{Guilt}[26th July 1989]

[Redbook6:168][19890726:1323]{Guilt}[26th July 1989]

.1323

‘Guilt’ has (or should have) nothing to do with Christianity. ‘Guilt’ (by which we mean nowadays the feeling of being guilty)* arises out of having failed to fulfil our perceived social obligations, which normally occurs because we do not want to perform the actions which would fulfil them. If we see ‘being a good Christian’ as fulfilling our social obligations (or vice versa) then we may feel guilty at failing to do things which we feel as Christians that we ought to. But in practice the range and nature of the failures for which we feel guilty generally fall far short of what Christianity teaches us is necessary.

For example, many of us might feel guilty at being foul to a relation or friend; but not at being foul to someone who had carelessly inconvenienced us in the street, even less to (for example) a convicted child-murderer. But Christianity tells us to love our enemies;** and although love may involve a measure of detachment from object as well as from Self, it precludes foulness.

*{(Just as ‘superior’ has come to mean ‘feeling superior’)}

[and cf the change of meaning of ‘condescend’ from something for which the person being condescended to is grateful – “he condescended beautifully” (an actual quotation, not necessarily word-perfect, from, I think, the early 19^th century, though I cannot now find it; & cf Jane Austen ‘Emma’, Chapter 27: “Emma did not repent her condescension in going to the Coles.”) – to the modern meaning for which the person being condescended to would be not at all grateful. What all three of these interesting shifts in use have is that they represent as much, if not more, a change in attitudes as a change in meaning.]

**[Matthew 5:44 (Part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7).

‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

(Matthew 5:43-48 (KJB)]

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