# what my pastor says about anxiety, what do other Christians think of this?



## kelly0205 (Jan 28, 2010)

He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


----------



## caflme (Jun 7, 2009)

I firmly believe in the healing power of confession to a Priest... I've known and felt it. 

However... I disagree and am highly offended by the way your Pastor presented this. Did he know you really well - deeply - had you been in counseling with him a long time when he dropped this bomb? I think it was very judgmental of him and not very realistic at all but fear mongering and would cause more anxiety. 

The problem with anxiety is not always about real ugliness... sometimes it is unrealistic perceptions that we have come to put onto ourselves or had put on us by society and/or those we have known. Any time one has fear of being judged or looking badly or making mistakes they will have anxiety -- this doesn't mean there is something in them that is ugly or horrible - it doesn't make them ugly or horrible... and that does not require any sort of confession. 

Now I used to have a very understanding, kind, non-judgmental priest that I could talk to for hours, confess anything and feel release and forgiveness by God... knowing and feeling the Grace of forgiveness from God through this man here on Earth. But if he had ever told me what your pastor told you... I would have never talk to him or trusted him again.


----------



## kelly0205 (Jan 28, 2010)

caflme said:


> I firmly believe in the healing power of confession to a Priest... I've known and felt it.
> 
> However... I disagree and am highly offended by the way your Pastor presented this. Did he know you really well - deeply - had you been in counseling with him a long time when he dropped this bomb? I think it was very judgmental of him and not very realistic at all but fear mongering and would cause more anxiety.
> 
> ...


I was taken aback when he said that. We don't know each other too well, but we have participated in group prayer and he has been my pastor for almost two years and knows about my social anxiety. He was speaking in "general terms" regarding anxiety. I don't believe he was attacking me, but it still hurt. I just have a hard time believing that is where our anxiety comes from, the fact that we try to hide how "ugly" we are from other people. I know the human race is capable of the most awful and dispiccable things, but thats just too narrow of an answer regarding anxiety in my opinion. I have an alcoholic parent and I was abused as a child, and I think that has more to do with it, more of a "distrust" of people.


----------



## caflme (Jun 7, 2009)

kelly0205 said:


> I was taken aback when he said that. We don't know each other too well, but we have participated in group prayer and he has been my pastor for almost two years and knows about my social anxiety. He was speaking in "general terms" regarding anxiety. I don't believe he was attacking me, but it still hurt. I just have a hard time believing that is where our anxiety comes from, the fact that we try to hide how "ugly" we are from other people. I know the human race is capable of the most awful and dispiccable things, but thats just too narrow of an answer regarding anxiety in my opinion. I have an alcoholic parent and I was abused as a child, and I think that has more to do with it, more of a "distrust" of people.


I think you are absolutely correct.... do not let this get into your head... you sound quite intelligent about this... trust YOUR instincts.


----------



## Mc Borg (Jan 4, 2008)

He's wrong.


----------



## LeDiskoLove99 (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't honestly agree with that.


----------



## Scorpius (Feb 26, 2010)

Some of our anxiety stems from it yes...but not all our anxiety comes from hiding our ugliness..

Anxiety in general stems from guilt and shame..but guilt and shame do not always come from being "sinful"...a lot of it actually stems from social conditioning and what is accepted by society standard as right and wrong and not God's standard of right and wrong

For example, some people feel anxiety when eating in front of others..now what does something as basic as eating have to do with hiding our ugliness..it has nothing to do with it..this is just the fear of judgment of others because of social conditioning and not the judgment of God because of our "ugliness"

What i think he really meant is if you are close to God, confess to God and you feel accepted by God you would have more faith in yourself which will eliminate your anxiety around others because you are not afraid of society judgment anymore..only God's judgment matters to you


----------



## caflme (Jun 7, 2009)

Scorpius said:


> Some of our anxiety stems from it yes...but not all our anxiety comes from hiding our ugliness..
> 
> Anxiety in general stems from guilt and shame..but guilt and shame does not always come from being "sinful"...a lot of it actually stems from social conditioning and what is accepted by society standard as right and wrong and not God's standard of right and wrong
> 
> ...


I truly hope that is what he meant to tell her and just said it very very badly. That was well written.


----------



## Dempsey (Jun 27, 2009)

It sounds like an incredibly unhealthy and non-fulfilling way to look at life. You aren't ugly inside.


