Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
I have a problem with #2 though.
The whole idea of punishing every individual throughout humanity based on the actions of of a few individuals is morally corrupt. Not a single person here would agree that a child should go to jail if their parent commits a crime. Or that a race of people should be condemned because of the actions of a few (a black person stole my car therefore all black people are thieves). That every innocent should be condemned to infinite punishment for a finite (and arguably innocent, if people didn't know good from evil, how can they be held responsible in the first place) sin does not come across as moral or just.
EDIT: Oh, and regarding common ancestry of all life on earth, that's one of those things that in another 100 years will be viewed in exactly the same way that people who use the Bible to try and support a flat earth or support slavery are today. Already more Christians than not accept evolution, it will filter down to the evangelicals and such eventually.
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I hear you. In short - it was just part of the deal.
In choosing to grant humanity free will, God showed his love ultimately. God didn't just choose to create stuff and sit around aloofly - he desired (desires) interaction with his creation, namely his most prized work, humans. Due to his nature, that freedom has limits from our point of view (free to choose, but not free from consequence - else what's the point). God chose to limit himself in making us autonomous (but not disconnected), but did not choose to limit his other godly characteristics - He is still holy, righteous, omnipotent, etc. As such, any sin (ie.
anything opposing God's holy character) simply cannot exist in relation to Him.
God knew that if humans blindly followed and worshiped Him it wouldn't be real or genuine. That's why the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil existed - to make free will worthwhile; to cause a constant choice to be made: follow God, or don't follow God.
Expulsion from the Garden (expulsion from God's direct presence) was the
only possibility, short of scrapping the whole plan and starting over. All of humanity was indeed affected by the folly of two. They chose to satiate their curiosity and give in to the temptation of the Serpent, even in spite of the warnings of their
creator, God. This opened their eyes to good and evil - something that could never be undone, and something that has forever been passed down from parent to child. To quote Don Henley, it truly was, "The end of the innocence."
God put the warning out there to protect them from themselves, in a sense. It would be unjust if he did not punish their disobedience.
Children born from fallen parents who lacked the means to change not only their own plight, but certainly their children's as well, were subject to the very same stipulations. Their eyes had been opened, their very flesh had been defiled. That's how each offspring inherits not only genetic material, but also a sinful nature from their parents. [Only God has the ability to overcome such defilement, which was later used to conceive Jesus. This was presumably done after humanity endured the consequence of original sin (ie. life under the Law) for long enough.]
Again, God was more than entitled to smite humanity completely, even for arguably "just" reasons from our point of view. Due to the tribulations that were ahead, some people (I hope not many) might claim that He should have. I have faith that He made the decision He did based on the knowledge of the existence of an eventual goal (a home) that is far better than this place. A home where humans are deeply and forever content.
I agree on the common ancestry part.