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A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
#1
A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.

There are many discussions centered around the story of Eden regardless of whether you read it literally, as allegory, figurative or myth.

Some believe that Satan lied, some that God lied.
Some see it as man’s fall while others, the Orthodox Jews who wrote the O T, see it as man’s elevation.
Some think becoming as Gods is good, Jews, some not. Christians.
Some give A & E free will yet the first time it is used, God punished them.
A & E are supposed to be autonomous yet cannot know they are without doing their will instead of the will of God.
Some see the punishments and original sin given as unjust and unbiblical.
Some point to the fact that disobedience to God deserves anything God wants to do too them as well as all their descendents. Again contradicted by scripture.
Some think that to become as Gods with a moral sense is worth any punishment or hardship.

The terms used in Eden are always in dispute.
What did God mean with, you shall surely die? A death innocence, there eyes were opened? Or a physical death that is passed on to all men?
Who or what was the serpent or what does he represent?
In other words, in 2000 years of debate, Eden and a fall or elevation, has not moved to any accepted conclusions.

That is why I would like to focus on the issue of love and what Eden would be like if A & E had not eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A & E could not know love as it is good and they had no knowledge of good.
Perhaps by entering the story from this angle, some progress might actually be gained.
Certainly none has been gained by any other means.

The oldest tradition started with Eden as our elevation from ignorance to having a moral sense.

http://www.mrrena.com/misc/judaism2.php

Christianity later usurped the Jewish scriptures, embraced them as a part of the bible, and promptly turned the moral of the story from what the Jews had in place, to the fall of man. Blamed for bringing death to the earth and cursed with original sin. A guilt trip that all were to share.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF6I5VSZVqc

Where Jews empowered man, the Christians as Bishop Spong says, went into the guilt producing business.

Now, on to speaking of love.

I see Eden, before our elevation or fall, depending on your POV, as resembling this clip that shows, in a good analogy, what Eden may have been like.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...T95w&feature=related

You have seen that love certainly was not about in that clip and without it, people would not care for each other. I contend therefore that in Eden, if A & E had not gained a moral sense, thus enabling them to know love as something good, life for man would not be worth living.

The Jewish interpretation the gain of love as a huge plus while Christianity would shun this virtue and instead opt for blind obedience as the more valuable virtue. They chose to make slavery a virtue, instead the notion of rebellion against tyranny. You may have noted that nowhere in scripture is slavery condemned. In fact Paul teaches just how to beat your slaves. Nowhere in scripture is woman given equality because Eve was made from Adam’s rib and is declare to be the head of woman. This is also contrasted by the opposing view that the Jews had of Lilith, Adams first mate who is given, or better said, takes full equality.

The Christian Eden began devoid of love. When A & E gained the ability to love, through the gain of knowledge and wisdom, God shoes clearly that there is no love in his heart and that he is a jealous God who is culpable for allowing death to enter the world by locking away the tree of life. That same tree which he had already told A & E they could eat from, thus in effect, killing them. Some would say murdering them.

What would you do if you were Adam or Eve?
Create the conditions where love nor death could be found on earth and live as in that clip of The Time Machine, or would you follow Eve and choose knowledge and wisdom and become as Gods, God’s words, and disobey a command that you could not know, without first eating of the tree of knowledge, that that would be an evil act?

Whose interpretation of Eden do you think makes more sense and is better for mankind?
The Jewish interpretation of man’s elevation, or the Christian one of the fall and promotion of blind obedience?

Regards
DL

P S. Which tune do you like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVbLNPwi_r0 Or.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKxOaGLTPTM

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#2
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
The eden debate has moved to a definitive conclusion for me. It's a device used to create the setting and expectations for the rest of the narrative. Completely and wholly untrue, as well as being irrelevant to our lives today. (just my 2c)
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!
Reply
#3
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
(September 1, 2011 at 2:54 pm)Rhythm Wrote: The eden debate has moved to a definitive conclusion for me. It's a device used to create the setting and expectations for the rest of the narrative. Completely and wholly untrue, as well as being irrelevant to our lives today. (just my 2c)

I agree that it has no truth other than as a myth.
I do not agree with your last though.

Woman is still not equal thanks to this myth and Gays are still discriminated and denigrated as well.

You may not be effected but those groups are.

Regards
DL
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#4
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
Again, that the eden narrative contributed to the notion of a woman's lessened worth....is another reason that it is an irrelevant narrative. As a sort of heaven on earth narrative it can give us an idea of what kind of life that the authoring society felt would by idyllic, but beyond that...what is there? It's been suggested that the point of the tale was to show that knowledge of ones actions leads to immorality in a way that ignorance cannot. I don't personally subscribe to that view. But it makes for a hell of a metaphor.
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!
Reply
#5
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
Quote:
(September 1, 2011 at 3:31 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Again, that the eden narrative contributed to the notion of a woman's lessened worth....is another reason that it is an irrelevant narrative.