----------



## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Wow, reading this made me really sad. I'm not Christian, but I feel your pastor is WAY off the mark. Hopefully he meant something similar to what Scorpius said. I can say with certainty, though, my anxiety isn't due to fear of being exposed as an "ugly person." Not at all!


----------



## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


I'm not religious, but I disagree with this interpretation on a psychological level. If everyone is sinful then everyone should be anxious. In fact, sociopaths whom are notoriously amoral generally have very high self-esteem and low anxiety.

If I were you I'd ask your pastor which part of the bible he is getting this from, and read it for yourself, and perhaps see if there is some context to the quotation.

I support your right to religiosity and I wish you the best with you and your path in life <3


----------



## erasercrumbs (Dec 17, 2009)

My social problems stem from Avoidant Personality Disorder and a massive inferiority complex, so your pastor's assertion could be considered generally correct if applied to me.


----------



## stylicho (Nov 8, 2003)

mcmuffinme said:


> If I were you I'd ask your pastor which part of the bible he is getting this from, and read it for yourself, and perhaps see if there is some context to the quotation.


I agree with this.


----------



## Hope22 (Jun 13, 2010)

I don't agree with this at all. While that may be one reason, I think there are many others that cause anxiety, like fear, worry, etc.


----------



## kelly0205 (Jan 28, 2010)

I talked to him about it, I have trouble with confrontation so this was hard for me. He did have a passage for me referencing the evil of man (I don't remember it now). 

He gave me further clarification on what he meant by "ugly." Since God is pure and holy, anything that falls short is considered sinful (ugly). So, if i'm experiencing anxiety, i'm committing sin. I'm not trusting the Lord. I feel ashamed of that on some level, because to not trust the Lord, you are sinning (calling Him a liar). So, anxiety is defined as our own unease with being fearful (which of course we do not want others to see). 

I agree in that is has more to do with social conditioning. But that is how he explained it in biblical terms. Thanks for the responses.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Technically, it is - we are putting our fear first. That's a Top Ten No-No. In fact, it's #1. We can't help it, but we can. That is the problem. The way your pastor is presenting it is certainly not comforting. God is supposed to be the person you run to, but that would freak anyone out. I would look up some Scripture on fear - Job, a cool dude, is one example. That man had all kinds of stuff happen to him (lost TEN KIDS, ALL HIS FRIENDS, HIS HOUSE, HIS JOB, and got a NASTY case of ACNE!), and God let it happen! God was showing Satan that he can't mess with God's boys and girls because they won't give up. Neither should we!


----------



## mcmuffinme (Mar 12, 2010)

Anxiety is a natural feeling that god gave us to survive! If people didn't have fear and inhibitions they would get themselves killed. I don't think god gives people fixed personality traits and blames them for the genetic makeup he gave them.

You should get the verse your pastor is quoting and read it for yourself. You may interpret it differently than he does, and lord knows pastor's are not exempt from imperfection. The bible is here for EVERYONE to read and interpret. This priest could be completely wrong. Besides fear is VERY difficult to control, if at all possible. It's caused by adrenaline. God gave us adrenaline to survive.


----------



## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

So its not the devil?


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It can be.


----------



## melissa75 (Feb 16, 2010)

This is very unfortunate. Your pastor is in a position to help people, yet he further hurts you by making you feel like you're ugly. God created everyone in His own image and truly loves every person, good or evil. However, we are human, so we will always sin. Yes, it is a sin to not have faith in God or to not rely on Him to guide us through our problems. But, it is ALSO a sin to not love and respect ourselves. We are not ugly inside, but we are sinners. There is a difference, and it really is unfortunate what this pastor is telling you and possibly others. 

I'm not Catholic, don't "confess", and am not particularly religious, but I do pray about my weaknesses and for strength in overcoming them. I also ask for forgiveness when I let my weaknesses affect my happiness and relationship with God. Admittedly, I don't pray like I should, but prayer rarely fails to make me feel better when I'm going through a really difficult time.


