[Faith-talk] blindness and faith issues question

[Debby Phillips]

Sorry Christine, often I agree with you.  This time well, nope.  
First of all, (and I'm setting up a premise here).  If you are a 
Christian, then by virtue of being a Christian you have chosen to 
accept certain principles.  One of those is that we should live 
godly lives.  What that looks like may be a little different for 
each person, but it will probably be lived out in one of two 
ways: the Bible and it alone is your guide.  Then if that's the 
case, you try, to the best of your ability to follow what 
Scripture says.  For me as a Catholic, I follow Scripture, but 
within the framework of the teachings and Tradition of the 
Church.  It's like a three-legged stool: we have Scripture, 
Tradition (which is the accumulative writings, prayers, etc.  and 
the Magisterium, the Teaching Church.  What is the Church 
officially saying about this or that subject.  All three go 
together.  (And even in churches that say they only follow 
Scripture, many churches have manuals that give guidelines about 
various things.  (For instance, the Free Methodist Church has the 
Book of Discipline.  Does every decision I make have to be looked 
at minutely every day? No, of course not.  That would be crazy.  
But certainly our lives and how we live them are formed by 
something.  Nobody operates out of a vacuum.

Unresolved guilt is not healthy.  But when I feel guilty about 
something (either before I've done it but I'm thinking about 
doing it) or after I've done it) the healthy thing is to resolve 
the guilt.  If I'm feeling guilty about whether to do or not do 
something, then I need to look at it and determine whether I 
should do or not do whatever it is that's making me feel guilty.  
If I decide that I'm not going to do it, fine and good, if I 
decide to do it then I must be aware that there will be 
consequences.  There are always consequences to our actions.  If 
I feel guilty after I have done something then I need to decide 
why.  Is it something I should feel guilty about? Then I need to 
repent, resolve not to do it again, and if possible, make 
restitution.  If I'm just being overly sensitive and there's 
nothing to feel guilty about, then I need to move on.  And if I'm 
not sure, well, I need to pray, and seek out counsel.  Or as a 
Catholic, maybe I need to go to Reconciliation.

Sorry I have rambled so much.    Blessings,    Debby and Neena