Can Pleasure and Devotion Coexist?

Can pleasure and devotion coexist? Many of our recent readings have expressed a problem with desire. Almost all of the authors we have studied have expressed great concern regarding abstinence, fasting, ones way of dressing, and even laughing. Many of the authors of our readings have declared it unholy to take pleasure in anything but God. By resisting all temptation are we obeying God’s word or are we simply wasting all of the good things that God has put in store for us?

In Jermone’s letter to Eustochium, Jerome stresses many desires to abstain from, including sex. He declares it unholy to have sexual thoughts or to even get married. Without sex, humans would cease to exist. Although I understand abstaining from sex if it becomes an obsession and takes the place of God, but I am confused why it would be a sin to engage in it especially if a person’s intent is to reproduce. The process of birthing a child can be seen as a beautiful thing and one that, to my knowledge, Jesus never preached against.

The Life of Antony also expresses the importance of abstaining from many pleasures, one of which is food. Antony teaches that one should only eat bread and water very sparingly. God has designed our bodies to function well with a variety of different types of food. One cannot nourish the body God has given us by not eating a healthy serving of a variety of foods. Our body cannot properly function by eating only bread and water. One would think it might be more helpful to eat a substantial meal in order to keep a healthy body and serve God to the fullest of one’s ability. Although moderation is an important part of one’s health, it is my opinion that Antony should the importance of nourishment into account.

In Benedictine’s Rule, it is stated that one should follow the steps to humility. By following these steps completely, one must abstain from laughing and must look downward at all times. It is disconcerting that God would give us the desire to laugh and have fun if he in fact just wanted us to live our lives resisting this desire. By ignoring the desire to laugh and have fun it is my opinion that we are wasting our time and the joys that God gave us in life. I feel as though the ability to laugh and have fun is one of the only things people living in terrible situations can hold on to, in order to escape their circumstances if only just for a second. I feel as though laughter is necessary for one’s sanity. Without taking joy in life, how can one fully appreciate all of the things that God has given us?

By having to look down at all times people are unable to see the beauty of the world. God may be showing his love and power by giving us the ability to see beauty in his creations. I believe that enjoying a scenic setting bring me closer to God and can give us a glimpse of what he may have in store for us later on. It seems almost contradictory to me that one must achieve full humility without being able to experience all of the wonderful things that God can let us appreciate.

Although I believe some of these authors convey great messages, I have a hard time understanding why God would give us desires when we are supposed to ignore all of them. When we abstain from pleasure we put our health and even our existence at risk. It is my belief that by abstaining from everything pleasurable we are just in fact hindering our bodies and our ability to think clearly and worship God to the fullest.