Are Sinners Happy?

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Dec 19, 2009
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We were in a discussion on another thread about whether or not "flagrant" sinners, particularly our nation’s (USA) leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle, are happy. I said no, that sin makes me miserable, and therefore I have to assume it makes other people miserable, also. And isn’t that one reason the Lord told us not to sin? Some disagreed.

So tell me, do our nation’s leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle seem like happy people?
 
Nov 26, 2012
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#2
Happiness in my opinion is a result of pleasure. We can do many things that will make us happy, but it is only temporary. If I enjoyed a meal with friends on my birthday, while unwrapping all of the presents I had hoped for, it would cause my pleasure chemicals to respond. The next day I could wake up and step in dog vomit getting out of bed. Other chemicals cause us to respond differently. The happiness is gone. Contentment is a decision we make based on gratitude. It is accompanied by joy, the perpetual sense that everything is going to be alright in spite of our current circumstances.

Happiness is the devil's candy. Chasing the chemical response to pleasure first creates the addiction to things, and second causes us to be less excited about other things. It's a response to too much serotonin release. The first time you do a drug like cocaine, it releases so much serotonin and dopamine you can become addicted immediately. The surge is unhealthy to the brain so it makes us respond less to it. This causes the need to do more to get the same effect. The same thing happens with sugar and sex and shopping. You have to keep increasing the stimulant to maintain the happy effect. This also causes depression. When your high level of excitement becomes the normal then your brain adjusts to this chemically. When you exclude the stimulant it causes a severe drop in serotonin leading to depression.

This what happens to so many Hollywood types. Everybody loves them, attention and parties causes pleasure overload. Then to experience pleasure they have to go to extremes, drugs and sex.

I prefer to keep me and my family's serotonin low. That way any small serge like having hot cocoa on a cold day, or a trip to the beach keeps them smiling.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
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#3
My personal opinion is, yes, some sinners are happy, because they enjoy doing their sin. Others are unhappy because they don't like to sin, but may not be able to stop themselves.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#4
My personal opinion is, yes, some sinners are happy, because they enjoy doing their sin. Others are unhappy because they don't like to sin, but may not be able to stop themselves.
But I thought the whole point was that there are certain things that, in the long run, make us miserable. The Lord recognized this, called those things "sin," and commanded us not to do those things. That is why I have trouble believing people are happy in their sin.
 
Aug 16, 2016
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#5
The scriptures talk about people delighting in wickedness / having pleasure in unrighteousness. Everyone doesn't honor & respect the Lord.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
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#6
Well, take bank robbers, for example. They get a thrill out of robbing and not getting caught.They enjoy that high (that sin) too much to stop. UNTIL, they eventually get caught. THEN they're miserable. lol


But I thought the whole point was that there are certain things that, in the long run, make us miserable. The Lord recognized this, called those things "sin," and commanded us not to do those things. That is why I have trouble believing people are happy in their sin.
 
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Depleted

Guest
#7
We were in a discussion on another thread about whether or not "flagrant" sinners, particularly our nation’s (USA) leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle, are happy. I said no, that sin makes me miserable, and therefore I have to assume it makes other people miserable, also. And isn’t that one reason the Lord told us not to sin? Some disagreed.

So tell me, do our nation’s leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle seem like happy people?
When I was a kid, the rules were clear -- no more than three cookies right after school or we'd "spoil our supper." AND no more than three cookies per day or we'd get the dreaded cavities.

"Hands in the cookie jar." They made that cliche because of me. I sneaked cookies often knowing I wasn't supposed to. Why?
-- I wasn't supposed to.
-- They tasted good.
-- I rarely was caught.

Did that make me happy? Yeah, on a perverted way it made me happy. Between they tasted good and I got away with it there was a great deal of pleasure. But, I wasn't designed to be like that. (Ends up I didn't have any cavities filled before I was 12 because they were my baby teeth, so why bother? By the time I was 13, I had 12 cavities. I didn't make the connection until I got older and am now paying the price. Still part of me doesn't regret that.) God literally designed us to be joyful in him and to glorify him forever.

We put our hands in the cookie jar though.

Nothing different with the Dems. They're happy. They don't connect happiness with doing the right thing though. They connect it with
-- They aren't supposed to.
-- It taste good.
-- They get away with it.

