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Black and White

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by TeslaTrav, Sep 8, 2012.

  1. TeslaTrav

    TeslaTrav New Member

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    I was wanting to do a study on a belief in black and white, no grey areas. I was taught growing up that there is no in between right and wrong. There is just right and wrong and that the Holy Spirit will convict you. I believe this is true, but I am having trouble finding resources to back this up? Is there a term that describes this (i.e. Moral Absolutism)?

    Basically, there are no half sins.
     
  2. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    Ahere to the Golden Rule, that eliminates most of the 'grey area'.
     
  3. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Why would you want to say that everything is black and white? That takes out any need to have a sense of morality or a sense of what constitutes justice.

    Easy example: You're the judge. Two women stand before you. Each admits that yes, they killed their husband.

    In black and white, this is the end of the story and both should receive the same punishment.

    In reality, one may have taken a gun and shot her husband in his sleep because he forgot to tell her goodnight, while the other may have been shooting a wild animal that was attacking the family pet and missed, hitting her husband off in the distance.

    Another easy one... two men each steal a loaf of bread. One stole it because he didn't feel like paying for it even though he could, the other stole it because he was starving, broke because of an illness that prevented work, and nobody gave him any when he begged.

    Same punishment for both?
     
  4. TeslaTrav

    TeslaTrav New Member

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    Well, the first example of the two wife's shooting their husbands one intentionally committed a sin, while the other accidentally hurt their husband (no sin).

    To the two thieves, yes. Both stole, both sins are equal. Lying is not worse than thieving. Murdering no worse than adultery. All sins are equal. There are no half sins. Right it right, and wrong is wrong. All you are discussing is the circumstances that led to the sin.
     
  5. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Just pot-stirring here, but what of Rahab's lie? Did she sin? If so, why wasn't she punished?
     
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  6. DiamondLady

    DiamondLady New Member

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    These are human examples...in human justice there are judgment areas....the thief who stole because he was starving should be punished but definitely differently than the one who stole because he could.

    However, with GOD there are no grey areas. Sin is sin. Period. One can not stand before GOD on Judgment day and excuse their way into Heaven.

    You can not take worldly examples and fit them in with God's perfection. It's right or wrong, black or white.
     
  7. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Well, we're humans, so we do relate it as such. Even Jesus didn't treat all sins equal during His life, though all sins were atoned for.

    So now for a deeper example. We are clearly told the way of salvation. Believers are saved. Unbelievers are not.

    Black and white.

    Then we deal with people who are mentally retarded or otherwise incapacitated to a degree that we are quite sure they are not capable of belief. Some may be able to listen to the words of the gospel message, but perhaps they are not able to make logical decisions.

    There are dear newborns and young ones that die before they are old enough to have comprehended the gospel.

    There are ones that may be able to comprehend it, but grew up for their first three, maybe four years at home, no gospel taught, perhaps the children of atheists or Satanists, and then they pass on.

    Black and white simply doesn't work in such cases.

    I do believe there is plenty that is black and white, but in an imperfect world, the one we live in, and with imperfect people, such as we are, and with imperfect conditions, such as we live in, there will always be some gray areas that we either need to take into account or step back from and say "Father knows best" and admit we cannot know, we can only know that in the end, His justice is perfect.
     
  8. TeslaTrav

    TeslaTrav New Member

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    Personally I believe in the "Age of Accountability" which I have reconciled with my belief in "Original Sin".

    So, are you to tell me that you believe there is half-sins?

    Our understanding may be imperfect, our justice is imperfect, but our God is perfect. I believe he has accounted for all possibilities and what-if scenarios of this imperfect world.
     
  9. TeslaTrav

    TeslaTrav New Member

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    Yes, this is what I was taught. Is this theology have a name? When I googled 'sourthern baptist black and white' I just found a lot of info about us electing a black president... I wanted to do more research on it, but didn't know the term.
     
  10. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Half sins? Not in the eyes of the Creator. I do believe that something may be sinful for one person but not for another.

    I don't know that there's a name for what you're looking for, but I think maybe you're thinking more along the lines of churches getting more tolerant of wordly views and more loose with doctrine. Did you happen to read Exposing the Gray of Compromise by Ashbrook?
     
  11. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    I lied to my father-in-law when he was suffering mental deficiency, and treated him as if we were still in England. I don't feel at all guilty about it.

    If we suppose ourseves into a situation, we best suppose ourselves out of it.

    God will decide what is sinful and what is not when it comes to events,as was so in the Old Testament.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  12. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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  13. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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  14. Shoostie

    Shoostie Active Member

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    Then you should probably turn yourself into authorities and demand you be executed for any of a thousand crimes what you are guilty of, because they're all as bad as murder. Good luck.
     
  15. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    He didn't say that they were criminal. He said that they were sinful. Not all sins are legal crimes. But all sins equally make you a sinner before God. And all sins can be forgiven.
     
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