Website owner: James Miller
Spiritual maladies of man
There are many diseases of the body. The restorative power of the human body does, with time, cure most diseases (i.e. the body usually heals itself) . Medicinal substances that man has discovered help cure many others. And modern surgical techniques cure others. However, in addition to diseases of the body, man also suffers from diseases of the mind and heart. And these diseases of the mind and heart often cause man far more trouble than do diseases of the body. What diseases am I talking about?
Spiritual maladies of man: Pride, arrogance, vanity, selfishness, enviousness, jealousy, hatred, bitterness, maliciousness, vengefulness, spitefulness, covetousness, greediness, lasciviousness, laziness, inner anger, inferiority complex.
Man may not generally regard these as diseases. And because of their persistence within a person, they are often viewed as character traits. However, man does not acquire them as a part of his genetic makeup. He is not born with them. He develops them. They are habitual ways of thinking and feeling that he develops as he responds to life in his journey through childhood and into adulthood. Man is indeed born with certain natural inclinations. He is indeed born with natural inclinations toward pride, vanity, selfishness, enviousness, jealousy, maliciousness, greediness, lasciviousness, laziness, etc. We all have natural inclinations toward those things within us. However, not all of us are proud and arrogant. Some people are very humble. Not all people are vain. Not all are selfish. Not all are afflicted with feelings of jealousy or maliciousness or inner anger. Not all people are greedy. Not all people are lascivious or lazy. Why? If all people are naturally inclined in a certain direction, why doesn’t everyone develop in that direction? Well, as we develop mentally in our journey through life things like reason, conscience, moral sense, religious teaching also help decide the kind of people we become. They also affect the kind of mental habits we acquire in dealing with people and life. They influence the kind of mental traits that will characterize us when we become adults.
The above listed traits are not usually viewed as diseases but I believe it is appropriate to regard them as diseases.
Now I want to suggest something: Reason, moral sense, conscience, religious teaching, increasing understanding of life can cause us to develop into beings that are totally free of all of the spiritual maladies mentioned above. You don’t believe that? It is true. We can develop into people completely free of the spiritual maladies that afflict so much of mankind. That is what Christianity is all about. That is the “Way” given in the Bible. Doesn’t that sound great? It is God’s way.
See the following:
The Natural Way – The Unnatural Way
Stay away from these demons: Pride, Anger, Hatred, Lust, Envy, and Jealousy
Jan 2016
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life