony or Lust: This is similar to both Greed and Envy. Overeating, to the point where it's unhealthy.Lust, having immoral thoughts about someone. I'll not go into those any farther, as that should be enough. 

Sloth: This is laziness to the extreme. I don't want to do ANY work. It's not about doing less work, it's about doing any. The Bible talks about, don't work, don't eat. You need to earn your food, not have it given to you for just sitting around.

Wrath: You brought up Jesus' Wrath in the Temple... But, Wrath wasn't displayed.Go to Luke 19: 45-48, Mark 11: 15-19, and Matthew 21: 12-17. In none of these passages is the word Wrath used. It doesn't mention Anger either. You can have righteous Anger. Anger for those who kill others without mercy. Anger for people who mistreat others etc. But Wrath is never right.

I think that these sins would be better outside of this society...

What is your opinion on this, you seem to take a middle position, from what I read above...? 
These seven sins do not help a society, and in fact all Civilizations would be better off without them. I'll go through the big problems with each sin. Then at the end I'll address the problems with assuming their being productive.

Greed is stronger than want or anything else. Greed: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Greed is something that keeps me from being content with what I have. I would say it's lust. Lusting after something I do not have. Craving it unto the point where I am obsessed with having the good. (Thing.) 

Pride... Pride cometh before the fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction. Proverbs 16: 8 Pride isn't being confident and happy about an accomplishment. Pride refers to being in a mindset of, "I'm better than you!" "Look what I have done." 

Envy: This is similar to Greed, except it is defined as: A
 feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. This refers to a STRONG desire to have something else, something that isn't yours. This MUST be the same thing, not something similar, not the same type of car, but THAT car. It's wanting to take something that isn't yours. 

Gluttony or Lust: This is similar to both Greed and Envy. Overeating, to the point where it's unhealthy.Lust, having immoral thoughts about someone. I'll not go into those any farther, as that should be enough. 

Sloth: This is laziness to the extreme. I don't want to do ANY work. It's not about doing less work, it's about doing any. The Bible talks about, don't work, don't eat. You need to earn your food, not have it given to you for just sitting around.

Wrath: You brought up Jesus' Wrath in the Temple... But, Wrath wasn't displayed.Go to Luke 19: 45-48, Mark 11: 15-19, and Matthew 21: 12-17. In none of these passages is the word Wrath used. It doesn't mention Anger either. You can have righteous Anger. Anger for those who kill others without mercy. Anger for people who mistreat others etc. But Wrath is never right.

I think that these sins would be better outside of this society...

What is your opinion on this, you seem to take a middle position, from what I read above...? 
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(edited by darthyoda on 01-14-15 06:56 AM)     Post Rating: 2   Liked By: RS_Chrisseh, supernerd117,

01-14-15 07:29 AM
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I'm very confused, and concerned, why you would think sin is productive. The Bible is clear on it that God hates sin. This idea of reasoning doesn't make any sense from a Biblical standpoint.
I'm very confused, and concerned, why you would think sin is productive. The Bible is clear on it that God hates sin. This idea of reasoning doesn't make any sense from a Biblical standpoint.
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01-14-15 07:54 AM
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lisalo :  I don't know who came up with this and it might be tongue in cheek, but it seems to me whoever thought this out tried to "justify" his / her sin and downplayed the seriousness of it.  The Bible is very clear about this and warns in Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;  Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;  Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

"Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple)..."

Did Jesus get angry?  Yes He did, but He was still without sin (Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.)
When Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and animal-sellers, He showed great emotion and anger (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; John 2:13-22). Jesus’ emotion was described as “zeal” for God’s house (John 2:17). His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern for God’s holiness and worship and because these were at stake, Jesus took quick and decisive action.