----------



## saym (Jul 14, 2009)

We'd been going to a new church for a few months when the pastor said something along the lines of "when you accept Christ into your heart, all anxieties will be gone, and you'll feel a new sense of calm" or something like that. I felt really offended, we stopped going to that church shortly after. I do pray for help with my anxiety, somedays are better than others, but it doesn't completly take it away. He made me feel like I wasn't a christian because I still had anxiety, which I know is not true. (It wasn't aimed at me, he didn't know about my anxiety, it was in his sermon to the whole church). What I got from your first post was that the pastor meant you felt, but are not, ugly inside- so didn't want to show it to people. Thats mean-sinfulness obviously doesn't cause anxiety because there would be alot more anxious people-including pastors!


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

They must not understand that there is a struggle to this - it is not a one-time thing like we would like to think that it is. We have to continuously work through it in the beginning. It gets easier, but it is so hard when the skills are first learned.


----------



## RazorWire (Jun 16, 2010)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


I'm not religious, and was just kind of curious to see what was going on in this board, but that is just ridiculous. That is the biggest load of crap I have heard in a while, don't listen to such blatant crap.

I have no problems with religion, or religious people, but come on.


----------



## stylicho (Nov 8, 2003)

Anxiety wasnt mentioned in the Ten Commandments lol.


----------



## Blue Bird (Jun 28, 2004)

This makes me afraid to speak to the pastor at the church I attend. I already have the fear don't understand...and most people don't. This is sad.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Blue Bird said:


> This makes me afraid to speak to the pastor at the church I attend. I already have the fear don't understand...and most people don't. This is sad.


Actually, they might. Mine does. Anxiety is common; we just have it in the social area. If you explain it right, they will understand. They can't judge you since EVERYBODY has anxiety.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

stylicho said:


> Anxiety wasnt mentioned in the Ten Commandments lol.


If we are controlled by our fears, that means we aren't trusting God enough. That could fall in the First Commandment. It's like the Biblical Bill of Rights :lol.


----------



## jk3456 (Jun 23, 2010)

He is a palterer. Don't listen to that ****. We are a much more sensitive people than the average human. You don't owe anyone a confession for being pure.

*Confession* - The means by which God forgives sins after baptism.

So, your pastor told you that for having the condition of social anxiety you are a sinner. I am a sinner for being the way I am. I should confess to god because I have a social disability. I should confess to god for something that I cannot control. I don't buy it. He is preaching words of ignorance.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

We all sin. We just need more of a relationship with Him - get to know Him more. That is where our confidence needs to be, not in the words of other people.


----------



## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

Good old catholic shame! 

I wouldn't listen to a word of it.


----------



## Hello22 (Feb 10, 2010)

LaRibbon said:


> He sounds very Catholic.


I agree. I don't bother with church anymore, its like anyone who deviates from the 'norm' is a sinner or needs to go to confession, doesn't fit into my belief system. I have a little faith God, but not the church


----------



## Sunshine009 (Sep 21, 2008)

saym said:


> We'd been going to a new church for a few months when the pastor said something along the lines of "when you accept Christ into your heart, all anxieties will be gone, and you'll feel a new sense of calm" or something like that. I felt really offended, we stopped going to that church shortly after. I do pray for help with my anxiety, somedays are better than others, but it doesn't completly take it away. He made me feel like I wasn't a christian because I still had anxiety, which I know is not true. (It wasn't aimed at me, he didn't know about my anxiety, it was in his sermon to the whole church). What I got from your first post was that the pastor meant you felt, but are not, ugly inside- so didn't want to show it to people. Thats mean-sinfulness obviously doesn't cause anxiety because there would be alot more anxious people-including pastors!


A lot of them do that. Joel Osteen's sister who is co-pastor, I heard her preach on anxiety, at the end she had people raise their hand to be prayed for to be free from anxiety forever.

?


----------



## Groundskeeper (Feb 6, 2010)

My 2 cents:

Part of my anxiety is based on issues that went on in my childhood and teenage years that really messed me up. I think the pastor is partly right, but maybe he didn't word it right. For a long time I did feel ugly inside, I felt guilt, fear, and shame. I didn't want people to look at me because I felt so inferior. Since I've come back to the Catholic Church and have begun to cultivate more of a relationship with God I've realized that what people think of me has no merit. The ONLY thing that matters is what God sees in me, what He thinks about me. While I know this, there are still a lot of things that make me uncomfortable. Like where I sit at mass. I like to sit by the door all the way in the back, I feel really awkward and uncomfortable when people are sitting behind me, but I can't change a lifetime of behavior patterns practically overnight...rome wasn't built in a day. 

