tI went to mass the other day, and heard the priest talk about 'The forbidden fruit syndrome.' Looking at wikipedia on forbidden fruit, it defines it as any object of desire whose appeal is a direct result of knowledge that cannot or should not be obtained or something that someone may want but is forbidden to have.
The priest explains that there are two effects of the forbidden fruit syndrome. One, it produces a heightened level of curiosity, knowing its forbidden. I remember that some announcements posted in the club corner of our school wrote 'PLEASE DO NOT READ.' It would actually get more attention and be read more.
Another effect is that when more and more people do what is forbidden, it becomes the norm. Like pre-marital sex in many western countries.
The goal of the enemy is make us bite the fruit. The devil builds up our curiosity through his lies and lure of comfort. After we've given in to temptation, he wants us to justify our actions by blaming others or simply saying 'its in my nature.' After we make our justifications, the devil then wants us to enroll other people in the act until we get the illusion that it's the logical thing or worse that it now becomes the right thing to do.
This is the story of how a personal sin can evolve into a structural sin. We see this happening through corruption, tax evasion, legalized prostitution, legalized abortion, divorce, legalized drug use, and more.
Now in the Philippines, many people think that we are poor because of the population. In fact, the true wealth of a nation is its people. The root of our poverty is one man's personal greed becoming a structured greed. One man taking a bribe and convinces the rest that it's "Standard Operating Procedure." So they blame the population to cover up for greed. Eve takes the bite and convinces Adam that it's okay.
May we stand firm in the Lord and ask God's grace to resist temptation. By the Holy Spirit we shall overcome the lures of the forbidden fruit. It is a matter of valuing our identity as children of God and honoring the gift of free will by choosing to do what is right.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld
The priest explains that there are two effects of the forbidden fruit syndrome. One, it produces a heightened level of curiosity, knowing its forbidden. I remember that some announcements posted in the club corner of our school wrote 'PLEASE DO NOT READ.' It would actually get more attention and be read more.
Another effect is that when more and more people do what is forbidden, it becomes the norm. Like pre-marital sex in many western countries.
The goal of the enemy is make us bite the fruit. The devil builds up our curiosity through his lies and lure of comfort. After we've given in to temptation, he wants us to justify our actions by blaming others or simply saying 'its in my nature.' After we make our justifications, the devil then wants us to enroll other people in the act until we get the illusion that it's the logical thing or worse that it now becomes the right thing to do.
This is the story of how a personal sin can evolve into a structural sin. We see this happening through corruption, tax evasion, legalized prostitution, legalized abortion, divorce, legalized drug use, and more.
Now in the Philippines, many people think that we are poor because of the population. In fact, the true wealth of a nation is its people. The root of our poverty is one man's personal greed becoming a structured greed. One man taking a bribe and convinces the rest that it's "Standard Operating Procedure." So they blame the population to cover up for greed. Eve takes the bite and convinces Adam that it's okay.
May we stand firm in the Lord and ask God's grace to resist temptation. By the Holy Spirit we shall overcome the lures of the forbidden fruit. It is a matter of valuing our identity as children of God and honoring the gift of free will by choosing to do what is right.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld
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