Many times, we think of anger as a selfish, destructive emotion that we should eradicate from our lives altogether. However, the fact that Jesus did sometimes become angry indicates that anger itself, as an emotion, is amoral. This is borne out elsewhere in the New Testament.  Ephesians 4:26 instructs us “in your anger do not sin” and not to let the sun go down on our anger. The command is not to “avoid anger” (or suppress it or ignore it) but to deal with it properly, in a timely manner.  When Jesus displayed anger, He did it in the following way:

-His anger had the proper motivation. In other words, He was angry for the right reasons. Jesus’ anger did not arise from petty arguments or personal slights against Him. There was no selfishness involved.
-His anger had the proper focus. He was not angry at God or at the “weaknesses” of others. His anger targeted sinful behavior and true injustice.
-His anger had the proper supplement.Mark 3:5 says that His anger was attended by grief over the Pharisees’ lack of faith. Jesus’ anger stemmed from love for the Pharisees and concern for their spiritual condition. It had nothing to do with hatred or ill will.
-His anger had the proper control. Jesus was never out of control, even in His wrath. The temple leaders did not like His cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:47), but He had done nothing sinful. He controlled His emotions; His emotions did not control Him.
-His anger had the proper duration. He did not allow His anger to turn into bitterness; He did not hold grudges. He dealt with each situation properly, and He handled anger in good time.
-His anger had the proper result. Jesus’ anger had the inevitable consequence of godly action. Jesus’ anger, as with all His emotions, was held in check by the Word of God; thus, Jesus’ response was always to accomplish God’s will.

When we get angry we loose focus. We fail in one or more of the above points. This is the wrath of man, of which we are told “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19-20). Jesus did not exhibit man’s anger, but the righteous indignation of God.

[Sources:  gotquestions.org]




lisalo :  I don't know who came up with this and it might be tongue in cheek, but it seems to me whoever thought this out tried to "justify" his / her sin and downplayed the seriousness of it.  The Bible is very clear about this and warns in Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;  Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;  Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

"Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple)..."

Did Jesus get angry?  Yes He did, but He was still without sin (Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.)
When Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and animal-sellers, He showed great emotion and anger (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; John 2:13-22). Jesus’ emotion was described as “zeal” for God’s house (John 2:17). His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern for God’s holiness and worship and because these were at stake, Jesus took quick and decisive action.

Many times, we think of anger as a selfish, destructive emotion that we should eradicate from our lives altogether. However, the fact that Jesus did sometimes become angry indicates that anger itself, as an emotion, is amoral. This is borne out elsewhere in the New Testament.  Ephesians 4:26 instructs us “in your anger do not sin” and not to let the sun go down on our anger. The command is not to “avoid anger” (or suppress it or ignore it) but to deal with it properly, in a timely manner.  When Jesus displayed anger, He did it in the following way:

-His anger had the proper motivation. In other words, He was angry for the right reasons. Jesus’ anger did not arise from petty arguments or personal slights against Him. There was no selfishness involved.
-His anger had the proper focus. He was not angry at God or at the “weaknesses” of others. His anger targeted sinful behavior and true injustice.
-His anger had the proper supplement.Mark 3:5 says that His anger was attended by grief over the Pharisees’ lack of faith. Jesus’ anger stemmed from love for the Pharisees and concern for their spiritual condition. It had nothing to do with hatred or ill will.
-His anger had the proper control. Jesus was never out of control, even in His wrath. The temple leaders did not like His cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:47), but He had done nothing sinful. He controlled His emotions; His emotions did not control Him.
-His anger had the proper duration. He did not allow His anger to turn into bitterness; He did not hold grudges. He dealt with each situation properly, and He handled anger in good time.
-His anger had the proper result. Jesus’ anger had the inevitable consequence of godly action. Jesus’ anger, as with all His emotions, was held in check by the Word of God; thus, Jesus’ response was always to accomplish God’s will.

When we get angry we loose focus. We fail in one or more of the above points. This is the wrath of man, of which we are told “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19-20). Jesus did not exhibit man’s anger, but the righteous indignation of God.

