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: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Is Original Sin a sin? Message-ID: Date: 2 May 91 09:07:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 55 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article lindborg@deer.cs.washington.edu (Jeff Lindborg) writes: > If God were truly just and wise he would have been a little clearer >and MUCH more straight forward about such weighty matters. Why all >the mystery and such? What is there to hide? Why not inspire a bible >that is clear for everyone to understand? Surely the creator of the >human race could have pulled it off... or at least done a little >better job than what we have available. Your question sounds like one that the Disciples asked Jesus. Matthew 13:10-17 10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?" 11 Jesus answered, "The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has. 13 The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand. 14 So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: `This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see, 15 because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me says God. and I would heal them.' 16 "As for you, how fortunate you are! Your eyes see and your ears hear. 17 I assure you that many prophets and many of God's people wanted very much to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not. (TEV) You see, it's been my experience that with a bit of faith, you begin to understand. With that understanding comes more faith. With that faith still more understanding and so on. But at times when one begins to lose their faith, you lose understanding, this lack of understanding causes you to lose still more faith and so on. If you've had this experience, than Jesus talk of listening without hearing, and looking without seeing rings true. As does the talk about giving more to those who already have, and taking from those that lack. If you haven't had this experience, then even Jesus' explanations are riddles. But tell me truthfully, how *clear* would the Bible have to be for you to believe it? To me, it is quite clear. To you it is quite unclear, because you *choose* not to understand. (You cannot hear, because you have plugged your ears, you cannot see because you have closed your eyes.) Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton