Pain and Guilt

Our bodies and spirits have limits within which they work well—move beyond those limits and bad things happen. Martin Luther suggested self-loathing is a condition or penalty of wrongdoing that continues until the cause is appeased. Whether one agrees with Luther or not, humans experience internal dissonance over actions.

Guilt is analogous to pain. Guilt is to the human spirit as pain is to the human body. When the human body moves beyond its physical limits the result is discomfort and pain. When the human spirit moves beyond its moral limits the result is spiritual/mental discomfort and guilt.

The body is limited by its natural design and construction. Force a joint out of place and the result is pain. The spirit has built-in design and construction limitations, too. Go beyond these limits and things get bad. Bottom line: humans have natural limits.

Pain

The body seeks a life free of pain and hurt. We are at our physical best and happiest when we are pain-free. Pain or hurt comes from three sources:

1. When we force ourselves beyond our physical limits (direct choice).

2. From accidents, illness, or attacks (not by choice).

3. As a consequence of placing ourselves in high-risk situations likely to result in accidents (indirect choice).

Pain requiring no healing usually serves as a warning. For example, pain while exercising signals approaching or passed limits. Exercise and practice extend limits; abuse and inaction decrease limits. 

Pain usually requires healing. Healing involves triage (determining the seriousness of ailments), mending and medication, therapy/tending, and time. In severe cases those in pain cannot self-heal. Friends, family, and medical professionals help. Healing is a return to living within the body’s natural limits. In some cases healing returns the body to its former condition; in other cases the body remains scarred or disabled and pain may continue. Some injuries result in lifelong pain. Some injuries result in death.

Pain may be cured or masked by medication. Medication that helps one deal with pain while healing is typically good. Medication that keeps one from experiencing pain while surpassing limits is dangerous. Humans dislike pain so much that they are tempted to self-medicate in order to preempt pain.

Guilt

The human spirit seeks a life free of guilt and emotional hurt. We are at our best and happiest when we are guilt-free. Guilt or self-loathing comes from three sources:

1. When we force ourselves beyond our moral limits (direct choice).

2. From accidents, illness, or attacks (not by choice).

3. As a consequence of placing ourselves in high-risk situations likely to result in accidents (indirect choice).

Guilt that vanishes completely with a change in action usually serves as a warning. Humans learn from guilt experiences.

Guilt requires healing. Healing involves triage (determining the seriousness of moral transgression), changing behavior, apology, and acceptance. In severe cases guilt cannot be self-healed. Friends, family, and mental/spiritual professionals help. Healing is a return to former times; living within moral limits. In some cases healing returns the spirit to its former condition; in other cases the spirit remains scarred or disabled and guilt may continue. Some actions or injuries result in depression and lifelong guilt. Some injuries result in spiritual death.

Guilt may be treated or masked by medication. Medication that helps one deal with guilt while healing is typically good. Medication that keeps one from experiencing normal guilt while surpassing moral limits is dangerous. Humans dislike guilt so much that they are tempted to self-medicate in order to preempt guilt.

Becoming Guilt-Free

Our ultimate goal is to become pain and guilt-free. Humans naturally choose to relieve pain. Unfortunately, humans are not as inclined to admit guilt. As a result there are many unhappy, emotionally scarred and disabled individuals. Unaddressed pain and guilt lead to spiraling bad consequences. One ignores pain or guilt at one’s own risk.

Various religions and philosophies offer suggestions for moral healing: Atheism: Moral pragmatism, Buddhism: Eightfold Path, Confucianism: Right relationships, Hinduism: Dharma, Islam: Islamic law, Judaism: Mosaic Law, Taoism: Non-resistance, and Christianity: Repentance. In most religions, the god-figure is the source of moral authority and requires appeasement for guilt. Guilt is the result of offending a moral authority. Healing is the act of regaining acceptance from one’s moral authority.

Christianity and Guilt

Christianity has ironically become synonymous with guilt. The one faith that proclaims the “good news” of forgiveness and new starts is perceived as mercilessly judgmental. Many feel Christianity causes guilt. Christians are bad at marketing—they believe, “the body is a temple”, but they market it as “no smoking”, “no drinking”, “no drugs”, “no sex”, etc. As if turning sound principles to trite rules weren’t bad enough, some prominent Christians are really judgmental and unkind.

The Christian message is “Forgiveness!” yet many seem to be hearing, “Guilty!” The purpose of guilt is to encourage us to live guiltless and moral lives. Accusation and shame are another matter entirely. Accusation of guilt either hastens the healing or worsens the spiritual wound. Therefore, accusation is dangerous—it helps those who agree and hurts those who do not. Those who judge themselves as good and others as bad are as misguided as the Pharisees in Christ’s day. We are all in need of grace and forgiveness.

Christian-Judeo morality has strongly influenced the United States and Europe for centuries. Historic Christian communities relied heavily upon Mosaic Law to formulate socially acceptable moral limits. Throughout Christian history, grace (the cure for guilt) more often than not received second billing to The Law (the cause of guilt). Western churches emphasized the cause of guilt far more than the cure. Jesus’ principled guidance, “Love God, love your neighbor as yourself, and don’t judge”, was drowned out by the Ten Commandments.

In an effort to cure guilt many reject moral responsibility and declare themselves innocent. They declare: “Outside moral authority does not exist.” If one is only accountable to self; one need have no morals beyond what one approves. Yet, guilt continues. Declaring ourselves “Not guilty!” does not seem to work. The reason this method fails is self-accusation and shame. Self-accusation is when our chosen actions do not agree with our personal moral stance. While guilt is self-loathing, shame is suspecting others loathe us, too. Shame joins guilt when others know our shortcomings and we assume they judge us.

Healing

The first truth about healing guilt is that most of those around us wish we’d get healed, too. Spiritual healing is a return to one’s moral home. The return home is straightforward: Own the guilt, apologize, reject similar actions for the future, and start over. We also feel better if we do something morally good as restitution or a sign of our changed spirit.

The difficult part is taking responsibility for guilt. Physically, no one has trouble owning the pain in one’s body, but spiritually we often deny ownership of guilt. Healing seems simple, but religion can certainly muddy the waters. Religions typically add another step in the healing process. They have formulas for regaining self-respect and acceptance. All religious formulas have at least three common features: Confession, sacrifice, and change. Each religion provides a formula for becoming free of guilt and returning to happiness.

The sacrificial part varies among religions. All religions except Christianity require the guilty ones to do something to earn reacceptance. The actions required typically include offerings, sacrifices, self-denial, or submission to ceremonial cleansing rites. In Christianity, the guilty

1. Confess (admits error) and repent (ceases practicing the error),

2. Accept forgiveness (based upon the example of Christ), and

3. Start over (seeking to live the way Christ lived).

Christianity is built upon the idea that God is a loving father and we (all) are his children. This relationship was taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Jesus made the outrageous claim that he was “one with the Father” (John 10:24-30)—claiming to be God wrapped in human flesh living a human life. C. S. Lewis (2005) wrote Jesus “either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse.” Christians believe Jesus was who he said he was. Jesus taught we could be “one with the Father”, too.

Becoming a Christian is submitting to the healing process: Confess, repent, and accept God’s way—a life imitating Christ. Regardless of what others might add, the heart of Christian doctrine is grace—loving God with all one’s heart and treating others as one’s self (Matthew 22:37-40).

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Lewis, C. S. (2005). What Christians believe. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, p. 59.

Luther, Martin. (1517). Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the power and efficacy of indulgences. Spaeth, Reed, Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds., Vol.1, pp. 29-38. Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915.