[Sources:  gotquestions.org]




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01-14-15 10:48 AM
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lisalo :

It's easy.

All sin is based off of human nature, which is the basic survival instincts that God gave us. And these instincts are not wrong in themselves, it's just when we overdo them.

Take greed for example, it's rooted in hunger, which is a good thing to have! But greed is the overdoing of hunger, so that a person destroys themselves, and becomes unhealthy.

What they are rooted in is fine, and necessary, but having been corrupted, these desires ect gain new names to separate them from healthy desires.

The argument is taking sins, and basically saying that sins are good, but doesn't understand that sins are basically the corrupted form of good, natural desires that God gave us. In fact this is the secret to getting rid of the sin in your life. Find what the sin is rooted, or, what it's a corrupted version of, and retrain yourself to go for the pure form of what your body is supposed to desire. Right?



lisalo :

It's easy.

All sin is based off of human nature, which is the basic survival instincts that God gave us. And these instincts are not wrong in themselves, it's just when we overdo them.

Take greed for example, it's rooted in hunger, which is a good thing to have! But greed is the overdoing of hunger, so that a person destroys themselves, and becomes unhealthy.

What they are rooted in is fine, and necessary, but having been corrupted, these desires ect gain new names to separate them from healthy desires.

The argument is taking sins, and basically saying that sins are good, but doesn't understand that sins are basically the corrupted form of good, natural desires that God gave us. In fact this is the secret to getting rid of the sin in your life. Find what the sin is rooted, or, what it's a corrupted version of, and retrain yourself to go for the pure form of what your body is supposed to desire. Right?
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01-14-15 12:16 PM
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The following reply below reflects my personal opinions, and may not fully represent what the Church I belong to believes. But I did my best to represent what I truly believe to the best of my knowledge.

Greed: Desire to have things means having to make an effort to have those things, which ties onto the positive value of effort and motivation.

“The love of money is the root of all evil”. In other words, the love of things that will be left behind on this earth is the root of all evil. Also, if your effort and motivation is tied to earthly things, you would not want to go to Heaven. God will not force anyone to go to Heaven. They would not be able to handle it. Instead, tie your effort and motivation to things that are eternal. Love of others, love of God, other people themselves. This will bring true joy.

Opposite: Generosity. Generosity is giving without thought of self. When coupled with wisdom, it has the power to influence lives in powerful and meaningful ways.

Pride: Well, if you have things to be proud of in your life (a job, a family...) there is nothing wrong with personal pride in your accomplishments. A lack of pride in yourself might lead to psychological problems.

The so-called “pride” of things in life can often be mistaken imo. What people call pride may actually be confidence without any disguise. True pride always harms and deals with esteeming one’s self above others. God did not define pride the way we did. We did that.

Opposite: Humility. If you are humble, that does not mean you hate yourself. It means you submit yourselves before God or those that serve Him. Humility does not mean you make yourself a fool before those who wish you harm. It is, most of all, a desire to change for the better by making as many things right as possible.

Envy: It is what keeps the economy moving xD. Seriously, though, envy of others' traits or belongings can lead to self improvement by taking another as a role model. One can even "envy" Jesus, in a way.

Why envy Jesus? He had a role, and He fulfilled it. If we had been given that role, would we have been able to fulfill it? Would we be able to handle all the responsibility that Jesus has? He does not esteem Himself above us, and yet He is above all except His Father. Taking someone else as a role model is completely different from envying them. If we envy them, we want what they have. David envied Uriah, so he killed him in order to obtain Bathsheba as a wife. That is hardly setting Uriah as a role model.

Opposite: Contentment. Dante listed Charity as the opposite of Envy, but I don’t believe that to be true in a pure sense. I believe Charity composes much more than just giving. Contentment means that you are happy and thankful to God, no matter what your circumstances.

