Sin as building an “alternative self”

God created man to be God’s son (daughter), to live with God in the fellowship of love, and to share in God’s creative work. Sin caused the man to forsake God – and the result was a “frustrating regression” of sin. The man began to build a new, “alternative SELF,” no longer based on God but himself and on the created world (and he began to worship both and thus accepted it as his new god. “
Characters of the “alternative self”:
CONSUMPTION – no longer creation, consumption, consumption, and the associated destruction, looting, exploitation.
OWNERSHIP – orientation to property, wealth, because it is the key not only to pleasure and consumption but also to the following…:
PRIDE – worship of oneself, the exaltation of oneself, striving for power, for glory, for absolute independence from no one and nothing…
Barriers to protect the “alternative self”:
Scott Peck says that community relationships are hampered by so-called barriers to communication – barriers to relationships.
It states in particular: Expectations and prejudices, Ideology, theology, solution. The need to heal, turn others, strengthen or solve—the need for control. We could, of course, enrich these barriers with other similar ones.
Sense of barriers:
These barriers make sense because:
protect the SECURITY OF OWNERSHIP
and at the same time, they help INCREASE YOURSELF and our sense of power and importance:
CONFIDENCE AND FEAR OF PEOPLE
SECURITY – We are afraid that it will be disrupted (materially, mentally, spiritually)
IMPORTANCE – we are afraid that they will defeat us, I will control us,…
FEAR OF PROPERTY
SECURITY – We are afraid that we will lose property that is the source of our comfort, a means of pleasure, of consumption…
IMPORTANCE – we are afraid that if we lose some of the things we own, we will not be able to use them to promote ourselves (e.g., wealth is a way to position, influence, to be a celebrity – if we lose it, we will also lose these opportunities)
DIFFERENCES
SECURITY – disrupt our well-being, stability, comfort
IMPORTANCE – is a sign of our superiority, if others adapt to us and not use to them
EXPECTATIONS AND INFINITE IDEOLOGIES
SECURITY – if they come true, we don’t have to change anything about our established opinions and habits
IMPORTANCE – their acceptance by others is proof of our superiority over them (in power, in wisdom,…), our correctness,…
EFFORT AND NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS, DESIRE TO CONTROL OTHERS
SECURITY – not changing yourself and controlling others strengthens our stability and security
IMPORTANCE – if we control and change others, we will assert our superiority over them. And then, after all, it is noble for us to help the weaker, the stupider, and those who have problems…
DEFECTS, NON-VULNERABILITY, hiding their weaknesses and shortcomings
SECURITY – prevents others from harming us and causing us suffering
IMPORTANCE – revealing weaknesses and shortcomings would reduce our prestige; they would embarrass us!
PREJUDICE, boxing others
SECURITY – the feeling that we have things under control, we understand everything
IMPORTANCE – a feeling of superiority over various “tricks,” “guys,” etc.
FEAR OF FAILURE
SECURITY – Failure is pain and chaos; it must be avoided
IMPORTANCE – failure is defeat, a sign of weakness and helplessness.