Has my anxiety gotten better? Not really. Has how I deal with my anxiety gotten better? YES! That makes all the difference in the world. Instead of complaining/grumbling/feeling sorry for myself I immerse myself in prayer. I have a much more positive outlook on my anxiety. In coming closer to Christ, I've been better able to understand myself (most of the time!).


----------



## Sunshine009 (Sep 21, 2008)

It's more like you are that way because you fear the ugliness in other people. People can be really cruel especially when they get into groups and have political agendas or "being cool" agendas that revolve around all kinds of diverse other things too like looks, drugs, income levels, etc.
I don't think its shame based for real. I think its a false shame based-ness that you have to talk yourself out of. We do sin and have guilt but the proportion to which we are faulting ourselves with others is so extreme that it is not real guilt but false guilt. We haven't robbed a bank or killed anyone. It is a false shame. It does help to get closer to a sense of God accepting you and being bold in your values. I can't help but believe that the body needs to be balanced and cleaned out and exercised too. Toxins will cause some people to have a lot of anxiety without reason and these are toxins that are normal kinds such as in junk foods and modern day foods that are in regular meals. When you have anxiety that comes from an imbalance like that, it is not from shame either.

I was in one college class where 90% of the class made fun of a student who stuttered and had a lipse. He didn't do anything wrong. It clearly also made him nervous. Now, is that due to his sin?

I know some people spend hours being at home with parents who fight constantly with each other and also are criticial with them too, never saying a kind word, til the person is quite anxious all the time, including when they go to work, being on edge waiting for the next attack. I hardly belive that the scripture "the wicked flee when no one is persuing" applies to them.

Come on now, your pastor is completely off base as to the causes.

However, you can get yourself where you are strong in your values to live with God so that you can tell yourself you know you are okay no matter what others say. This is where Christianity helps. However a person is not bad or ugly because of just anxiety issues.


----------



## donavan (Jun 23, 2010)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


makes sense. all of my prblems stem from beleiving that im inadequate. and i see myself as unatractive as a person


----------



## erasercrumbs (Dec 17, 2009)

I really don't see why the pastor's comments were so controversial. It doesn't sound like he was enforcing shame. He was describing the undesirable effects of it. 

There's nothing hateful about describing Man as a tormented creature.


----------



## ChadsWick1234 (Oct 31, 2009)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


 This is horribe advice. Confess are ugliness to god? Maybe we should try to like ourselves. Are anxiety stems from a depression or a possibel chemical inbalance in the brain. Alot of people on these forums don't like themselves because they have low self esteem. It would be better to give yourself positive reinforcment.


----------



## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

Ugly is a strong word, especially for someone with Social Anxiety. Probably the worst word you can use, but I'm actually a little confused about what he said so I won't go much further.

If I understand correctly, he's saying I created anxiety because of the sins I keep secret? That isn't accurate in my case. I also don't see how someone can be healed from anxiety 100%. Wouldn't that be like being healed from anger? Anger, anxiety, depression, loneliness, are all tools and they have their purpose. They aren't exactly the plague, but they aren't the most fun to deal with either. For example, if you were never lonely, you would never reach out to God or another person. I hope I'm making sense at 8am.


----------



## InThe519 (Sep 21, 2009)

Dempsey said:


> It sounds like an incredibly unhealthy and non-fulfilling way to look at life. You aren't ugly inside.


Exactly -- this kind of **** is why I walked away from organized religion many years ago.

I have my own personal relationship with God and live my life accordingly.


----------



## sunshine0505 (May 16, 2011)

I wasn't there when he preached this msg but I would love to have heard his tone. I don't think he was trying to be rude or offensive... but severe anxiety is hard to understand if you don't have it so I think he was trying to grasp it as best he could...

That being said, I don't think he missed the mark by too much. Personally, I think the root of my SA (and what I've been told by close family) is that I don't accept my flaws and that I try to cover them up by acting perfect. I think being a Christian had a lot to do with it. You "should always be smiling, nothing should ever get to you and you must be a great example at all times so that your "light may shine to others." That's a lot of pressure. I still haven't found a way to really cope with that... God loves us all, unconditionally (no matter what) is a great place to start I guess...


----------



## LALoner (Dec 3, 2008)

LaRibbon said:


> He sounds very Catholic.


I was going to say he sounded Protestant.


