How is Pride the enemy of Hope?
score:5
Presumption is the sub-vice of Pride which runs counter to hope and that's the specific kind of pride being talked about here, I think.
Presumption is here considered as a vice opposed to the theological virtue of hope. It may also be regarded as a product of pride. It may be defined as the condition of a soul which, because of a badly regulated reliance on God's mercy and power, hopes for salvation without doing anything to deserve it, or for pardon of his sins without repenting of them. Presumption is said to offend against hope by excess, as despair by defect.
The most common way presumption seems to be manifested is by people assuming they're heaven bound and not fearing God's judgement. It's specifically a sin against hope because it negates hope or the need for hope.
They're the twin enemies of hope (hope in salvation) because pride (i.e. Presumption) says I'm good enough (but no one is Good but God) and despair says I'll never be good enough (which is an offense against the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin)
Upvote:1
Stubbornness is a detrimental aspect of pride mentioned in Jeremiah 13:9 and 10:
9 “This is what the LORD says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! (NIV)
This scripture also indicates that pride and stubbornness can occur in individuals as well as in a collective of people. As you mentioned, Romans 8 also speaks about hope:
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (NIV)
Someone who sees no hope is in despair and stubbornly resists change. Someone proudly in the illusion of already being saved also has no hope and stubbornly resists change. But the humble one tries to remain in hope for the adoption of “sonship (vs 23) and is saved.
Why is pride or over confidence dangerous? Because:
...you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. James 4:14-16 (NIV)
and because:
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 NIV
So although pride and despair seem quite opposites, both can be viewed as the twin enemies of hope. Despair is the absence of hope on the one extreme, and pride is the denial of the necessity of hope on the other extreme. Having hope is the humble balanced view in between.
Although I am not aware if this is also a catholic view, I suppose it is a quite universal thought/interpretation.
Upvote:3
Pride says I can do it. It being doing enough to save myself, doing enough penance for forgiveness, doing enough earn enough merits to attain heaven.
Despair says no one can do it. It being saving us, redeeming us, keeping us.
Hope says I know who my redeemer is, I know who saved me, I know where I am bound.
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