Monday, March 19, 2007

A Sin By Any Other Name

In the classic play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Juliet says that famous line - "that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." I say, calling a sin by another name helps it not smell so stinky. The Bible talks about sin bringing a stench and we would rather use more "air freshener" than get rid of the sin.

We love to "rename" our stinky sins !

  • We do that by ascribing the worst motives to others, while using other phrases (air freshener) to let ourselves off the hook.

    • If you do it, you're a liar; I just "stretch the truth a little."
    • You lose your temper; I have righteous anger.
    • You're a jerk; I'm having a bad day.
    • You curse and swear; I let off steam.
    • You're pushy; I'm intensely goal-oriented.
    • You're a hypochondriac; but I'm really sick.
    • You stink; I just have an "earthy aroma."
    • You have a critical spirit; I honestly tell the truth.
    • You gossip; I share prayer requests.

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