Paul in Romans 7 & the Modern Psychoanalysts
I have noticed 2 contrasting themes in listening to much of your work - IE you propose rules for life through your books (IE a written law), and you have also said that listening to your conscience (IE the voice of the Holy Spirit) point to "what you could be" is an important compass for life. In contrast, you then also agree with the modern psychoanalytic idea that we cannot create our own values, we cannot summon ourselves to change because of our vulnerability to outside forces, or perhaps we could say "spirits". Have you considered therefore that your position is congruent or at least sympathetic to the apostle Paul? I have been mapping the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans (beginning 7:7) onto Freud’s ideas of "we are not masters of our own house". I have 2 points to focus on here. Paul in this famous verse entitled "struggling with sin" makes the argument that God's supreme ethic for life is: 1) A validated map for life because it is what our conscience is ultimately pointing to and 2) Sets the stage for the way out to freedom through the life and work of Christ and the subsequent animation of the Spirit of Christ Point 1: In his argument for the validation of a supreme ethical map, he states (v15): "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good." (NLT Version) We therefore have a biblical example of our conscience validating and establishing a superordinate ethical map (in this case, the law of Moses - which was then later synergized by Jesus as "Love God, then love people") Point 2: Freud famously noted that we are not the masters of our own house and that there were unconscious forces at play that influenced our decisions without our knowing it. Map this on with Paul's follow up statement (v22): "I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me." Now it occurred to me that given Freud's comment above, how can one claim to really be free? The Christian answer from Paul is that the only free slave is the one enslaved and therefore animated by the Spirit of Christ. In his letter to the Galatians, he writes (Ch 5: 16-18): "Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. " (MSG) So it occurred to me that if the human condition is subjected to the “animation of spirits”, given our environment and our human ontology, then everything excepting the self-sacrificing love which perfectly accepts: a) The world as such: suffering and malevolence intrinsic to life in our environment in the world and; b) Being as such - An unflinching commitment to coherent truth in the service of love is the way out of the conundrum of “sin” and into freedom. For Paul, the good news of integration of Christ is the answer, as he finishes by saying: "Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord" So after all this background contextual set up, my question to you is: Would you agree with my mapping of Freud/Jung with St. Paul's doctrine as above is coherent? And what are your comments on this from a psychological and spiritual point of view?
Constitutional Crisis in Canada
Do you think you would run for Prime Minister of Canada? ….. OR Do you think you can make more positive political changes by being Jordan Peterson? I would like to take this time to thank you for bringing some opposition back to Canadian politics. See you in Saskatchewan May 10th. I have my tickets to see you!
Monogamy and abstinence
Hi, I am 27. I have decided to work as hard as I can to be in the best position career wise. I have no issu working 60+ hours and develope skills to become wealthy. I notice men who are in a stable relationship achieve more than people who are going parten to partner. Problem is this, I don't want to marry right now and don't want to engage in casual sex either because I think it's my responsibility to not enable people who wish to do it. But I do acknowledge the physical need men have to reproduce. How do you think I should go about this?In future I would love have kids and marry. I just want to be financially stable before I marry.
Monogamy and abstinence
Hi, I am 27. I have decided to work as hard as I can to be in the best position career wise. I have no issu working 60+ hours and develope skills to become wealthy. I notice men who are in a stable relationship achieve more than people who are going parten to partner. Problem is this, I don't want to marry right now and don't want to engage in casual sex either because I think it's my responsibility to not enable people who wish to do it. But I do acknowledge the physical need men have to reproduce. How do you think I should go about this?In future I would love have kids and marry. I just want to be financially stable before I marry.
How to deal with High Neuroticism while trying to live a meaningful life?
What advice do you have for someone who is high in openness to pursue their creative outlet but are also high in neuroticism & low in conscientiousness? The man feels compelled to do more than his 9-5 job because he wants to live out his creative outlet as a career and make a living off of it. His creative spirit is crying to be called upon and pursued to live a meaningful life, but he is confused, unsure, and fearful.