----------



## sunshine0505 (May 16, 2011)

sunshine0505 said:


> I honestly don't think her pastor was calling HER ugly. I believe he was getting at the fact that we as humans try to hide whatever it is about ourselves that we deem 'ugly' so that others don't see it. What is ugly is subjective to each of us. Our sin, greed, past, or our failures? I may not want you to know I have a bad temper, so I try my hardest to be Ms. Nice 24/7. Eventually, the 'real' me will come out... and I think that's the thing that causes us anxiety. Knowing that we will be 'exposed.' Will we be judged/rejected/abandoned because our flaws are exposed... especially if we call ourselves Christians? Even though God's opinion is the only one that should matter... and He loves us unconditonally. This is my take on it, though..... I could be wrong.





melissa75 said:


> This is very unfortunate. Your pastor is in a position to help people, yet he further hurts you by making you feel like you're ugly. God created everyone in His own image and truly loves every person, good or evil. However, we are human, so we will always sin. Yes, it is a sin to not have faith in God or to not rely on Him to guide us through our problems. But, it is ALSO a sin to not love and respect ourselves. We are not ugly inside, but we are sinners. There is a difference, and it really is unfortunate what this pastor is telling you and possibly others.
> 
> I'm not Catholic, don't "confess", and am not particularly religious, but I do pray about my weaknesses and for strength in overcoming them. I also ask for forgiveness when I let my weaknesses affect my happiness and relationship with God. Admittedly, I don't pray like I should, but prayer rarely fails to make me feel better when I'm going through a really difficult time.


I honestly don't think her pastor was calling HER ugly. I believe he was getting at the fact that we has humans try to hide whatever we feel is ugly so that others don't see it. What is ugly is subjective to each of us. I may not want you to know I have a bad temper, so I try my hardest to be Ms. Nice 24/7. Eventually, the 'real' you will come out... and I think that's the thing that causes us anxiety. Will we be judged/rejected/abandoned because our flaws are exposed... especially if we call ourselves Christians? Even though God's opinion is the only one that should matter... and He loves us unconditonally.


----------



## sunshine0505 (May 16, 2011)

I once saw an interesting quote about anxiety by a guy named Lecrae (google him). He said just like we have a biblical plan for lust and pride in our lives, we should have one for anxiety.

I thought it was kind of interesting... kind of a hard pill to swallow when ur anxiety feels so much out of ur control though...


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

sunshine0505 said:


> I wasn't there when he preached this msg but I would love to have heard his tone. I don't think he was trying to be rude or offensive... but severe anxiety is hard to understand if you don't have it so I think he was trying to grasp it as best he could...
> 
> That being said, I don't think he missed the mark by too much. Personally, I think the root of my SA (and what I've been told by close family) is that I don't accept my flaws and that I try to cover them up by acting perfect. I think being a Christian had a lot to do with it. You "should always be smiling, nothing should ever get to you and you must be a great example at all times so that your "light may shine to others." That's a lot of pressure. I still haven't found a way to really cope with that... God loves us all, unconditionally (no matter what) is a great place to start I guess...


Lifs isn't always happy - the only thing that we should have at all times is faith.


----------



## RatherBAlone (May 18, 2011)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


just because we believe in Jesus, does not mean we are perfect.

Jesus comes into our hearts to help overcome our old "self"; and to help us overcome the world and the devil.

yes, we all have the ugly human side. we always will. that is why
being a Christian is a daily commitment. it is work to deny self.
especially in a world where everyone believes in elevating SELF.

your pastor is right. just being honest about your ugly self, and then
asking Jesus to forgive you and cleanse you with his Blood, is the key.

Lucifer does not want you to do this, he wants you to wallow in your crap.

A priest cannot forgive you, only JESUS can. HE is the one who was beaten, vilified, scorned and crucified for our sins.

JESUS is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

it really sounds like you need to read the Bible.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev. 12:11)

And he said unto them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)


----------



## RatherBAlone (May 18, 2011)

millenniumman75 said:


> If we are controlled by our fears, that means we aren't trusting God enough. That could fall in the First Commandment. It's like the Biblical Bill of Rights :lol.


 *Mark 12:30* And thou shalt *love* *the* *Lord* thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] *the* first commandment.

 *Luke 10:27* And he answering said, Thou shalt *love* *the* *Lord* thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 


just try it and see. 

i dare ya.


