One of the aspects of the Christian anthropology is that humans are sinners. And we are. We participate in sin both knowingly and unknowingly. We all have fallen short and are sinners.
And being defined as a sinner means that religion is constantly trying to get people to "stop" sinning. If humans would just stop sinning, then we would all be better off.
The Ten Commandments have a number of "stop" commandments. They are the "thou shall not" commandments.
Kill.
Steal.
Commit adultery.
These are the commandments that remind us that we would be better off if we stopped doing these behaviors. And we would.
But it is not enough to just stop sinning. The kingdom of God is not going to be realized if we just stopped sinning. As they say, peace is not the absence of violence.
The anthropology of human as sinner just falls short.
Which is why humans need to develop an anthropology of human as saint.
When we develop an anthropology of human as saint, we will discover that sainthood requires that we do something.
The Ten Commandments have a number of "do" commandments.
Remember who is God.
Honor parents.
Keep sabbath holy.
When we take seriously the development of human as saint in connection with human as sinner we will no only teach people what we should stop doing, but we will also teach people what we should be doing.
So, Church, let us admit that our anthropology of sinner has monopolized our time and we need to develop our anthropology of saint.
And being defined as a sinner means that religion is constantly trying to get people to "stop" sinning. If humans would just stop sinning, then we would all be better off.
The Ten Commandments have a number of "stop" commandments. They are the "thou shall not" commandments.
Kill.
Steal.
Commit adultery.
These are the commandments that remind us that we would be better off if we stopped doing these behaviors. And we would.
But it is not enough to just stop sinning. The kingdom of God is not going to be realized if we just stopped sinning. As they say, peace is not the absence of violence.
The anthropology of human as sinner just falls short.
Which is why humans need to develop an anthropology of human as saint.
When we develop an anthropology of human as saint, we will discover that sainthood requires that we do something.
The Ten Commandments have a number of "do" commandments.
Remember who is God.
Honor parents.
Keep sabbath holy.
When we take seriously the development of human as saint in connection with human as sinner we will no only teach people what we should stop doing, but we will also teach people what we should be doing.
So, Church, let us admit that our anthropology of sinner has monopolized our time and we need to develop our anthropology of saint.