Gluttony and Lust: These ones lead more to personal enjoyment. Pleasure is positive for the individual, so these sins are useful (also, there is a very solid argument that lust is what keeps the species going)

Pleasure is NOT always positive for the individual. When pleasure is accompanied by selflessness, it is positive and indeed, is among the greatest and most liberating things we can experience. But when it is selfish, it can be extremely destructive. Pornography and unwholesome foods (or too much food) may provide pleasure in an instant, but rob us of near-constant happiness. I have struggled with both. My lust has had exactly the opposite effect: It has NOT kept the species going. I could have moved out, gotten a job, and had a family by now if I had made better choices. But I did not. Also, look at what those who desire pleasure above families decide. Abortions, contraceptives, and other options seem appealing, because the last thing these individuals want is to care for a family. They are in it for pleasure, and if this pleasure is removed, then they will move on to something that may give them greater pleasure in the short run.

Opposites: Moderation, Chastity

Moderation is good for the soul and allows for greater self-control. The ability to choose is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. If and as we lose that, we lose our ability to choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice.

Chastity is also tied to moderation. We have been given certain capabilities for feelings by God. Lust, in the right context, CAN be a good thing. But we must lust after those things that will not expire after our death. Happiness, knowledge, family. Even lusting after our own spouses can be a sin if we let our lust get out of control. Lust for riches or false gods will lead to disappointment in death, if not before then.

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

This is completely false. Even mental work done by a student is work, in a way. One cannot build a body without exercise. One cannot build a mind without effort. One cannot build a home without building a family first.

Opposite: Zeal. Zeal is a firm, innate desire to accomplish good works as often as possible. One may be overzealous to do something right, but it is easier to bring something down than up. The concept of gravity itself proves this point. Men have longed to move beyond the bounds of Gravity, but it is that struggle itself that makes us strong and teaches us.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Wrath is Heavenly Father’s, not our own. When we try to take upon us God’s Wrath and do not repent quickly, we do that indeed because we are not meant to have it. We are not meant to accept sin. But we ARE to forgive the sinner. There is also a difference between wrath and righteous indignation. Righteous indignation is akin to wrath, but for us, it is not coupled with all the knowledge and wisdom that God has. It IS coupled with His Spirit. Vengeance is the Lord’s. But we may become angry at those who enjoy harming others or themselves. Jesus’ display at the Temple was not of Wrath, but of the latter, righteous indignation. He did not desire to utterly destroy those who had sinned against Him and his Father. He did desire to drive them out from a sacred place, however; so that those who wished to use the Temple in righteousness may do so.

Opposite: Meekness. I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful. Meekness does not have to be weakness.

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

This is completely false. Even mental work done by a student is work, in a way. One cannot build a body without exercise. One cannot build a mind without effort. One cannot build a home without building a family first.

Opposite: Zeal. Zeal is a firm, innate desire to accomplish good works as often as possible. One may be overzealous to do something right, but it is easier to bring something down than up. The concept of gravity itself proves this point. Men have longed to move beyond the bounds of Gravity, but it is that struggle itself that makes us strong and teaches us.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Wrath is Heavenly Father’s, not our own. When we try to take upon us God’s Wrath and do not repent quickly, we do that indeed because we are not meant to have it. We are not meant to accept sin. But we ARE to forgive the sinner. There is also a difference between wrath and righteous indignation. Righteous indignation is akin to wrath, but for us, it is not coupled with all the knowledge and wisdom that God has. It IS coupled with His Spirit. Vengeance is the Lord’s. But we may become angry at those who enjoy harming others or themselves. Jesus’ display at the Temple was not of Wrath, but of the latter, righteous indignation. He did not desire to utterly destroy those who had sinned against Him and his Father. He did desire to drive them out from a sacred place, however; so that those who wished to use the Temple in righteousness may do so.

Opposite: Meekness. I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful. Meekness does not have to be weakness.
The following reply below reflects my personal opinions, and may not fully represent what the Church I belong to believes. But I did my best to represent what I truly believe to the best of my knowledge.

