by N.drew 259 Replies latest watchtower bible
Do I care? I little.
I should fill it in? hmmmm
Now or later?
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The two forces are
1. phenomenon that is CAUSED BY MAN can become a force for bad. (warning is you will reap what is sown)
AND
2. phenomenon NOT caused by man can become an unseen force for bad. (counsel is listen and be wise)
So you are saying the tree of good and evil was poisonous? If I had a poisonous tree at the cabin, I would chop it down so that the bear could not get at it.
Yes, 'poisonous' in a sense... that's a good analogy.
Then you would think that the course of action would be to chop it down, fence it off, what-have-you. But you have to realize that 'tree' is an analogy as well. The tree is what it represents. Tree of knowledge of good and bad = good and bad. Not confined to one area. It's something that just is.
Sort of like saying 'don't drink poison'. Not just don't drink the poison in the cupboard in your house (drano or something). But rather, don't drink poison, period. Because it is out there... it exists. You need to learn about it before you can touch it.
If you want to get into 'why' it exists, well that is an even deeper concept that I can only get a sense of. But the trees in the story, and the simple way that it is told, makes the concept of what they represent and what happened easier for us to grasp.
Peace,
tammy
The two forces are
1. phenomenon that is CAUSED BY MAN can become a force for bad. (warning is you will reap what is sown)
AND
2. phenomenon NOT caused by man can become an unseen force for bad. (counsel is listen and be wise)
Congratulations - now THAT makes sense.
Do I care? I little.
I little too. (care - I am 6' tall)
to that summary Nancy :)
Then you would think that the course of action would be to chop it down, fence it off, what-have-you.
Or, at least not plant it in the first place.
I think Tammy is starting to say that the story of the garden of Eden is not literal.
BTW - I like the bear. We have a gun at the cabin, but the bear has never bothered anybody and scares away easily. The last time it came to visit, it had two cubs.
James, I think it could not have been prevented from taking root (or planting it, as you say) unless free will was NOT given to Adam/Eve/mankind. Even the simple act of not helping someone or not caring about the fate of someone else is 'bad'. The reason could be fear, being too busy, apathy, ignorance, whatever. But as an immediate consequence, especially if harm comes to someone else... 'bad' ... is born. Then the rest (death, suffering, hate, hurt, etc.) follows.
Peace,
Tammy
But as an immediate consequence, especially if harm comes to someone else... 'bad' ... is born. Then the rest (death, suffering, hate, hurt, etc.) follows.
Many would take this to mean that god of the garden of eden did something bad.
Paul says that Eve was honestly deceived into eating the poisonous tree (not really "free will") - and God did not prevent her.
James, I think it could not have been prevented from taking root (or planting it, as you say) unless free will was NOT given to Adam/Eve/mankind
That is a very Jewish view - I personally believe people can have free will without the "proof" of some temptation. The "proof" of free will in human society to me is creativity, social advancement, scientific learning, and so on - not obeying a command from a god or a snake about a poisonous tree.
"I want to know that I will please God well" Could that not have been the temptation that Eve yielded to?
It would be in harmony with Adam not being deceived by doing the same thing in that he would have been conscious that he would not be delighting god before he ate.
Eve ate to know. Adam knew and ate anyway.
That's the great thing about fictional morality stories. Different people get different things out of them.
Here's my take on Adam and Eve in the Garden. The author wanted to say that God is a real son-of-a-bitch if you don't obey him.
"Take a bite of that forbidden fruit and no more free fruit for you. Toiling for food, birth pangs, women dominated by men, and death to those that disobey. This story brought to you by those that tell you what God wants and how to obey Him by obeying us."
Even though JW's teach that "Jehovah" is perfect and wonderful, they really teach the same thing- "Watch out for the son-of-a-bitch. He'll kill you if you don't obey. Learn how to obey Him by obeying our leaders."
It also supports my theory that the tree is the same as the tree of life. Does it not?
See?
