Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: burt@sequent.uucp (Burton Keeble) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Shame Message-ID: Date: 25 Apr 91 03:53:53 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc Lines: 32 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu [This is a comment on the discussion of Adam and Eve's sin. My view is that the serpent told a half-truth, with harmful intent. John Clark says: >I think the serpent told the exact truth. The death the serpent talk >about, physical death, did not happen. The knowledge of good and >evil came and if God had not prevented them from eating of the 'tree >of life' they would have become as God. That's the reason for >expulsion from the garden. --clh] Two thoughts come to my mind here: 1) The shame hasn't anything to do with sex. It has to do with knowledge. They suddenly knew the difference between naked and not naked. They covered themselves in a naive effort to cover their knowledge. Rather like a child (i.e., if I cannot see the fact, then the fact doesn't exist) who doesn't realize that his efforts at subterfuge are as obvious as his offense. 2) God knew they were going to eat the forbidden fruit; that is why it was in the garden. He sent the serpent to help us along, for it was time for man to become man. "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them." He then expells mankind from the garden "lest he eat of the tree of life and live forever". And in so doing, He sets us on our great errand of becomming a race that will succeed in spite of all of its faults. And just look at all the fun we have had so far on our human adventure! Couldn't this be a gift from God? -burt@sequent.sequent.com