My wife and I watched the movie Seven Pounds last night. The movie was a little long as I was eager to put all the pieces together and try to understand the story behind the story. In the end, it all came together for the most part, but it was severely upsetting to me.
The main character in the movie was living with this guilt of causing a car crash that ended 7 people’s lives including his newly engaged fiancé. For the next year he tried to pay back by offering extreme help to those who desperately needed it as well as to only those who he determined deserved it. Ultimately his plan included suicide in order to donate his much needed organs. The suicide sent me over the edge. It was as though the suicide was this glorified self sacrifice for the greater good of humanity and was justified given his pursuit for correct that which he made wrong.
But I realize that so many people live their lives in the same belief system.
- When we feel guilt, we must punish ourselves.
- Punishing ourselves will take away our guilt and sin.
- Getting rid of the guilt is the driving force.
- We determine when our self punishment is enough.
This whole thing breathes the belief system that we are basically gods who are able to judge our sins, issue the punishment for the crime, and bring restoration to our souls. However, this alone is up to God Almighty Himself, not ours. There’s a difference between what the bible calls self-discipline and what others have created as a self-imposed penance.
This is my wife's photography. She captures amazing photos. She loves what she does and takes pride in every shot. Check her work out at 
that's a tough one to talk about. I suppose you're asking about war in general from a moral aspect. The old testament is filled with battle and death by war. As the people of God pursued what God told them to do, outsiders resisted. Sometimes they asked God what to do and God told them to fight and He would ensure they won. Other times they just fought even without asking God. What's definite from all of this is that we live in a world of sin with people of sin as sinners ourselves. In the realm of Good and Evil, even in the spiritual realm, there are going to be battles. Is that the ideal? No.
Paul in the New Testament talks about how we battle within ourselves and the forces of evil and that our battle is not even with flesh and blood. In the pursuit for justice and living for righteousness, there is conflict. I believe showing love and a calmness speaks loudly as well. But there's no doubt that even when those who stood up for Jesus, there are martyrs.
I think we should try the love route and different techniques before we are quick to blast the opposing side. We need to make sure we are standing for something Godly and also put others before our own needs even when we are opposed to them. In the end, if there is battle against us, we might have to fight back. It's not necessarily a glorified self sacrifice for the great good of humanity rather it's a glorified self service for the greater God who cares for the greater good of humanity. And I not saying this is like muslims who are fighting a God War and that's what we should do, like some crusade. But perhaps more like a battle to end slavery or oppression.
transferred from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/steveblumer:” target=”_blank”>http://www.facebook.com/steveblumer:
Steve, that's very interesting and thought provoking. Sounds like a great movie I'll have to look for and watch.
Would you consider this same "glorified self sacrifice for the greater good of humanity" for soldiers in the war right now? I mean…that's what the men and women are doing abroad, but it's for the pursuit to correct what they didn't make wrong, though. It's a self discipline on the soldier's part, but imposed by society. I would really like to know and am not trying to illicit a heated debate… far from it. The war and soldiers in it are some issues I have difficulty understanding. Not the political but the moral aspect.
jV2kS7 qudafqpdmmxl, [url=http://fumnkqzgkuir.com/]fumnkqzgkuir[/url], [link=http://buuiwiqebkyo.com/]buuiwiqebkyo[/link], http://wltjhbalsqda.com/