----------



## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

RatherBAlone said:


> *Mark 12:30* And thou shalt *love* *the* *Lord* thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] *the* first commandment.
> 
> *Luke 10:27* And he answering said, Thou shalt *love* *the* *Lord* thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
> 
> ...


Erm, from what I can tell, MM75 is very devout -- I don't think that he was saying he has a problem trusting god.

And who are you to point fingers and judge?


----------



## sas111 (Oct 20, 2010)

I'd say leave that dawm brainwashing church, your pastor has no clue what he's talking about.


----------



## RatherBAlone (May 18, 2011)

Neptunus said:


> Erm, from what I can tell, MM75 is very devout -- I don't think that he was saying he has a problem trusting god.
> 
> And who are you to point fingers and judge?


dude, i wasn't judging. chill.

funny how quoting scriptures is perceived as "judging" though. 
and on a "spirituality" forum, no less.

wow.
wow.
and wow.


----------



## Kennnie (Oct 21, 2010)

im a monster inside


----------



## pimkersyf (May 3, 2011)

kelly0205 said:


> He says our anxiety stems from not wanting other people to see how "ugly" we are inside. * Even though we are not even aware of how horrible we are, just being human beings is to be awful *and we are anxious other people will see it. So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away. Also, confessing what we hide from ourselves will bring it to light, so we can see it and work on it with God's help. What do other people think of this?


*"There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being." -James Joyce*


----------



## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

RatherBAlone said:


> dude, i wasn't judging. chill.
> 
> funny how quoting scriptures is perceived as "judging" though.
> and on a "spirituality" forum, no less.
> ...


Actually, I was going by the context & tone of your (rather aggressive) comments in this forum -- meaning, how do you know how close someone is to God, or who is and isn't a Christian?

But, I see you've gone back and softened some of your posts.

As for quoting scripture, you and I are in agreement that the spirituality forum is just the place for that. In fact, I find it all very interesting. So, by all means!

Edited to add: I realize that I may have misinterpreted your comment to Milleniumman75- that, in fact, you were supporting him with what was meant to be a general statement. If so, my mistake.


----------



## MumblyJoe (May 15, 2011)

my inner demon believes your priest is ugly inside n out.


----------



## detrac78 (May 20, 2011)

" I'm not trusting the Lord. I feel ashamed of that on some level, because to not trust the Lord, you are sinning (calling Him a liar). So, anxiety is defined as our own unease with being fearful (which of course we do not want others to see). "

I don't know if your pastor expressed this in the best way, but i think i get what he's saying. I think, from my interpetation, that he's saying that by being afraid of who you are/what you do/what people think, you're not trusting the you that God made you to be, if we're made in his image, and we feel shameful of that image, then i could see that as being sinful. Of course, I'm not very versed on the bible, but, the Adam and Eve story, where they felt shameful and tried to hid themselves from God, that's what anxiety makes us do, sure we're hiding from others, but more then likely we're also trying to hid from God too.


----------



## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

We might feel ugly but that doesn't mean we are. 

Honestly, I don't agree with what your pastor said. Confessing sins is fine, if that's your thing, but don't be guilted into feelings that you don't have in the first place.


----------



## ohgodits2014 (Mar 18, 2011)

> So we have to confess our ugliness to God, thus washing it away.


Sounds Protestant.

Agree with this, though:



> I really don't see why the pastor's comments were so controversial. It doesn't sound like he was enforcing shame.


----------



## carcella (May 25, 2011)

I agree with RatherBAlone
I also think that God can use our anxiety problem to mold and shape us to become conformed to His image


----------



## Krikorian (May 16, 2011)

One cannot always attribute a willful intention behind things like shyness or social anxiety, like trying to hide one's "ugliness" or something like that. Sometimes acting as if the anxiety had an intention can help, but usually it helps me more to focus on the symptoms and the behavior. I do believe, however, that being raised as a Christian _can_ cause some guilt issues to develop that can become "co-symptoms" with the anxiety.

Telling a person that their shyness is just a way of attempting to hide their "ugliness" is about one of the worst ways to help someone I can imagine.


----------



## Mona1234 (Dec 9, 2010)

Its a bunch of bull if I was you I would go to a different church.


----------



## Mona1234 (Dec 9, 2010)

carcella said:


> I agree with RatherBAlone
> I also think that God can use our anxiety problem to mold and shape us to become conformed to His image


Very true!


----------

