The Spirit or Instinct?

[Black Diamond Bay]

I work a volunteer job one weekend a month in San Diego as sexual assault victim advocate. Meaning that when someone gets raped/sexually assaulted and reports it to the police during my shift I get called to come down and sit with the person during their forensic exam. I haven't been doing this for too long, but I have been called out several times.

One thing that all the women (I haven't been called out for a man yet) have said is that a few moments before they were attacked, that they sensed something was very wrong and they all claim that they felt extremely unsafe. One of the girls that was gang raped told me that she was with a group of people, and suddenly felt very unsafe, but because there was no indication that she was any kind of danger she ignored the feeling and continued to just sit there. After a few minutes she couldn't shake it, and was starting to feel drowsy. She got up to leave. As she was walking away she was attacked from behind by the group. They held her down until the drug they had slipped her took effect and she passed out.

Now ordinarily I would be inclined to just attribute this to a warning from the spirit, but I have yet to be out on a call where the victim wasn't either drunk or drugged, and sometimes both. Can the spirit actually penetrate through that haze to warn these people, or is that really just some inborn instinct?

I had to go through a pretty intensive state approved training course for this job. One night in class we had a self-defense presentation. The woman presenting mentioned something about needing to determine whether or not fighting off an attacker is in your best interest, or if to survive you're better off to become more compliant. I raised my hand and asked how one would go about making that sort of decision. She said that it's very instinctual and that you'll just know. She went on to say that almost without exception victims of an unexpected attack report sensing some kind of danger a few moments beforehand. She referenced some self-defense author who claims that humans are the only species on Earth that will sense danger and in complete disregard to that warning plow ahead like nothing is wrong. The author believed that all humans are hardwired with this sixth sense to warn against impending danger.

I remember thinking to myself at the time that it's a spiritual prompting, but now I'm not at all certain. If you had asked me back then if a drunk woman could feel the spirit I would have said "no," or if a girl that's just been slipped the date rape drug is capable of receiving spiritual promptings I would have said "no." Now I don't know what to think of it all.

In your opinion do you think it's instinct or the spirit? SU, you don't need to answer, we all know that you don't believe it's the spirit.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond Bay

I work a volunteer job one weekend a month in San Diego as sexual assault victim advocate. Meaning that when someone gets raped/sexually assaulted and reports it to the police during my shift I get called to come down and sit with the person during their forensic exam. I haven't been doing this for too long, but I have been called out several times.

One thing that all the women (I haven't been called out for a man yet) have said is that a few moments before they were attacked, that they sensed something was very wrong and they all claim that they felt extremely unsafe. One of the girls that was gang raped told me that she was with a group of people, and suddenly felt very unsafe, but because there was no indication that she was any kind of danger she ignored the feeling and continued to just sit there. After a few minutes she couldn't shake it, and was starting to feel drowsy. She got up to leave. As she was walking away she was attacked from behind by the group. They held her down until the drug they had slipped her took effect and she passed out.

Now ordinarily I would be inclined to just attribute this to a warning from the spirit, but I have yet to be out on a call where the victim wasn't either drunk or drugged, and sometimes both. Can the spirit actually penetrate through that haze to warn these people, or is that really just some inborn instinct?

I had to go through a pretty intensive state approved training course for this job. One night in class we had a self-defense presentation. The woman presenting mentioned something about needing to determine whether or not fighting off an attacker is in your best interest, or if to survive you're better off to become more compliant. I raised my hand and asked how one would go about making that sort of decision. She said that it's very instinctual and that you'll just know. She went on to say that almost without exception victims of an unexpected attack report sensing some kind of danger a few moments beforehand. She referenced some self-defense author who claims that humans are the only species on Earth that will sense danger and in complete disregard to that warning plow ahead like nothing is wrong. The author believed that all humans are hardwired with this sixth sense to warn against impending danger.

I remember thinking to myself at the time that it's a spiritual prompting, but now I'm not at all certain. If you had asked me back then if a drunk woman could feel the spirit I would have said "no," or if a girl that's just been slipped the date rape drug is capable of receiving spiritual promptings I would have said "no." Now I don't know what to think of it all.

In your opinion do you think it's instinct or the spirit? SU, you don't need to answer, we all know that you don't believe it's the spirit.

That's a very cool thing, to volunteer like that. Those people really need all the support they can get. Kudos to you.

I don't have a good answer to your question - I would assume that some people call these types of premonitions or warning feelings "the spirit," and some call it "instinct." If you're a believer, there shouldn't be any problem chalking it up to divinely-inspired instinct.

[TripletDaddy]

Yes, of course they can feel the Spirit. The Church/Gospel is for the sick, not the whole. How else would the sick know the veracity of the Church, but for the Spirit?

As you know, the Spirit performs many functions.....confirming the truth is one of them (read Galatians for the most famous list). Warnings or promptings are another.

Do we have any reason to think drunks cannot feel the Sprit? I can't think of any.

Perhaps you are thinking more of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, as opposed to spiritual promptings? I would think that those who are living their lives outside the boundaries set by the Gospel (ie, drunks and drug abusers) would have a tougher time being in tune with the finer promptings of the Spirit. But the Spirit can work in all of us, drunk or not. And I will definitely drink to that!

[ute4ever]

We had a thread on a very similar topic recently:

Can an unclean / unworthy person receive inspiration?

There were two camps on the issue:
-God is not an asshole scorekeeper who abandons people when they need him the most
-God is indeed a scorekeeper and anyone who is not living up to his literal standard cannot receive inspiration; therefore anything that comes that appears to be divine guidance is merely coincidence or a caffeine rush.

[Brian]

Very cool. Very Christian. I'm sure if Jesus was here, he'd do something like that on the weekends too.

[SteelBlue]

A very noble work BDB.

[BlueHair]

Originally Posted by Brian

I'm sure if Jesus was here, he'd do something like that on the weekends too.

After the BYU game, of course.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

After the BYU game, of course.

But when he comes again, he'll be wearing red.
So, if he goes to the game, at least he'll be cheering for the right team.

[Black Diamond Bay]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

After the BYU game, of course.

I made sure to schedule it on BYU's bye week this month.

[Black Diamond Bay]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Yes, of course they can feel the Spirit. The Church/Gospel is for the sick, not the whole. How else would the sick know the veracity of the Church, but for the Spirit?

As you know, the Spirit performs many functions.....confirming the truth is one of them (read Galatians for the most famous list). Warnings or promptings are another.

Do we have any reason to think drunks cannot feel the Sprit? I can't think of any.

Perhaps you are thinking more of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, as opposed to spiritual promptings? I would think that those who are living their lives outside the boundaries set by the Gospel (ie, drunks and drug abusers) would have a tougher time being in tune with the finer promptings of the Spirit. But the Spirit can work in all of us, drunk or not. And I will definitely drink to that!

That makes sense. Thanks DDD.