> Like a child
> that has broken a lamp tells his mommy (or Daddy!) on his sister that
> spilled her milk, a man can prove he's self-righteous by condemning others
> with a make-believe quality like Original Sin.
Okay, I apologize in advance to everyone that's been on the list for a while and
heard me raise this point over an over again every time someone brings up
Original Sin, but...
(sorry, can't stop myself)
What was that Original Sin and why is was it so signifigant? Sure, they ate an
apple, right? But which one? From which tree? That's right, kids, from "the
fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". And why were they kicked
out of paradise? Let's look at the actual quote:
"And the Lord God said, `Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good
and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever:
"Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the
ground from whence he was taken." --Genesis 3:22-23 (KJV)
Why were they booted out of Eden? What was that "Original Sin" that makes all of
the rest of religion necessary?
Awareness. Knowing that there *can be* a right and wrong and having to *choose*,
is man's primary inborn blemish.
Toss that one back at your Religion Studies Prof.-
-Prof. Tim
> The whole point of sin is to shift the blame from ourselves, the
> evil deeds we commit due to our own dark natures along with free will to
> commit these acts, to some bodiless, mystical force that is externalized,
> like Satan. Just blame it on the Devil, he can do anything. (just like God
> in fact) Using Satan and Sin, you can also readily explain why the world
> is corrupt and people are wretched if we are created by God, the ultimate
> Good, thereby justifying the belief in Him. Like I said, a huge part is
> also casting away self-blame and purifying oneself by the popular act of
> "confessing your sins". A
> Actually, our ideas seem to go hand-in-hand, so why am I debating?
> Well I know it's because I just spent an all-nighter not long ago writing a
> futile paper "On the Nature of Sin" for a woman (my Reli. St. TA) trying to
> convince her that sin does not at all exist when I know very well she
> thinks it does.
> I guess I wasn't done counter-preaching yet. There, it's out. =)
>
>