avowed... a mathmatical approach
for a small view into how my mind sometimes works:
The following is an attempt to model the basic nature of a Christian life versus that of an Avowed Christian life in respect to the sinfulness and christianess of said lives.
The following model uses two points of christian dogma in its workings. The first is the second law fo christian life, to love your neighbor as yourself. The second is the concept of all sin being equal, either by the phrase "all sin is equal in the eyes of god", or the overwhelming redemptive power of Jesus's blood.
Begin Model
Love of neighbor (x) should at all times be equal to love of self (y) [x = y]. Since quantification in the above is relative let us simplify the matter by saying that at all times x + y = 1. Thus at any time the perfect situation would be one in which x = y = .5. All other situations are deemed imperfect, or sinful. Situations in which either x or y closely approach zero are not more sinful but less reflecting a proper Christian life.
All Christians should at all times be attempting to reach a state of x=y. Such a state, being one of perfection, is noted to be impossible under current conditions. A vow could be taken by a Christian to the ends of attempting that at any time neither x nor y reached a numerical value less than or equal to .4, thus also neither x nor y could be greater than or equal to .6. The amount of sin in ones life is not decreased by such a vow. Neither is one any more or less a Christian. The main difference is that the avowed individual’s life would stay within certain parameters of reflecting a proper Christian life by maintenance of said vow. By surrounding oneself with similarly avowed people that are also avowed to aid each other in maintenance of the aforementioned vow, thus increasing the probability of its maintenance, one has an avowed [religious] community.
End Model
While being the easiest to model the second law of Christian Life can is by no easy means detailed. Love of self is dependent upon the nature of oneself, as is the love of neighbor dependent upon the nature of the neighbor. Furthermore means by which to show forth said love are highly dependent upon cultural models specific to a region, race, etc.
Added to this fact is that there is not one set of vows which are applicable to all peoples. The easiest differentiation to point out is the avowed life of marriage versus the avowed life of celibacy. Both are forms of avowed Christian living deemed to reflect proper Christian life. The lifestyles lived by people under the different vows is, however, quite in contrast on many levels. Attempt to hold both vows at one time, exemplified by certain forms of the Gnostic legend of Simon and Helen, was deemed to be unsavory by the early church and attempts to hold such vows at the same time, as some early priest and bishops are noted to have tried, was disbanded and deemed “unchristian”.
Thus the nature of the avowment is left completely open at this point. As stated the model is simply an attempt to differentiate between an avowed and unavowed Christian life.
The following is an attempt to model the basic nature of a Christian life versus that of an Avowed Christian life in respect to the sinfulness and christianess of said lives.
The following model uses two points of christian dogma in its workings. The first is the second law fo christian life, to love your neighbor as yourself. The second is the concept of all sin being equal, either by the phrase "all sin is equal in the eyes of god", or the overwhelming redemptive power of Jesus's blood.
Begin Model
Love of neighbor (x) should at all times be equal to love of self (y) [x = y]. Since quantification in the above is relative let us simplify the matter by saying that at all times x + y = 1. Thus at any time the perfect situation would be one in which x = y = .5. All other situations are deemed imperfect, or sinful. Situations in which either x or y closely approach zero are not more sinful but less reflecting a proper Christian life.
All Christians should at all times be attempting to reach a state of x=y. Such a state, being one of perfection, is noted to be impossible under current conditions. A vow could be taken by a Christian to the ends of attempting that at any time neither x nor y reached a numerical value less than or equal to .4, thus also neither x nor y could be greater than or equal to .6. The amount of sin in ones life is not decreased by such a vow. Neither is one any more or less a Christian. The main difference is that the avowed individual’s life would stay within certain parameters of reflecting a proper Christian life by maintenance of said vow. By surrounding oneself with similarly avowed people that are also avowed to aid each other in maintenance of the aforementioned vow, thus increasing the probability of its maintenance, one has an avowed [religious] community.
End Model
While being the easiest to model the second law of Christian Life can is by no easy means detailed. Love of self is dependent upon the nature of oneself, as is the love of neighbor dependent upon the nature of the neighbor. Furthermore means by which to show forth said love are highly dependent upon cultural models specific to a region, race, etc.
Added to this fact is that there is not one set of vows which are applicable to all peoples. The easiest differentiation to point out is the avowed life of marriage versus the avowed life of celibacy. Both are forms of avowed Christian living deemed to reflect proper Christian life. The lifestyles lived by people under the different vows is, however, quite in contrast on many levels. Attempt to hold both vows at one time, exemplified by certain forms of the Gnostic legend of Simon and Helen, was deemed to be unsavory by the early church and attempts to hold such vows at the same time, as some early priest and bishops are noted to have tried, was disbanded and deemed “unchristian”.
Thus the nature of the avowment is left completely open at this point. As stated the model is simply an attempt to differentiate between an avowed and unavowed Christian life.
posted by koraps at 10:19 PM
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