Greed: Desire to have things means having to make an effort to have those things, which ties onto the positive value of effort and motivation.

“The love of money is the root of all evil”. In other words, the love of things that will be left behind on this earth is the root of all evil. Also, if your effort and motivation is tied to earthly things, you would not want to go to Heaven. God will not force anyone to go to Heaven. They would not be able to handle it. Instead, tie your effort and motivation to things that are eternal. Love of others, love of God, other people themselves. This will bring true joy.

Opposite: Generosity. Generosity is giving without thought of self. When coupled with wisdom, it has the power to influence lives in powerful and meaningful ways.

Pride: Well, if you have things to be proud of in your life (a job, a family...) there is nothing wrong with personal pride in your accomplishments. A lack of pride in yourself might lead to psychological problems.

The so-called “pride” of things in life can often be mistaken imo. What people call pride may actually be confidence without any disguise. True pride always harms and deals with esteeming one’s self above others. God did not define pride the way we did. We did that.

Opposite: Humility. If you are humble, that does not mean you hate yourself. It means you submit yourselves before God or those that serve Him. Humility does not mean you make yourself a fool before those who wish you harm. It is, most of all, a desire to change for the better by making as many things right as possible.

Envy: It is what keeps the economy moving xD. Seriously, though, envy of others' traits or belongings can lead to self improvement by taking another as a role model. One can even "envy" Jesus, in a way.

Why envy Jesus? He had a role, and He fulfilled it. If we had been given that role, would we have been able to fulfill it? Would we be able to handle all the responsibility that Jesus has? He does not esteem Himself above us, and yet He is above all except His Father. Taking someone else as a role model is completely different from envying them. If we envy them, we want what they have. David envied Uriah, so he killed him in order to obtain Bathsheba as a wife. That is hardly setting Uriah as a role model.

Opposite: Contentment. Dante listed Charity as the opposite of Envy, but I don’t believe that to be true in a pure sense. I believe Charity composes much more than just giving. Contentment means that you are happy and thankful to God, no matter what your circumstances.

Gluttony and Lust: These ones lead more to personal enjoyment. Pleasure is positive for the individual, so these sins are useful (also, there is a very solid argument that lust is what keeps the species going)

Pleasure is NOT always positive for the individual. When pleasure is accompanied by selflessness, it is positive and indeed, is among the greatest and most liberating things we can experience. But when it is selfish, it can be extremely destructive. Pornography and unwholesome foods (or too much food) may provide pleasure in an instant, but rob us of near-constant happiness. I have struggled with both. My lust has had exactly the opposite effect: It has NOT kept the species going. I could have moved out, gotten a job, and had a family by now if I had made better choices. But I did not. Also, look at what those who desire pleasure above families decide. Abortions, contraceptives, and other options seem appealing, because the last thing these individuals want is to care for a family. They are in it for pleasure, and if this pleasure is removed, then they will move on to something that may give them greater pleasure in the short run.

Opposites: Moderation, Chastity

Moderation is good for the soul and allows for greater self-control. The ability to choose is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. If and as we lose that, we lose our ability to choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice.

Chastity is also tied to moderation. We have been given certain capabilities for feelings by God. Lust, in the right context, CAN be a good thing. But we must lust after those things that will not expire after our death. Happiness, knowledge, family. Even lusting after our own spouses can be a sin if we let our lust get out of control. Lust for riches or false gods will lead to disappointment in death, if not before then.

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

This is completely false. Even mental work done by a student is work, in a way. One cannot build a body without exercise. One cannot build a mind without effort. One cannot build a home without building a family first.

