Friday 25 June 2021

A Rose By Any Other Sin

 

OK ... let us start with a funny:

Once upon a time there was a priest who got fed up with the number of parishioners who confessed that they committed adultery. Every week, in the confessional, it was the same thing - adultery.

One Sunday he said in his sermon that he was angry about this continuous sin of adultery amongst his congregation. He promised that if he heard this sin one more time he'd give up the priesthood and leave town for ever.

His congregation loved him and did not want to lose him. They agreed a secret code amongst themselves. From now on, instead of saying they committed adultery, they would say they have "fallen".

All went well for years until eventually the bishop moved the priest to another Parish and replaced him with a new one.

The new priest did not know the code. He was most disturbed that so many parishioners kept falling so he complained to the Mayor that the side-walks in town are uneven and that he should do something about it to stop people from falling.

The Mayor, knowing the code, laughed out loudly.

The priest said: "I don't know what you're laughing about. Your wife fell three times this week."

You know, that is the problem these days. We have all become very clever at manipulating the English language to suit our own ends. What in years gone by was a blatant sin, these days we have accepted as something less serious. A misdemeanour maybe. A slight wrong-doing.

If someone takes something home from work, say a pencil, pen, a box of paper-clips or whatever; it is not longer seen as stealing. Well ... everybody does it. Not a sin really! 

If one is regularly late for work, or leaves early, or takes a longer lunch. That's not stealing either is it? It's not as if you've robbed a bank.

Listening to stories about someone, or telling stories, is just simple gossip. Just for fun. Not meant to be taken seriously. It is not lying really. It's not as if you lied in Court on oath, is it?

Being flirtatious is not serious either. Just for fun, really.

I think today's generation has become accustomed to generalisations and as such the seriousness of one's behaviour and the outcomes on society have been diluted as trivialities which are soon forgotten.

We have become immune to being shocked. Nothing is serious enough any more.

Because others do it anyway, it has become the norm. And the norm is acceptable if society has deemed it so.

Nothing really matters, Anyone can see. Nothing really matters. Nothing really matters to Meeeeee!

As long as it does not interfere with the moment. The here and now. Our "Me ... Me ... Me ..." culture. Then it's OK. 

As Shakespeare should have said, "A rose by any other name would still hurt you with its thorns."

Sin is sin. It was sin then when God wrote the Commandments, it is still sin now.

24 comments:

  1. ...it's all in the words!

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  2. Diluted, indeed! What's considered normal behavior, language, etc. these days hurts my heart. I'm no 'Snow White' by any means, but remember when the "F" word garnered raised eyebrowns and disgust. Now it's as common in speech as are exclamation points. Oh! And if I refuse to watch certain popular TV shows, now I'm labelled homophobic.

    PS - Loved the joke!

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    Replies
    1. So glad you liked the joke. I thought some people might be offended.

      Sadly society is becoming immune to sin; and anyone who speaks out is marginalised or mocked. But cheer up - they did the same to Jesus.

      God bless, Mevely.

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  3. Thanks for the smile, and most for hitting many of us where it hurts.
    Take care and I do enjoy your straight forward common sense.
    Sherry & jack, smiling is good for us.

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    1. You're very kind to me Jack and Sherry. I feel it is sad how the world is behaving these days and how many wrongs have become acceptable.

      God bless you.

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  4. Sin is sin, but there's a difference between venial and mortal ones.

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    1. I doubt many people understand what sin is - never mind venial and mortal.

      God bless.

      Delete
  5. I have little to say on this one, because I agree with every word. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and writing talents with us. God Bless

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    1. You're making me blush with embarrassment, Nells. Thank you so much for your kind words.

      God bless always.

      Delete
  6. The world is a very hateful place right now. People in charge are just as bad condoning hate against anyone who doesn't share their views. Whatever happened to love your neighbor as yourself. It's a very sad world these days.

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    1. In the "Me ... Me ... Me ..." culture there is no room for loving one's neighbour. People have generally become selfish. It is a sad world right now.

      God bless you, Bill.

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    2. My neighbours are very hard to love, drug addicts and people rescued from violent backgrounds.

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  7. Yes, Victor, too many people refuse to see/call out sin when they see it in themselves and in society. When God is pushed to the curb, this is what tragically happens.
    Loved the funny story, too!
    Blessings!

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    1. I guess we're all fallen, Martha. But not in the sense of the joke!

      People refuse to recognise sin for what it is because it interferes with their lifestyles and their interests.

      God bless you and yours.

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  8. AMEN!!
    It seems the world has twisted good and bad around now a days. What was once wrong is now right and what was right is now wrong.

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    1. People have not only lost their moral compass; they don't even know where to look for it.

      God bless, Happyone.

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  9. Dearest Victor,
    Yes, in this Me—Me—Me culture the entire narrative has changed for their convenience.
    They think that they are clever by pushing the entire religion off the table; thus no more sins. It is all common and means nothing.
    Boy will they be in for a rude awakening (after death!) when being confronted with our Final Judge.
    Nothing has changed...! God exists and moral values weigh the very same.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. You are right, Mariette. Nothing has changed, except people who think they know better. It is sad that today's society seems to think they know it all.

      God bless you always.

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  10. It's a sad situation, you are right that sin is sin and too many do not consider that there are serious consequences for what they are doing.

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    1. It's as if people don't really care. If one does not believe in God, does not believe in the after-life; then they have nothing to fear because they don't believe in it anyway.

      God bless, Mimi.

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  11. The only time I ever took anything home from work was when the factory was closing and we were encouraged to take what we wanted except for the machinery. I took a couple of cabinets that had held daily supplies for my work and after a lot of painting they were great as pantries in my house.

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    Replies
    1. They must have looked great after a being painted.

      God bless.

      Delete

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