briochick
half-nut member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 633
- MBTI Type
- eNFP
- Enneagram
- ;)
- Instinctual Variant
- sx
Okay, really I just put that title up because it was the most attention catching thing I could think of that was vaguely related to what I want to ask about.
I've been listening to a lot of people (by a lot I mean...three, maybe four, lol) at my church talk about sin. I've heard what they're saying echoed before at nearly every church I've ever attended (I went to this one that was really more of just a social place, neither faith nor religious study nor social activism were really priorities for them, they didn't talk about sin). What I'm hearing is that self-focus is a sin, inaction is a sin (but so is being busy for business sake), self-hate is a sin, melancholy is a sin, being despairing is a sin. Day dreaming is a sin. Taking time for yourself is a sin. Trying to take care of yourself is a sin. Not using your talents is a sin.
I'm pretty sure that *being* and INFP is a sin. I'm pretty freaked out by my conclusion. Not that I'm having a crisis of faith, I'm not, but I feel like I'm stuck in some sort of black hole were the very essence of what I am is what I'm not supposed to be. Am I missing something here? Am I taking their statements to extremes when they shouldn't be taken that way? If they weren't supposed to be taken to their natural conclusion than why didn't they qualify them?
For all I know I could be misinterpreting them. It doesn't stop my confusion.
They also seem to be authorities, they're older and smarter and leaders in the church and have attended Bible college. I'm just me. I'm well informed enough but maybe I missed something. Maybe. Maybe the most I can hope for is that God will wipe my personality clean and I'll be no one (they didn't say that, that's my natural conclusion).
I'd talk to these women about it but they'd tell me I'm sinning by being overly emotional (considering a topic of conversation at the last Bible study I'm *sure* they'd say that). And, since I already know what they'd say and feel guilty about it there's no need to ask them. So, any of you who are of the Faith here, I'd love an answer, because I can't see one.
I've been listening to a lot of people (by a lot I mean...three, maybe four, lol) at my church talk about sin. I've heard what they're saying echoed before at nearly every church I've ever attended (I went to this one that was really more of just a social place, neither faith nor religious study nor social activism were really priorities for them, they didn't talk about sin). What I'm hearing is that self-focus is a sin, inaction is a sin (but so is being busy for business sake), self-hate is a sin, melancholy is a sin, being despairing is a sin. Day dreaming is a sin. Taking time for yourself is a sin. Trying to take care of yourself is a sin. Not using your talents is a sin.
I'm pretty sure that *being* and INFP is a sin. I'm pretty freaked out by my conclusion. Not that I'm having a crisis of faith, I'm not, but I feel like I'm stuck in some sort of black hole were the very essence of what I am is what I'm not supposed to be. Am I missing something here? Am I taking their statements to extremes when they shouldn't be taken that way? If they weren't supposed to be taken to their natural conclusion than why didn't they qualify them?
For all I know I could be misinterpreting them. It doesn't stop my confusion.
They also seem to be authorities, they're older and smarter and leaders in the church and have attended Bible college. I'm just me. I'm well informed enough but maybe I missed something. Maybe. Maybe the most I can hope for is that God will wipe my personality clean and I'll be no one (they didn't say that, that's my natural conclusion).
I'd talk to these women about it but they'd tell me I'm sinning by being overly emotional (considering a topic of conversation at the last Bible study I'm *sure* they'd say that). And, since I already know what they'd say and feel guilty about it there's no need to ask them. So, any of you who are of the Faith here, I'd love an answer, because I can't see one.