HEDONISM by steve johnson
This outlook, with its own set of values edonism is another logical outcome of secularism. The hedonist sees himself and judgements, in turn produces its own as alone in the universe. He’s discarded the morality. “If it feels good, it is good” and Christian concept of the infinite, personal “It can’t be wrong, when it feels so right.” God, who made the world and rules it by Pleasure becomes the ultimate criterion His providence. And because there’s no of value so that truth and goodness are God, and since this life is all there is, the determined by what produces pleasure and hedonist reasons “Let’s party! If my life has avoids pain. There is nothing wrong with pleasure. But no eternal significance then why not enjoy whatever pleasure I can in my brief time when these interests dominate one’s life here? I’m here for a good time, not a long instead of God, they become sinful idols. For time. “’Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomor- that reason, Scripture condemns hedonism. Solomon tested all kinds of pleasures row we die.’” We all experience pain and we don’t like but they were all meaningless (Ecclesiastes it. We all experience pleasure and we do 2:1–11). Amos condemned the love of plealike it. What hedonism does is transform sure because of the callous selfishness so pleasure into a philosophy of ultimates. It’s often associated with this attitude (Amos the belief that man’s ultimate purpose is 6:1–7). Peter wrote to Christians who had found in pursuing ultimate pleasure, avoid- past hedonistic lives (1 Peter 4:3–4) and ing pain, and seeking happiness through Paul calls Christians not to live hedonistically. “Because we belong to the day, we food, drink, drugs, sex, sport, or whatever.
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