Thursday, April 19, 2012

Does ice cream hesitation make it sin?

~Romans 14.22b-23
Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
For me, this verse is different. Since it's linked to the verses about causing others to stumble, I assume Paul is carrying through on the same thought here. BUT to me this is about looking at a a carton of Bryers Rocky Road and thinking, "hmmm. I already had some chocolate today. Probably I'd be better off to pass this up." I'm not thinking of others at all. Indeed, I don't know of anyone who would tell me that I shouldn't eat several servings of chocolate a day if I want to, given that I'm in good health. No. For me the issue is that I know that an abundance of desserts is not a great nutritional choice; my grandpa died of diabetes; my bones need more alkaline and less acidic food. So I know that the ice cream is not the best choice and I hesitate. Paul is saying here that given these doubts, if I indulge that's sin.

2 comments:

Steve said...

I disagree. It's not sin for you to eat Rocky Road in the amount and frequency you consider.

Ruth said...

I hope you are right and not me. :-]