tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post6925020297890716556..comments2023-08-23T08:27:08.039-04:00Comments on UU A Way Of Life: Morning meditation - Laughing at tragedyDavid G. Markhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08336565533124142690noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-52835853128847700862009-02-07T19:02:00.000-05:002009-02-07T19:02:00.000-05:00For the record I too consider the myth of "Origina...For the record I too consider the myth of "Original Sin" to be a very destructive one. The Genesis creation myth is by no means my favorite creation myth. OTOH it none-the-less contains a fair bit of wisdom, not the least of it being the implicit recognition that God is capable of both good and evil. It really would be quite worthwhile for U*Us to refresh their memory of the first few <A HREF="http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/KjvGene.html" REL="nofollow">chapters of Genesis</A>.Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-18948833469723769912009-02-07T18:53:00.000-05:002009-02-07T18:53:00.000-05:00Well if you read the Genesis myth the way I read i...Well if you read the Genesis myth the way I read it, and I expect the way John Milton read it, God did not want Adam and Eve to possess the knowledge of good and evil for the simple reason that God did not want them to know that God was capable of both good and evil. . . Not that, regardless of rather questionable <A HREF="http://www.carm.org/diff/Isa_45_7.htm" REL="nofollow">Christian apologetics</A>, God did not acknowledge this fact down the road a bit in <A HREF="http://bible.cc/isaiah/45-7.htm" REL="nofollow">Isaiah 45:7</A>. <BR/><BR/>:I probably do confuse, or combine, the need for general knowledge with the specific knowledge of good and evil but is this so wrong? <BR/><BR/>It is wrong only in terms of misinterpeting the meaning of the Tree Of Knowledge in the Genesis creation myth which was specifically about the knowledge of good and evil and not about knowledge in a more general sense. <BR/><BR/>:Can we deny one kind of knowledge and allow only others?<BR/><BR/>You ask the dreaded Emerson Avenger that question? ;-)<BR/><BR/>:I don't want to think that I was created to be kept in the dark.<BR/><BR/>The Emerson Avenger likes to think that he is doing his bit to ensure that U*Us aren't kept in the dark like <A HREF="http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=gZc&q=Mushrooms+are+kept+in+the+dark+and+fed.+.+.&btnG=Search&meta=" REL="nofollow">proverbial mushrooms</A>. :-)Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-4933466989488785452009-02-07T18:15:00.000-05:002009-02-07T18:15:00.000-05:00Hi Robin,Yes, I'm sure David and most of us consid...Hi Robin,<BR/>Yes, I'm sure David and most of us consider Original Sin a myth. It's just that I consider it a very destructve one. And yes, I think you are correct in placing its origin in the early Christian centuries, St. Augustine perhaps? <BR/>I probably do confuse, or combine, the need for general knowledge with the specific knowledge of good and evil but is this so wrong? Can we deny one kind of knowledge and allow only others? <BR/>I am again in over my head on theology on this but I think it mankinds' purpose to seek all knowledge. As Stephan Hawkings said, refering to finding the origin of the universe, in part, 'for then we shall know the mind of god." <BR/>Robin, you say 'Surely you can understand why the Creator might not want Adam and Eve or any other human beings to have that particular knowledge and awareness.' but I'm not sure I do. I don't want to think that I was created to be kept in the dark.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04886135022528717571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-60447692883444589182009-02-07T16:07:00.000-05:002009-02-07T16:07:00.000-05:00BTW to the best of my knowledge the Bible itself d...BTW to the best of my knowledge the Bible itself does not speak of '<A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin" REL="nofollow">Original Sin</A>'. This was a doctrine created by the Christian Church centuries, if not a millennia or two, after the Genesis creation myth was first conceived. Interestingly enough <A HREF="http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Original_Sin.html" REL="nofollow">Judaism does not hold to aka rejects</A> the Christian doctrine of '<A HREF="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm" REL="nofollow">Original Sin</A>' in spite of being the religion that originated aka created the Genesis creation myth in <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden" REL="nofollow">the first place</A>.Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-72979806325707315682009-02-07T15:56:00.000-05:002009-02-07T15:56:00.000-05:00I could be mistaken but I expect that David does c...I could be mistaken but I expect that David does consider the doctrine of Original Sin to be a myth. <BR/><BR/>:And why would a creator not want his creation to seek knowledge anyway?<BR/><BR/>You might want to reread the first few chapters of Genesis, to say nothing of John Milton's 'Paradise Lost'. . . to find the answer to *that* question Alan. For the record it was not general knowledge but "the knowledge of good and evil" that the bitter fruit of <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Knowledge_of_Good_and_Evil" REL="nofollow">the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil</A> opened the mythical Adam and Eve's eyes to. Surely you can understand why the Creator might not want Adam and Eve or any other human beings to have that particular knowledge and awareness.Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-71948020980092330012009-02-07T06:33:00.000-05:002009-02-07T06:33:00.000-05:00Don,Well said. As someone who has lots of regrets...Don,<BR/>Well said. As someone who has lots of regrets I like your approach to 'easy the pain' as we have no other choice. As for original sin, it is a myth invented by a sick mind. To think that any imagined god would place the sins of the father on all his progeny is rediculous. And why would a creator not want his creation to seek knowledge anyway? I think that is why we are here - to seek knowledge.<BR/>Best Regards,<BR/>AlanAlanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04886135022528717571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647562459433740241.post-39707117193366485492009-02-06T13:42:00.000-05:002009-02-06T13:42:00.000-05:00I think God says 'yes', that Adam and Eve learned ...I think God says 'yes', that Adam and Eve learned from what the bible says was the 'original sin'.<BR/>The regrets we have in life are with us forever. The easing of the pain is what we have to do. We have no choice. And as you know ... a sense of humor and friends help a lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com