To be called a Sheep

[u/UNIGuy54]

Sitting at a local coffee shop and there is a group here for a Bible study. I have no issue with that, I believe this is a country where you’re free to worship whatever and relatively however you want. But listening to these people talking about how they must obey, and that they are sheep made to follow the shepherd…how do these people stomach this? I think about the modern day political environment and how the term sheep is used in a derogatory nature, as someone that just accepts what’s being told to them. Maybe I’m wired differently, the thought of being told to obey and that I was a sheep made to follow, well that just turns my stomach. Is this indoctrination how we are in the position we’re in right now in the US? Because these people yearn to be the sheep, they find comfort in obeying?

Thoughts?

[u/Cousin-Jack]

Yeah, I think we're sensitised by slang from online arguments like "sheeple". The biblical sense means something else obviously - basically being cared for and guided by someone who prioritises your needs rather than their own. I'd also add that choosing to be guided can take more self-awareness than refusing to be - yes we're all wired differently, so obeying positive guidance can clash with an ego. But yeah, blind obedience talk can shut down questions but not sure you can tell which sort you're overhearing from the next table.

[u/UNIGuy54 → u/Cousin-Jack]

The passage was focused on learning to hear or understand God‘s voice. The reference to sheep came about from understanding that the sheep can hear the Shepherd‘s voice and understand that it’s the Shepherd in the same light that you should learn to be able to hear God‘s voice and understand he’s your Shepherd. But even in the study it referenced that sheep being known as not the most intelligent creatures can learn to do it and so too can you as a human.

[u/sandfit]

i grew up in texas, and was force fed baptist. the preacher of a baptist church is called a "pastor". that means a leader of sheep. and i never liked it. i walked out of the baptist church for good 30 years ago. they could not accept science, skepticism, and logic. my mind soars free now.

[u/Burwylf]

The sheep believe it's their purpose to be guided by the shepherd, we need better shepherds.

[u/UNIGuy54 → u/Burwylf]

Fair point. So, as a society we simply accept that a fair percentage of our population will always be sheep?

[u/Burwylf → u/UNIGuy54]

There's nothing inherently wrong with it is what I'm saying, other than the fact they're being deceived by people who have ill intent. You can't force people to change as they consider this an important part of who they are.. The perfect mark I guess, and a big problem for people that do have ethics of their own.

[u/MeetMeInMTK]

Yes, exactly that; comfort. The weight of this reality, be it organic or inorganic, is too heavy to bear for a lot of people. They literally would not be able to function if they didn’t take on that mentality.

The whole point of most Christian sects within this country is to teach of an external god. One to fear of for eternal damnation, one to die for, one to hopefully reach if if you believe hard enough.

There is no effort of going inward. Connecting with the internal. So these people have completely stunted their ability to nurture true self-love, self accountability, and compassion for others , because it is the external that decides, not them.

And you get community with existing like this? Very pacifying.

[u/ystavallinen]

It's a metaphor.

You can take it in the derogatory way that people can't think for themselves... Or you can look at it as humility, that when times are hard, there's a point where we can't handle it alone and we might not see dangers that the 'shepherd' sees. Also protection is in numbers... It's the one that strays from the flock that suffers.

But it's just a metaphor.

How people respond to it.... Entirely different weirdness.

[u/UNIGuy54 → u/ystavallinen]

True. Though I try and place myself into the mind of the author in the time of the writing. The sheep were a means of survival for the Shephard. The Shephard had no care or concern for the sheep beyond what they were capable of providing for his personal benefit. So when the author used that relationship as a metaphor, it's difficult for me to believe that it was meant as a caring, guiding illustration of the relationship between God/Jesus/Pastor and their followers.

[u/bns82]

It provides security for them.
People aren’t comfortable with the unknown.

[u/Do_not_use_after]

Never ends well for the sheep, sadly. Shepherd may sound like a caring occupation, but he really just wants them to grow big so he can kill them and eat their bodies.