Hmmm. I didn't expect to receive so many questions.
First and foremost, I was very careful to state very clearly that what I was writing was my opinion. "Well, personally I don't think so," were my exact words. I said I had a different "perspective," and I said more than once, "I think..." thus and such. I don't know what else I can do to indicate that I'm expressing an opinion, a perspective, a personal truth, my "take" on something. Writers do that, y'know. And since writer's are in love with words, we tend to use a lot of 'em.
BE's Wife: "Why then not get rid of the 2 'disobedient' ones in the beginning and start again instead of allowing the horrendous things that were carried on for millennia. Billions of people dying in the process. Seems more logical to me."
Beats me. I don't pretend to know the mind of God. But since you ask, I DO have an, um, opinion about it. Perhaps God loved them and it went against his nature to just kill off problematic children. I don't think what we know about Adam and Eve is factual. And we do bring a LOT of problems on ourselves; the problems of our own choosing. We can't pass along one simple sentence from person to person to person twenty times in a parlor game and get the same sentence out at the end that went in at the beginning. And we think we can trust and entire book full of stuff to be accurate over four thousand years? C'mon.
But I do think our understanding of creation, of who and what Adam and Eve were, why Jesus came here, where we're going, and lots of other basics of spiritual reality is fatally flawed. I have a feeling Adam and Eve were not the original pair and that there were plenty of other people here when they got here. Hell, I believe a lotta non-standard stuff that makes more sense (to me) than does the bible.
"Would not Jesus have been watching this 'planet' and know what was going on here already?" Yes, and that's just why he came here. He knew he was needed.
Knowing about something isn't the same thing as knowing something. Knowledge is one thing, experience is another. It's why many don't get the point about the scripture mistranslation of, "This means everlasting life, knowing God..." vs. "This means everlasting life, taking in knowledge about God..." Big, big difference. And the implication of that first one is that God can be known. And if He can be known, I aim to find out how I can know Him. And I think I've made some small progress in that area. HINT: Remember all those scriptures that say: "Be still and know"?
"Such a great man, such wonderful works, yet if he had such an impact on them wouldn't they have been writing a journal?" You notice that Jesus left no writing behind on this planet. You remember that the only recorded instance of his writing anything while he was here was written in the sand? We would still be worshipping scraps of paper that he touched. And interpreting anything he wrote seven ways from Sunday. And killing each other over those differences. Right?
I think it's reasonable to believe that Jesus didn't keep a journal, didn't write anything down etc. So perhaps they emulated the Master? We don't know. It's an interesting question, though.
Congratulations, BEW. I have a feeling it won't be too long for you either. One of the things I find in the NT that I believe in is the statement, "Knock and it shall be opened. Ask and it shall be given." You're knocking and asking. How can you fail? I'm a seeker too, and I'd be willing to show you what I've found, if you'd be willing to show me what you've found. Deal?
TeeJay: You bet I'm serious. But having said that, I feel certain you have a whole set of follow-up observations and questions?
Esther: Well, religion surely has been selling opinion like it was the real thing all this time. See second paragraph.
6of9: Thanks, I think. And, not to put too fine a point on it, it isn't fiction, it's commentary and opinion. And frankly, if Satan says, "two plus two equals four," then I'd be forced to agree. The truth is the truth. I think we ought to pitch the Hebrew scriptures in its entirety, and about 95% of the Greek-Aramaic scriptures. And please read any movie review, book or play review, etc. Critics ALWAYS write like they know what they're talking about, and I'm nothing if not a critic of religion and of its many textual support.
"God is Love," I agree with. The idea that you preserve your life by giving up your life is something else I can agree with. The sermon on the mount I think is spot on. The two great commendments of Jesus are on the top of my list. There are a few things in the NT I can go for. And even some of Paul's stuff. But lots of Paul's stuff leaves me totally cold. Like 100% of his comments about women and their roles. We have lost the viewpoint and outlook of half, HALF, of our best spiritual thinkers because of Paul's misogynistic opinions. And we are the poorer for it. And I despise organized religion...same as you?
And to everyone who has slogged through all this. Thanks for letting me express myself and to do in such volume!! As mentioned elsewhere, I'm a writer and I love to write, and to express myself. Such expression was stultified, suppressed for years in the Borg. Now I'm making up for lost time. I can be laconic, too. But I try to keep that to a minimum.
