Originally Posted by
svenn
what makes something a sin anyway? if i covet a married woman is that really wrong? what if i do not know she is married when i first see her? my urges are natural and part of how god made me. if i cut myself or drink too much or do other things that hurt myself in any way that is because that is part of who i am and how i deal with life. these are nothing more that obstacles in my life that god has given to me *swears at god* to make me a person that can help others. just my take on things. i guess i do not buy into the whole sin idea.
Sin in general or self-harm being a sin? As for the first part, if you don't know she's married it wouldn't be a sin any more than feeling lust towards a non-married person. Whether you think that's wrong or not is up to you. Everyone has urges to do things that are seen as wrong.. but just because they're 'natural' does that really make them okay? Personally, I think that self-harm is a sin, because yeah, you're harming God's creation and everything. But aside from all that, it isn't really dealing with anything. It's not dealing with life, it's 'coping' in a way that is, essentially, unproductive and unhelpful. I don't think that's what God wants for any of us, He wants us to turn to Him, not alcohol or self-injury or drugs or whatever else, because none of that is ever going to make you happy.
I agree with you about having obstacles that can help you be better, and help others. And yes, self-harm can be one of those things. But that doesn't mean that doing it in the first place is a good thing. Just that good stuff can come out of all the bad stuff. Like, if you have sex with someone outside of marriage and get pregnant, then surely the life of the child is a good thing, because no-one can come into existence without it being the express will of God, but that doesn't mean that what you did was a good thing. (I'm aware that it's not the same thing at all, but it's the best I can do at the moment, I'm tired. And yeah, not all Christians think it would be wrong, but as far as I'm aware it's still not condoned within the Christian community).
*Sigh* I sound like a bitch, and I don't mean to. I do get it, and I think that self-harm is just a very human thing that God can help us through.
And yay for bumps. I like this thread, I don't wants it to die!