doing bad........

[infinitelord1]

can one truelly feel happiness when they commit an act or live a lifestlyle that is considered to be immorral?

[MC Just]

quick answer:

no.

I've learned that.

[Semalsia]

If one doesn't think of it as immoral, then it can't cause any unhappiness.

And if it's a source of enjoyment or pleasure, then it will increase your happiness.

So yes.

[ReinnieR]

there were instances/situations where i did something bad but felt good and no regrets/remorse.

what's wrong with me?

[infinitelord1]

[quote name='ReinnieR' date='Sep 6 2005, 10:45 AM']there were instances/situations where i did something bad but felt good and no regrets/remorse.

what's wrong with me?
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when you say you felt good are you saying you experienced true happiness?

[ReinnieR]

[quote name='infinitelord1' date='Sep 6 2005, 10:47 AM']when you say you felt good are you saying you experienced true happiness?
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no not true happiness

but this calm very nice feeling like a feeling of relief for a moment

kinda like the feeling you get after gettting out of the bathroom after eating taco bell

[Semalsia]

What is "true happiness"? Feeling [i]really, really[/i] good?

[ReinnieR]

[quote name='Semalsia' date='Sep 6 2005, 10:51 AM']What is "true happiness"? Feeling [i]really, really[/i] good?
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i think it's the state of content

where everything is good and seems perfect and you wouldn't ask for more.

let say a person is happy at living a mediocre life

and fine at being middle class and very content and wouldn't want any more luxury that he/she already has

[infinitelord1]

When i think of true happiness i think of bliss. Bliss to me is true love. Not necessarily for another person but it could be for yourself. Yes........i think true happiness is truelly loving yourself. You are confident and on top of things........people are attracted to you for who you are......you have good people surrounding you who treat you with respect and you can trust them. I think that a moment of happiness is euphoria.

[cmotherofpirl]

pleasure and happiness and relief are not equivalent

[ReinnieR]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Sep 6 2005, 11:19 AM']pleasure and happiness and relief are not equivalent
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true

with my statement when i said i felt good i meant relief and not happiness

[Sojourner]

I've had the experience before (very recently, in fact) of doing something I know to be a mortal sin, and feeling no remorse about it right away. It actually caused me to think really deeply about what I'd done, and why I'd done it, and eventually after some long hours of introspection I came to a point where I did feel genuine sorrow and remorse for my sin.

For myself, I realized that my actions were predicated on anger at God, feeling that he hadn't fully met my needs, and so I tried to meet them myself in an unhealthy way.

It reminds me of Prov. 20:17: Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. While at first a sinful act can appear to be sweet and fulfilling, it will never fill you, and will never nourish your soul like God can.

If you're truly not repentant or upset about something you know to be a sin, ask God to show you why you're not. Getting at the deeper reasons can help to bring conviction which leads to repentance.

[Nicole8223]

True happiness can ONLY be found in God. Sin does not bring happiness. Sin is a distortion of the truth, and so it may feel good or look good or seem good, but it is not. True happiness cannot be achieved without God.

Just a sidenote: True happiness does not mean a life without suffering. Learning to rejoice in suffering is a great part of what brings about joy and happiness.

[ReinnieR]

[quote name='Nicole8223' date='Sep 6 2005, 11:44 AM']True happiness can ONLY be found in God.  Sin does not bring happiness.  Sin is a distortion of the truth, and so it may feel good or look good or seem good, but it is not.  True happiness cannot be achieved without God.

Just a sidenote: True happiness does not mean a life without suffering.  Learning to rejoice in suffering is a great part of what brings about joy and happiness.
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amen

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Sep 6 2005, 10:24 AM']I've had the experience before (very recently, in fact) of doing something I know to be a mortal sin, and feeling no remorse about it right away. It actually caused me to think really deeply about what I'd done, and why I'd done it, and eventually after some long hours of introspection I came to a point where I did feel genuine sorrow and remorse for my sin.

For myself, I realized that my actions were predicated on anger at God, feeling that he hadn't fully met my needs, and so I tried to meet them myself in an unhealthy way.

It reminds me of Prov. 20:17: Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. While at first a sinful act can appear to be sweet and fulfilling, it will never fill you, and will never nourish your soul like God can.

If you're truly not repentant or upset about something you know to be a sin, ask God to show you why you're not. Getting at the deeper reasons can help to bring conviction which leads to repentance.
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I had an interesting experience of doing something wrong and while I wish in some ways that I hadn't, I don't feel like the consequence of that was entirely bad. It was something that I sometimes do but shouldn't and wish I hadn't but a little more and I guess that actually made me see more how that is not the kind of person that I want to be.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Light and Truth