Sinful occupations?
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R
I don't see anything wrong about a Christian being a psychologist. 
I think they could make excellent ones, if that is their calling.
As long as you use your occupation for good and only good, I don't see how it could be a sin.
I know I would not feel comfortable opening up about certain inner struggles to an atheist, because of the spiritual nature of the issues.
I think they could make excellent ones, if that is their calling. As long as you use your occupation for good and only good, I don't see how it could be a sin.
I know I would not feel comfortable opening up about certain inner struggles to an atheist, because of the spiritual nature of the issues.
K
I have sometimes wondered if those occupations that some of us regard as sinful are actually sinful. Example: being one of those on cover investigators/spies. It requires lying about your identity and befriending criminals to get secret information and later betray them and get them into jail. Or what about a soldier? Or a politician in a very, VERY, corrupted country who has to make deals with corrupt people in order to get some order?
Let me be clear, I'm not saying that it is okay to compromise your faith, but we live in a corrupt world where we have to deal with corrupt people even if we don't want to, especially in some high occupations. We have to learn how to deal with them without contaminating ourselves.
But someone has to do those jobs right? To be honest, I couldn't do it, and I think there is a calling for every one of us...and just because the purpose is good at the end one should also consider the motives in our hearts.
As how I understand it, one could have the best intention in doing something, but if it's not God's will it may be a sin, a sin because we put our will before God's will and that's why we should always ask ourselves why we want to do something.
Maybe you want to be a president, but your heart is not right and you will end up being as wicked as everyone else, or maybe you want to be a soldier, which is honorable, but if you do it to escape from your life and just to have an adventure, and you don't really care what you are fighting for...I don't think that would be wise. I have seen people preaching behind a pulpit when I doubt God even called them to be pastors or leaders in a church.
I was reading a verse today that I think would apply here: To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.( Ti1:15)
If this world was led by people with pure hearts, there weren't any sinful occupations...but since that's not how it is we have to be very prayerful about what we want to do and want to be, and the reasons behind it. If you carry a pure heart, you will show purity in your job, if you carry a filthy heart, your job will be filthy.
PS.I'm not talking about occupations that are straight up sinful, like working as a drug dealer, a prostitute, a hitman,etc. I think those are OBVIOUSLY sinful, whatever the case is.
Let me be clear, I'm not saying that it is okay to compromise your faith, but we live in a corrupt world where we have to deal with corrupt people even if we don't want to, especially in some high occupations. We have to learn how to deal with them without contaminating ourselves.
But someone has to do those jobs right? To be honest, I couldn't do it, and I think there is a calling for every one of us...and just because the purpose is good at the end one should also consider the motives in our hearts.
As how I understand it, one could have the best intention in doing something, but if it's not God's will it may be a sin, a sin because we put our will before God's will and that's why we should always ask ourselves why we want to do something.
Maybe you want to be a president, but your heart is not right and you will end up being as wicked as everyone else, or maybe you want to be a soldier, which is honorable, but if you do it to escape from your life and just to have an adventure, and you don't really care what you are fighting for...I don't think that would be wise. I have seen people preaching behind a pulpit when I doubt God even called them to be pastors or leaders in a church.
I was reading a verse today that I think would apply here: To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.( Ti1:15)
If this world was led by people with pure hearts, there weren't any sinful occupations...but since that's not how it is we have to be very prayerful about what we want to do and want to be, and the reasons behind it. If you carry a pure heart, you will show purity in your job, if you carry a filthy heart, your job will be filthy.
PS.I'm not talking about occupations that are straight up sinful, like working as a drug dealer, a prostitute, a hitman,etc. I think those are OBVIOUSLY sinful, whatever the case is.
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V
Karla, I've never thought that a private investigator/spy, soldier, or politician were sinful jobs. Sometimes, we do call some of that as necessary evil, because of the violence and rampant lying, however, they aren't. As for the Investigator, they don't always lie to people. I think a lot of that is actually TV. Fro m what I've seen, a lot of investigation is more research at first, and stake outs, kinda like police work.
K
Yeah it sounds more like a movie but that job actually exists, I know someone who is involved in something like that but I can't talk about it, and they can't talk about it, and noone talks about it
It's supposed to be very discreet. And yeah I agree it's a necessary evil in this evil world, that's why if we christians work in something like that we have to be sure we are called to do it....but I think that applies with everything.
J
There is nothing wrong with psychology. There's not even anything wrong with philosophy. Many of the things we consider wrong are only in the grey zone. My advice: don't go into something blind. Know if, when, and how it will test your faith. As those times come, resolve them. Psychology and philosophy aren't the only "worldly" studies, but they do wreak a lot of havoc.
Here's the thing. God created everything. It's not wrong to understand. But it's false to believe we will ever understand it all.
As far as the grey zone goes, what's wrong for one may not be wrong for another. I'm not speaking of absolutes. But the world is not black and white. Being a soldier isn't sinful. Being a psychologist, a philosopher, etc isn't wrong. A friend of mine works for the music industry. He is a God-fearing man. But one of the techniques he used to use was to invite people to church. Not a big deal, right? However, for a few people the Lord have him specific direction to bargain with them. "ok, if I go to the strip club with you on Saturday, you're coming with me to church on Sunday.". His wife knew. His family knew. It was no big secret that he just offered to hit up the strip club in order to get someone into church. Gladly, no one ever took him to the club. In fact, they were so impressed by his offer that they just went to
church.
Here's the thing. God created everything. It's not wrong to understand. But it's false to believe we will ever understand it all.
As far as the grey zone goes, what's wrong for one may not be wrong for another. I'm not speaking of absolutes. But the world is not black and white. Being a soldier isn't sinful. Being a psychologist, a philosopher, etc isn't wrong. A friend of mine works for the music industry. He is a God-fearing man. But one of the techniques he used to use was to invite people to church. Not a big deal, right? However, for a few people the Lord have him specific direction to bargain with them. "ok, if I go to the strip club with you on Saturday, you're coming with me to church on Sunday.". His wife knew. His family knew. It was no big secret that he just offered to hit up the strip club in order to get someone into church. Gladly, no one ever took him to the club. In fact, they were so impressed by his offer that they just went to
church.
U
Nothing wrong with psychiatry in and of itself, but like with many things, you do still have to exercise some caution. If you're going to go into that field make sure you're well versed on your faith, why you believe what you believe. Also, it can be wise to be aware of some new age/eastern thinking as that seems to seep into a lot of psychology but is not inherently a part of psychology.
R
I disagree. I've been helped greatly by certain self-help books in the past when I was stuck in a funk, and reading them made me realize a lot of my thinking style was self psychology a lot of my life. I like to use tricks to help my mind, becasue I feel that is one of my gifts. If I can ever share what has helped me with someone someday who struggled like me, I would.
If me learning how to release my head out from a cage of fear is a sin, then I guess there is no hope for me.
If me learning how to release my head out from a cage of fear is a sin, then I guess there is no hope for me.
Dude, if your religion is telling you you are not allowed to do a certain job because that isn't allowed in your religion then ditch the religion. Now, before everyone has a &$#@ing heart attack, I'm not saying you should become an Atheist as I'm almost certain the Christain religion doesn't say anything specific about "no no" ocupations. You want to do a certain job? Go for it.
Sincerly,
Claire AKA voice of reason *eye roll*
Sincerly,
Claire AKA voice of reason *eye roll*
Any job can be viewed as sinful in one way or another. I know that psychologists in general have a reputation for scoffing at religion, and that there are things in psychology which are at odds with biblical teaching, but for the most part I don't think the job of psychologist is any more sinful than say...being a doctor or a police officer or whatever.