Does Christianity suck the fun out of life?

Sometimes Christianity can appear to be a big Debbie Downer, hindering us from living life to the fullest.

Many people view Christianity as a Debbie Downer, a character from Saturday Night Live who ruins everyone’s mood with constant negativity.

This leads to the assumption that Christians are somehow prevented from living a full life and that Christianity makes everything worse.

Whether it is in marriage or living the single life, Christianity takes out all the “fun” in life.

Living the beautiful life

St. Francis de Sales argues against this image in his Introduction to the Devout Life, and believes that Christianity leads to greater fulfillment and joy:

[T]he devotion which is true hinders nothing, but on the contrary it perfects everything; and that which runs counter to the rightful vocation of any one is, you may be sure, a spurious devotion.

He then gives an analogy comparing a devout life to the action of bees:

Aristotle says that the bee sucks honey from flowers without damaging them, leaving them as whole and fresh as it found them;—but true devotion does better still, for it not only hinders no manner of vocation or duty, but, contrariwise, it adorns and beautifies all. Throw precious stones into honey, and each will grow more brilliant according to its several color.

This means that anything we engage in during life is made even better when united to God:

[E]verybody fulfills his special calling better when subject to the influence of devotion:—family duties are lighter, married love truer, service to our King more faithful, every kind of occupation more acceptable and better performed where that is the guide.

The saints again are great examples for us, as they show how living close to God leads to a beautiful life, one full of joy, happiness and fulfillment.

Christians may not be able to do anything they want, but they are able to do what is right, leading to an even greater freedom that is not weighed down by slavery to sin.