Here's a topic to kick off our conversation (2 weeks after it officially kicked off!!) - let's talk about sin.

What I really want to talk about is salvation. But I think that it's easy to talk about salvation in less than concrete terms if we don't first lay down what it is we're being saved from.

To put it simply, I think that the typical Christian view of sin is that it is unavoidable, and so the best we can ever hope for is being forgiven. Essentially, Christ saves us from the punishment of our sin rather than from sin itself. But that doesn't seem to be Jesus' message - I can't give you the reference, but he says something to the effect of 'be perfect like God is perfect.' Now, admittedly, he's saying it to a very direct point, and I'm using it out of context - but it's still a HUGE statement. Even if he's telling people to be perfect about calling their mom - is anyone? Is anyone perfect like God in anything? Of course not. But apparently that's what we're supposed to strive for.

This leads me to think that following Jesus does have a lot to do with being saved from sin - that is, not having a part in sin anymore. Sin is a real problem that has real consequences - and that's why God wants to save us from it. Not so that he can have followers who are loyal to some silly ideal, not so that he can be glorified by saving some and punishing others, not even because he and sin are like matter and anti-matter and if they come too close together the universe will end. (Did anyone else come away with that idea about sin from youth group? Just me? Really??)

I like what George MacDonald writes about sin. He writes that the punishment for sin is the natural consequence that comes from sin. That is, God doesn't punish us for our sin - our sin is our punishment. We choose to do wrong and we (or, more often, other people) reap the consequences. God pursues us as long as we live sinfully, not because we are breaking his abstract ideal but because he loves us and wants to save us from ourselves. Not to mention saving everyone else from us...

I think that's enough to get us started!

I've thought for a while that the EP website might be a good place for a conversation like this. Hopefully we can keep everything not only civil, but loving. The idea is to foster conversations that generate closer friendships and a healthy 'intellectual' spirituality.

So, let the conversation begin!