It must be the way we use language.
How can it be irrelevant when it is, as we speak, hurting a huge part of our citizens thanks to fools taking Genesis literally?

Quote: As a sort of heaven on earth narrative it can give us an idea of what kind of life that the authoring society felt would by idyllic, but beyond that...what is there? It's been suggested that the point of the tale was to show that knowledge of ones actions leads to immorality in a way that ignorance cannot. I don't personally subscribe to that view. But it makes for a hell of a metaphor.

Nor I. It is a crappy metaphor.

Knowledge of ones actions, knowing ones self IOW, is quite good.
Hell, even scripture says it is as knowing good and evil, knowing what sin is and if we have done any, leads to repentance and repentance according to scripture is all that is required to reach heaven.

Regards
DL
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#6
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
That's a pretty interesting take on things, not one I'm familiar with.
.
Reply
#7
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
There are as many takes on the narrative as stars in the sky. You're right, of course, that in one sense it is relevant. I suppose I should say that it shouldn't be (obviously only my opinion). I find the notion of a created or chosen people to be absolutely repugnant. As far as the books of the bible go, Genesis is probably my least favorite, Exodus vying a close second. I just don't think there's anything of value in either of these books today.

(my personal favorite)
http://www.song-of-songs.net/erotic_poetry.html
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!
Reply
#8
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
Hello, Greatest. I've seen some of your stuff at koreabridge when checking up on my pal, Oy Veder and that idiot Stephen.

How did you find this place?
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#9
RE: A and E could not know love without eating of the TOK.
(September 2, 2011 at 12:06 pm)theVOID Wrote: That's a pretty interesting take on things, not one I'm familiar with.

Then I have succeeded in my purpose.
Thinking new thoughts is a pleasure that I do not get often anymore and am pleased to give that to you.

They say that the best way to learn is to teach but unfortunately, theists do not teach. Perhaps that is why religion are on the way out.
They have not had any new thoughts for many years now.

Regards
DL


(September 2, 2011 at 12:49 pm)Rhythm Wrote: There are as many takes on the narrative as stars in the sky. You're right, of course, that in one sense it is relevant. I suppose I should say that it shouldn't be (obviously only my opinion). I find the notion of a created or chosen people to be absolutely repugnant. As far as the books of the bible go, Genesis is probably my least favorite, Exodus vying a close second. I just don't think there's anything of value in either of these books today.

(my personal favorite)
http://www.song-of-songs.net/erotic_poetry.html

I do not agree my friend.

As a Gnostic Christian with some natural deism thrown in, I have gained quite a bit from this plagiarized book of wisdom.
It depends on how you read it.

Said of Christians and Gnostics.

Both read the Bible day and night; but you read black where I read white.
William Blake.

Just reverse the stupid Christian take and see what I mean.

Eden as a fall become the more Jewish view of our elevation to knowledge of good and evil and developing a moral sense.

The great flood. Seen by Christians as justice, while any with half a brain will know that genocide is not justice.

See what I mean?

The same works for other issues.
Not all are a straight reversal but all have to be analyzed from various POV.

You recognize the immorality within it's pages so I would say that you have learned from it or at the least, judged it correctly.

You may be a sleeping Gnostic. LOL.
Scared you.

Regards
DL

(September 2, 2011 at 12:49 pm)Rhythm Wrote: There are as many takes on the narrative as stars in the sky. You're right, of course, that in one sense it is relevant.

Not to brown nose you but it is a sign of intelligence for someone who recognize when they have lost a point and a point of higher morals to stand and say it instead of fluffing it off or ignoring it.

Respect grows from this one who hold tight to that respect.

No theist has yet to reach this with me.

Regards
DL


(September 2, 2011 at 12:59 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Hello, Greatest. I've seen some of your stuff at koreabridge when checking up on my pal, Oy Veder and that idiot Stephen.

How did you find this place?

I have spent most of my time fighting with idiot theists and after a while I started thinking that it may not be mentally healthy for me to not interact with more intelligent people. I wanted to get out of fight mode. So to speak.

I walk a weird road and usually do quite well with non believers as I am 95% atheist, 100% secularist, and if they judge me by my philosophy and morals, all is well.

Some though will not allow my 5% religionist side and I get the same crap from those atheists that all theists do even as I have no dogma to sell.

That is why I bounce around quite a bit. I am driven to fight while at the same time looking for good minds.

I may have found one good one here already. Time will tell.
Perhaps 2 since we share some respect for the same people.

Regards
DL
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