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Questions for Christians
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H0ary H0bbit Religious Views: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” - Edgar Allan Poe  RE: Questions for Christians
November 26, 2014 at 8:00 pm
(This post was last modified: November 26, 2014 at 8:01 pm by Jenny A.)
(November 26, 2014 at 2:54 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: It's all allegory to me. Anyone can see that God won't talk to a snake. Fine, it's allegory if you like. What do you think the message is? (November 26, 2014 at 7:20 pm)fr0d0 Wrote:(November 26, 2014 at 2:54 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: It's all allegory to me. Anyone can see that God won't talk to a snake. Same question. If it's allegory, please explain the allegory.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
RE: Questions for Christians
November 26, 2014 at 8:02 pm
(This post was last modified: November 26, 2014 at 8:03 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(November 26, 2014 at 2:54 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: It's all allegory to me. Anyone can see that God won't talk to a snake.All allegory indeed, anyone can see there's no god. I've never understood brinksmanship on that count, personally.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
 (November 26, 2014 at 8:00 pm)Jenny A Wrote: ...If it's allegory, please explain the allegory.That's a very tall order. People have written whole books of exegesis on just this myth. Two things about the story to note. The prohibition to not eat from the tree of knowledge was given before Eve was made. Second, there was no prohibition against eating from the tree of Life. The garden is the human mind. The two trees are in the center of our minds. Eve is the human ego, a subset of the whole human, Adam. The snake represents love of the world. If the ego becomes the ruling portion, like when Adam follows Eve, then the love of sensuality rule over understanding instead of spiritual awareness that comes from the tree of life. RE: Questions for Christians
November 26, 2014 at 8:59 pm
(This post was last modified: November 26, 2014 at 9:02 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
-and "god" is?
(also, wouldn't that be "love of ego" rather than sensuality, or are we mashing any negatively valued allegory into the poor girl that might fit? No room in there for sensuality -as- spiritual awareness, I suppose....private parts being icky and all that - particularly hers.)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
 (November 25, 2014 at 2:02 am)whateverist Wrote: Something GC said recently about sin, the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve messing things up made me wonder. Haven't heard back yet on that thread but I'd be curious what the Christian community here might think about these things. Naturally, atheists are more than welcome to weigh in if they like. If you read it as an allegory for the emergence of consciousness, then yes. God intended it. It is to explain that with that gift there are sacrifices. You can not live in ignorant bliss if that ignorance is removed. Textually of course, no. He didn't. Quote:#2 If so, why do you think God was incapable of making it work out the way he wished, and, does that make you wonder what other intentions God has been unable to actualize? God as portrayed by the text of genesis is neither omnipotent not omniscient. He's essentially an immortal human. So, if we actually take what the text says, God would essentially be unable to manipulate the world too much more than a very wise human could. Quote:#3 If not (i.e., if you agree that leaving the garden was God's plan all along), what does sin have to do with it? I love the bible as literature and for all the stories it has spawned. The question of who is ultimately responsible is a fun one. If you believe god is all powerful and all knowing ten he is. If he is neither ten it becomes more interesting. Is a parent responsible for every action of a grown child?  RE: Questions for Christians
November 26, 2014 at 9:09 pm
(This post was last modified: November 26, 2014 at 9:26 pm by Whateverist.)
(November 26, 2014 at 7:20 pm)fr0d0 Wrote:(November 26, 2014 at 2:54 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: It's all allegory to me. Anyone can see that God won't talk to a snake. Appreciate the forthrightness but hardly surprised. I don't think the questions are a problem for anything but a pretty conventional, literal-leaning interpretation of Christianity. 
Anyone here read the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony? He has a very interesting take on the Grand Eternal Plan.
Thief and assassin for hire. Member in good standing of the Rogues Guild.
Naw. Give away as much as you like, I'm not a big reader. You can use hide tags for the touchy.
H0ary H0bbit Religious Views: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” - Edgar Allan Poe (November 26, 2014 at 8:00 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Same question. If it's allegory, please explain the allegory. It's a description of the human condition. An explanation of our place in nature. How we see ourselves and how we limit ourselves. How our intellect can rob us of life. It's hopeful as well because the initial state of the players is also our nature. |
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