Does the Christian message fall apart without a literal interpretation of Genesis?

by nicolaou 175 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • tec
    tec
    Where did that sin come from if it wasn't a result of the 'Fall in Eden'? If Jesus death on the cross is a sacrifice of atonement exactly what is he atoning for?

    It came from us, and he is atoning for us... all of us.

    You could take Genesis literally, and believe that sin entered the world when the first sin occurred by them, because we learned it from them. Of course, then we'd have to assume that we would have done better than Adam and Eve... and none of us knows the answer to that. You could ALSO take the story symbolically, as in Adam and Eve simply represent what we all have done and continue to do. There are other ways that people take that story as well.

    But the simple fact is that we do all sin. Christ's sacrifice and atonement was for us and our sins. Even Paul said his atonement did not follow just one sin; it followed many sins. Ours. No reason to think Adam's wasn't in there too, but it wasn't just for him and his sin. I think the people who look at the 'ransom' sacrifice in the way that the JW's do, might still be doing what Adam and Eve did... which is look for someone else to blame for what they do themselves:

    "The world is screwed up because of Adam and Eve, not because of us. If they hadn't sinned... etc, etc."

    Tammy

  • wobble
    wobble

    This may be going off topic, and deserve a thread of its own, but several times Tammy you have said "We all do sin"

    I am not aware that I am sinning in any way at present, who defines sin , for me a non-believer ? And , even if I believed in Jesus, how would his being nailed to a piece of wood affect my "sins" ?

    I really do not understand these concepts.

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Doubtful said

    That's what I'm confronted with right now.

    Creation Story - BS

    Noah's Flood - BS

    Tower of Babel story - BS

    Exodus story - BS

    just to add

    Bible - BS

    God - BS

    Religion - BS

  • darth frosty
    darth frosty

    You cant get out of the book of Genesis without finding drastic plot holoes.

    As far as sin and lies who really lied in the garden of eden?

    Look at the account at genesis 3 with the fruit. The serpent was the one telling the truth that man would be like god and god admits it.

    Gen 3 22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of ( X ) Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from ( Y ) the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--

    Than with the tower of babel god failed. Because man was unified in one cause this is what god did:

    Gen 11 6 The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have (G) the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

  • unshackled
    unshackled

    Exactly, wobble. What is sin? Who gets to determine we are ALL sinners? Since I don't believe in a god, the word sinner has no meaning. But believers in god label us all sinners…that is a rather self-assuming judgement they can't make.

  • sabastious
    sabastious

    If Biblical congruence is important to you then it the Genesis creation account does serve as the base for a house of cards. If Biblical congruence isn't a "must" for you then being a Christian means more about Christ than it does the Bible.

    -Sab

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    I am not aware that I am sinning in any way at present, who defines sin , for me a non-believer ? And , even if I believed in Jesus, how would his being nailed to a piece of wood affect my "sins" ?

    Sin is mystical concept and cannot be explained without leaving at least some mystery behind. No one will ever be able to explain the concept fully. I believe it is a purely human creation, but that doesn't mean it's not real or doesn't have power.

    -Sab

  • nicolaou
    nicolaou

    Posters like Tammy fail to understand the difference between assertions and contentions, as a result they often come across as rude. I'm sure Tammy isn't being intentionally discourteous when she labels us all as sinners in need of redemption.

  • Finally-Free
    Finally-Free

    Without sin one can never enjoy the blessings of God's forgiveness. I think we should strive to sin as much as possible.

    W

  • sabastious
    sabastious
    Without sin one can never enjoy the blessings of God's forgiveness. I think we should strive to sin as much as possible.

    The gift that just keeps on givin'

    -Sab

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit