WHAT IS GOD'S VIEWPOINT ON SELF- INFLICTED PAIN?
WHAT IS GOD'S VIEWPOINT ON
SELF- INFLICTED PAIN?
What is the reason behind the practice of self inflicted pain?
Some persons crawl long distances on bloodied knees to church shrines thinking that God is pleased with such sacrifices. Others may deliberately undertake a life of poverty and begging . Some refuse to eat certain foods (fasting) as part of their worship. But Jehovah does not ask his servants to bring themselves into hardship deliberately .
The practice of self inflicted pain is common around the world in various forms. The devotees rolling or moving side by side with hands folded together around the temple in a half naked bodies and blood flowed freely out when pointed sand touch their bodies. A painful experience indeed!
The suns scorching heat is also irritate them and increase the pain. Some vowed for doing such practices in a certain place and time and the priests give silent approval even for money or a donation. On festival time, people piercing their hands and tongue is a common practice among false worshippers.
In Christendom, some church leaders promote this type of practice and voluntarily devotees took the self-inflicted pain.
Some take self crucifixion, extreme fasting, and wearing coarse hair dresses. Others, crawls painfully on both knees for climbing up steps to a church. Some others carry weighty wooden cross beam for a long distance in rough roads and mountains suffer the pain by continuous beating on them.
Thazhamb (scars) on knees is a showy display of self-inflicted practices.
No bodily mark is need for christians that proves them god fearing.
True christians identified with love one another a prime quality of Jehovah. God never delight in his heart those pagan practices of disrespectful acts on their body.
What is the reason people voluntarily suffer self-inflicted pain?
The main reason is religious discipline. Some think self chastisement is a way of joining oneself to Jesus Christ and the sufferings accepted the act of punishing oneself.
They also claim that the painful suffering redeem them from gross sin. Another reason is relieves internal feelings of guilt, free our conscience, and allow ourselves to reengage in life.
Some people have a showy display of Godly devotion to impress others and speak about them favourably.
What does the Bible say about the self- inflicted pain?
Does God requires from the worshippers self inflicted pain?
What is the scriptural viewpoint?
The Bible never recommends self inflicted pain from the worshippers of Jehovah God.
Leviticus 19:28 "You must not make cuts in your flesh for a dead person , and you must not make tattoo markings on yourselves. I am Jehovah."
God's Law explicitly forbade the making of cuttings upon the flesh for the dead.
It was an idolatrous practice that was common among non Israelites. The Law prevented the Jews from doing anything that harm their body.
Self mortification and scarred by whips harming ones own body in any way is unacceptable to God. The reason for the prohibition was that people of Israel become a special property to Jehovah. The prohibition would also gave impressed upon them a proper respect for the human body as Gods creation that used in honoring him.
God's servants should however shun mourning rites that are associated with false worship.
Tattooing, piercing, and cutting existed in Bible times . They were most often practiced by pagan nations in connection with their celebrations. Jehovah did not allowed tattooing for His people.
The reported health risks are high for individuals who cut their body. In a hot climate virus and germs are possible infection human body and may be sceptic in cuts and wounds.
History of self inflicted pain.
In the Bible, 1 Kings chapter 18 revealed that Bal worshippers used similar practices in their worship.
An important issue arises on the question of Who is the true God? " One side was Jehovah's prophet Eliya and the other side 450 prophets of Bal worshippers. The challenge was the altar fire coming from the sky and the sacrifice was flamed. At first , the Bal worshippers did their best to pray their god Bal for an answer to fire the sacrifice. They have given more hours of time to pray. What did they do at the time of prayer is very interesting to us. (Read details in 1 Kings 18)
Colossians 2: 20-23.."Although those things have an appearance of wisdom in a self imposed form of worship and a false humility a harsh treatment of the body they are of no value in combating the satisfying of the flesh."
Christians are warned against let their humility be only on the surface . Anyone who takes delight in a mock humility can be puffed up without proper cause by his fleshly frame of mind. A mock humility, a pretense of humility to impress others perhaps by renouncing material things or by treating the body with severity.
True, he might have seemed pious and humble but his false humility was worthless . It is neither pleasing to God nor of any use in attaining happiness.
Such severe treatment of the body has no value before true God. It is one of the oppressive manmade doctrines. It is a wrong humility exposed by men's tradition and false teachings.
God does not want self inflicted pain on themselves and those who torment their body are not imitating Jesus Chrust.
Christians endure persecution by others but they did not cause their own persecution. Disrespectful actions toward human body is disrespect to the creator of man.
How does this practice affect your health and life?
Human body is a creation of Jehovah God and he wants it maintain proper health. It should be respected. We never intentionally harm the body.
The Scriptures encourages people to care for their body. We must have love for our body.
The Bible Speaks of the benefit of moderate exercise. For a healthy body we must eat nutritional foods regularly. A poor diet ill effects on our body and health.
We must be careful to protect our health otherwise cuts and illness cause the life dangerous.
We must always protect our health avoid making uncleanliness habits. A pure heart and mind as wel as unblemished body is essential for good health.
Even overeating and heavy drinking is also condemn in the scriptures. So we must cherish our bodies in good health.
Self Tormenting ones body is a brutal act promoted by false religions. It has no scriptural basis a way help us get closer to God.
We must also avoid entertainment that encourage tormenting our body injures with knife or by hand punches.
Self inflicted pain is not a beneficial thing for the one who suffer from the torment and the God he worships. It is useless practices condemned by the creator of our body.
The Bible gives us right directions in this regard.
We must respect our body and maintain it in good health. we can know the acceptable thing from the Bible what requires of us get closer to God.
Self inflicted pain does not remit our sins. The only way to help us remit our sin is faith in Jesus ransom that does not require any body torment.
God wants us to worship him in good health without a painful body.
A cheerful mind is necessary to please the happy God Jehovah. God does not want a sad appearance but encourage us to serve him happily.
Psalms 100:2
"Serve Jehovah with rejoicing. Come in before him with a joyful cry."
Therefore, Jehovah God hates all kinds of self-inflicted pain, even from ancient practices to modern practices in the name of sports and exercises. Human body is unique and beautifully created by the creator. He values it highly for good health and enjoy life.
The practice of self inflicted pain has no value in worshipping the true God JEHOVAH.
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