Nike Shox NZ John Bunyan's Battle With Scrupulosit

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Bunyan is not alone in his experience, as many other sufferers of scrupulosity have found themselves besieged by thoughts that go agains
The opening accounts of Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, however, show evidence of the obsessive thoughts, fruitless ruminations and near-constant anxiety regarding religion that characterize scrupulosity sufferers.
Scrupulosity sufferers experience obsessive thoughts about sin and condemnation to the point where some will go to extreme measures to alleviate their fear of God’s punishment.
Bunyan’s intrusive thoughts first involved skepticism about the fundamentals of Christianity, such as the existence of God and the proof of Christ as Savior. Soon, however, they developed into outright curses towards God. He writes, “I often found my mind suddenly put upon it to curse and swear, or to speak some grievous thing against God, or Christ His Son, and of the scriptures.”
Before one can understand John Bunyan’s experience, one must learn the basics of scrupulosity. Bunyan’s disease is a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), in which the person experiences prolonged anxiety-causing thoughts that result in excessive anxiety-relieving compulsions.
The Onset of John Bunyan’s Scrupulosity
In Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Bunyan provides an early account of his transition from a lewd, unruly individual to a faithful Christian. His conversion leads to astonishment and praise from his countrymen, who "began to praise, to commend, and to speak well of me, both to my face, and behind my back. Now I was, as they said, become godly; now I was become a right honest man.”
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When OCD Stains Religion
Bunyan’s obsessive thoughts about belief and salvation only got worse, making it nearly impossible for him to be certain about his religious state. His compulsions, in this case, were to find reassurance from the Bible; but though he searched for evidence of his elected status from scripture, the obsessions would only continue.
This, however [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], is where Bunyan’s OCD starts to infect his religion. Those with scrupulosity often struggle to find proof for the things that others accept without difficulty. Bunyan, for example, felt pressured to find evidence of his belief in God. He discusses this in his book, writing, “I could not rest content, until I did now come to some certain knowledge, whether I had faith or no [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], this always running in my mind, But how if you want faith indeed? But how can you tell you have faith?”
John Bunyan’s Intrusive, Unwanted Thoughts
What is Scrupulosity?
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, is known for his writing abilities. But fewer people know that he experienced a long period of scrupulosity - and wrote a book on the subject titled Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.
Although the writer found some relief from Romans 9:16, he continued to ask himself, “How can you tell that you are elected? And what if you should not? How then?”
Scrupulosity is characterized by more than constant doubts about religion. Many sufferers of religious OCD find themselves bombarded with intrusive [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], anxiety-causing thoughts that they consider to be very sinful. Bunyan provides a harrowing account of his experience, including, “All my comfort was taken from me; then darkness seized upon me; after which, whole floods of blasphemies, both against God, Christ, and the scriptures, were poured upon my spirit, to my great confusion and astonishment.”