Opposite: Zeal. Zeal is a firm, innate desire to accomplish good works as often as possible. One may be overzealous to do something right, but it is easier to bring something down than up. The concept of gravity itself proves this point. Men have longed to move beyond the bounds of Gravity, but it is that struggle itself that makes us strong and teaches us.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Wrath is Heavenly Father’s, not our own. When we try to take upon us God’s Wrath and do not repent quickly, we do that indeed because we are not meant to have it. We are not meant to accept sin. But we ARE to forgive the sinner. There is also a difference between wrath and righteous indignation. Righteous indignation is akin to wrath, but for us, it is not coupled with all the knowledge and wisdom that God has. It IS coupled with His Spirit. Vengeance is the Lord’s. But we may become angry at those who enjoy harming others or themselves. Jesus’ display at the Temple was not of Wrath, but of the latter, righteous indignation. He did not desire to utterly destroy those who had sinned against Him and his Father. He did desire to drive them out from a sacred place, however; so that those who wished to use the Temple in righteousness may do so.

Opposite: Meekness. I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful. Meekness does not have to be weakness.

Sloth: Sloth leads to efficiency. By desiring to work less people learn to work better.

This is completely false. Even mental work done by a student is work, in a way. One cannot build a body without exercise. One cannot build a mind without effort. One cannot build a home without building a family first.

Opposite: Zeal. Zeal is a firm, innate desire to accomplish good works as often as possible. One may be overzealous to do something right, but it is easier to bring something down than up. The concept of gravity itself proves this point. Men have longed to move beyond the bounds of Gravity, but it is that struggle itself that makes us strong and teaches us.

Wrath: Wrath, when justified, leads to change (even Jesus displayed this sin at the temple) by means of non acceptance.

Wrath is Heavenly Father’s, not our own. When we try to take upon us God’s Wrath and do not repent quickly, we do that indeed because we are not meant to have it. We are not meant to accept sin. But we ARE to forgive the sinner. There is also a difference between wrath and righteous indignation. Righteous indignation is akin to wrath, but for us, it is not coupled with all the knowledge and wisdom that God has. It IS coupled with His Spirit. Vengeance is the Lord’s. But we may become angry at those who enjoy harming others or themselves. Jesus’ display at the Temple was not of Wrath, but of the latter, righteous indignation. He did not desire to utterly destroy those who had sinned against Him and his Father. He did desire to drive them out from a sacred place, however; so that those who wished to use the Temple in righteousness may do so.

Opposite: Meekness. I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful. Meekness does not have to be weakness.
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supernerd117 :  Good post.  I appreciated that.  Well worded except for the couple of double posts ;p.  Just a few comments...

"Happiness is a choice"

That's true, but it's still a worldly emotion which is fickle.  Joy on the other hand is unchanging and constant.  True godly joy only comes from the Father.

" I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful."

I also understood it to be a weakness, but as you said, couple it with the right influence, for example, Jesus (who is God in the flesh), then meekness has a whole new meaning.  Jesus was meek, but being God, the Creator, He is all-powerful.  The synonym for meekness is gentleness.  Meekness is in fact an attitude which produces gentleness.  Godly meekness is absolute power with a tender touch.

Once again - nice post. Good comparisons.
supernerd117 :  Good post.  I appreciated that.  Well worded except for the couple of double posts ;p.  Just a few comments...

"Happiness is a choice"

That's true, but it's still a worldly emotion which is fickle.  Joy on the other hand is unchanging and constant.  True godly joy only comes from the Father.

" I admit I don’t know much about meekness. I have often misunderstood it, and thought it to be weak. Alone, I believe it is weak. But when coupled with just the right words and influence, it can be powerful."

I also understood it to be a weakness, but as you said, couple it with the right influence, for example, Jesus (who is God in the flesh), then meekness has a whole new meaning.  Jesus was meek, but being God, the Creator, He is all-powerful.  The synonym for meekness is gentleness.  Meekness is in fact an attitude which produces gentleness.  Godly meekness is absolute power with a tender touch.

Once again - nice post. Good comparisons.
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(edited by play4fun on 01-18-15 11:39 AM)    

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