Today I want to deviate from my pattern a little bit. I know, I know, what pattern?! Well, at least for the quotes I've been sharing from Vanity Fair, I have posted the quote and then expounded on it with some of my own personal thoughts on the subject. For today, I want to put up this quote and then open the floor for discussion. So without further ado, here is the quote:
"It may perhaps have struck her that to have been honest and humble, to have done her duty, and to have marched straightforward on her way, would have brought her as near happiness as that path by which she was striving to attain it. But,---just as the children at Queen's Crawley went round the room, where the body of their father lay;---if ever Becky had these thoughts, she was accustomed to walk round them, and not look in. She eluded them, and despised them---or at least she was committed to the other path from which retreat was now impossible. And for my part I believe that remorse is the least active of all a man's moral senses---the very easiest to be deadened when wakened: and in some never wakened at all. We grieve at being found out, and at the idea of shame or punishment; but the mere sense of wrong makes very few people unhappy in Vanity Fair."
This paragraph comes out of chapter 41 ("In Which Becky Revisits the Halls of Her Ancestors") and is on page 415 in my book.
First of all, may I just say that I am enjoying Thackeray's writing immensely? Because I am. He is so good. I mean, have you ever tip-toed around certain thoughts instead of facing them head on? His analogy is beautiful.
Now, what do you think? Is remorse the least active of all a man's moral senses? Is Thackeray's statement true or false? And if true, is it true across the board for Christians and non-Christians alike? Let's start this week off with some edifying debate.
I agree that few people are truly unhappy about doing wrong, they are more unhappy that they get caught or punished. However, I have seen people consumed with remorse. Especially when the Holy Spirit truly convicts their heart. The only way to survive that remorse is to repent and move forward in His forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteI would venture to say that most of the time, it takes the Holy Spirit to waken true remorse in a person's life. And I agree about the repentance. When Cody and I were discussing this, he said that he thinks most people experience remorse but then deaden it instead of repenting.
DeleteI'd agree with Cody on that one. In fact, I think most deaden that remorse by continuing to do the thing that makes them feel remorse. We're all about desensitization these days--if we do it enough, it won't feel wrong anymore.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah. Human says if I keep doing it, it won't feel wrong anymore, and that will cover my remorse and guilt. God says come to me, confess and repent, and I will take away your remorse and guilt.
True that. AND, God will replace it with true JOY. :-)
DeleteReagan, YES. Spot on.
DeleteAnd Mom, speaking of joy, tune in for tomorrow's post. Haha!
I would agree with the above statements for unbelievers and for Christians who only pretend to walk close with God. In Solomon's song, when the young shulamite wife wronged her husband the "watchmen" beat her and bruised her. The watchmen are the Holy Spirit and our God- given conscience. So when one truly walks with God, and sins, if we are patient the watchmen will bring one to a true state of confession because we cannot stand the tension between ourselves and God
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, Dad. A person's conscience really can beat him up until he confesses and repents. Following that logic and taking Reagan's comment into consideration, a lot of people allow themselves to get desensitized to that beating, instead of doing the work of confessing and repenting. I wonder which is more painful in the long run? (hint: that was a rhetorical question)
DeletePrevious comment by Pastor Dad.
ReplyDeleteDid it work? I can't see my comment...ugh computers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above and to expound on what Reagan said about humanity's idea of remorse, I think remorse is the most ostracized emotion of today, or at least in our culture. We have become a place where no feeling, urge, or action is condemned no matter how wrong or perverse it is. When a person does something and expresses remorse for it our culture is quick to say "No! Don't feel that way! Whatever you did is completely justified!"
ReplyDeleteThen as Dad says, Christians who only pretend to walk close with God have a higher propensity to simply change their belief system. That's when we start running into Christians with radically different doctrine than what is in the Bible.
Good point, Caroline. I would agree that when someone actually does show remorse for something he or she did wrong, the world at large comes alongside him and tells him everything is fine and there's no reason for him to be remorseful. He gets fed enough of that and starts to think, "Yeah, what I did wasn't so bad. Nobody else has condemned me. In fact, people are supporting me." It's pretty dangerous. That's why it is so vital for Christians to study God's Word and understand what His standard is.
DeleteAnd then you have those that feel guilty or remorseful over what they have done, so they try to find people doing the same or worse in order to normalize their sin.
ReplyDeleteAnother good point. We like to think we're not as bad as someone else so we must be good.
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