Nothing different. (Not even different from the Republican side other than different tastes.)
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#8
The scriptures talk about people delighting in wickedness / having pleasure in unrighteousness. Everyone doesn't honor & respect the Lord.
I don't deny there isn't short term pleasure in sin, but how long can that pleasure last before misery sets in?
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#9
But I thought the whole point was that there are certain things that, in the long run, make us miserable. The Lord recognized this, called those things "sin," and commanded us not to do those things. That is why I have trouble believing people are happy in their sin.
40 years of eating sugar before the consequences showed up. (Bad teeth.) Doing it didn't make me feel miserable. Losing my teeth is no joy though. (I'm a believer, so I can't go down to miserable over losing teeth. Still, I really do miss corn-on-the-cob... oh, and milk chocolate with plenty of sugar in it. Also have diabetes, but I don't think eating stolen cookies was the cause. lol)
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#10
Well, take bank robbers, for example. They get a thrill out of robbing and not getting caught.They enjoy that high (that sin) too much to stop. UNTIL, they eventually get caught. THEN they're miserable. lol
But the bank robber has to keep looking over his shoulder until he does get caught.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#11
When I was a kid, the rules were clear -- no more than three cookies right after school or we'd "spoil our supper." AND no more than three cookies per day or we'd get the dreaded cavities.

"Hands in the cookie jar." They made that cliche because of me. I sneaked cookies often knowing I wasn't supposed to. Why?
-- I wasn't supposed to.
-- They tasted good.
-- I rarely was caught.

Did that make me happy? Yeah, on a perverted way it made me happy. Between they tasted good and I got away with it there was a great deal of pleasure. But, I wasn't designed to be like that. (Ends up I didn't have any cavities filled before I was 12 because they were my baby teeth, so why bother? By the time I was 13, I had 12 cavities. I didn't make the connection until I got older and am now paying the price. Still part of me doesn't regret that.) God literally designed us to be joyful in him and to glorify him forever.

We put our hands in the cookie jar though.

Nothing different with the Dems. They're happy. They don't connect happiness with doing the right thing though. They connect it with
-- They aren't supposed to.
-- It taste good.
-- They get away with it.

Nothing different. (Not even different from the Republican side other than different tastes.)
Nancy Pelosi seems to me to be a nervous wreck.
 

Grandpa

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2011
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#12
I would say only the ones who rely on Christ, the friend of sinners.

Philippians 4:7 [FONT=&quot]And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Can you be happy without peace? True Peace?[/FONT]
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#13
"The reason for not going out and sinning all you like is the same as the reason for not going out and putting your nose in a slicing machine: it’s dumb, stupid and no fun. Some individual sins may have pleasure still attached to them because of the residual goodness of the realities they are abusing: adultery can indeed be pleasant, and tying one on can amuse. But betrayal, jealousy, love grown cold, and the gray dawn of the morning after are nobody’s idea of a good time.

On the other hand, there’s no use belaboring that point, because it never stopped anybody. And neither did religion. The notion that people won’t sin as long as you keep them well supplied with guilt and holy terror is a bit overblown. Giving the human race religious reasons for not sinning is about as useful as reading lectures to an elephant in rut. We have always, in the pinches, done what we damn pleased, and God has let us do it. His answer to sin is not to scream “Stop that!” but to shut up once and for all on the subject in Jesus’ death." - Robert Farrar Capon
 
Aug 16, 2016
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#14
I don't deny there isn't short term pleasure in sin, but how long can that pleasure last before misery sets in?
What are you defining as misery? People who reject God dont get the same misery when they disobey him as you do.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#15
We were in a discussion on another thread about whether or not "flagrant" sinners, particularly our nation’s (USA) leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle, are happy. I said no, that sin makes me miserable, and therefore I have to assume it makes other people miserable, also. And isn’t that one reason the Lord told us not to sin? Some disagreed.

So tell me, do our nation’s leaders on the Democratic side of the aisle seem like happy people?

The Bible says there is pleasure in sin,for a season. It does not say how long that season is however.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#17
40 years of eating sugar before the consequences showed up. (Bad teeth.) Doing it didn't make me feel miserable. Losing my teeth is no joy though. (I'm a believer, so I can't go down to miserable over losing teeth. Still, I really do miss corn-on-the-cob... oh, and milk chocolate with plenty of sugar in it. Also have diabetes, but I don't think eating stolen cookies was the cause. lol)
Stolen cookies?! Was you a bad widdle kid? lol
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#18
if sin was not "fun" or did not please our senses, we would not do it.. Thats why it is so addictive

 
Dec 2, 2016
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#19
As a young man in the Navy I had been listening to my elders about how no one living in sin is really happy. So I am trying to tell this other sailor, who was enjoying women, wine, and song, that he was not REALLY happy, he assured me with a big smile that he was very happy. As years went by I came to realize that he was right and I was wrong, I was just repeating something I heard in church, he really was happy. There can be pleasure in sin for a season, trouble is that when the season is over so is the pleasure.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#20
I was a nervous wreck stealing the cookies too. lol
I stole pennies off my dad's dresser and bought popcycles. I had a mouth full of cavities, too, not to mention a toothache on a Sunday morning that required an extraction.