| Abstract: | Conclusion The concept of divine forgiveness is incomprehensible to most, since it involves principles that defy rational interpretation on the level of human cognition. As a result, individuals, and especially those who present themselves for treatment, find themselves caught up in a repetition of self-judgment and selfpunishment, which is a reenactment of the original sin and the disobedience encountered in the Garden of Eden. It can be pointed out to patients that this continuous, repetitious acting out of the functions of self-judgment and selfpunishment represents the worst sin of all—the original sin in which the power and authority of God are usurped and assumed, resulting eventually in a denial of God along with symptoms that are often incapacitating. When these functions are returned to God, punishment can be expected to be much less severe and intense, because of the nature and characteristics of divine forgiveness.Ray O. Sexton, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in Memphis, Tennessee, maintaining an active inpatient and outpatient practice of psychotherapy. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences and is a clinical instructor in psychiatry at the Center. He was a Duke University fellow in psychiatry and served with the U.S. Navy as a medical officer from 1969 to 1971.Richard C. Maddock, S.T.M., Ph.D., is an Episcopal priest and a licensed psychologist in Arkansas and in Tennessee. He has published a number of scholarly articles in the areas of social and clinical psychology and in the psychology of religion. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and various state and regional associations, at which he has presented scientifie papers. With Dr. Sexton, he maintains a private practice in Memphis, Tennessee. |
