In part I, I analyzed Paul's treatment of original sin as an inheritance from Adam, the original sinner.
Paul's reasoning is that just as one man's trespass or sin against God was a condemnation for all people (ostensibly, his progeny), through one man (Jesus), all can be forgiven.
Now here is my problem:
Why must I believe that all men are in sin from birth?
What infant, upon looking birth, is "in sin" and worthy of condemnation?
DAD OR GOD?
I have compared myself with that god of the Bible. And one thing stands out clearly. God is a jealous, angry, exacting murderer. Just read the Old Testament and you will see that not only did the God of the Bible kill people who treated the "chosen ones" poorly, but in battle, killed even those who sought to please him.
There is an excellent example of this when one of the Israelites takes some gold from one of the cities that the Jewish army subjugated. He buries the gold in a hole in his tent. And what happens? God kills him, his family and a number of Israelite army in the next battle.
As a parent, I would be a far more loving parent. I would never even conceive to kill my children if they pissed me off. It is ridiculous to think that God, the creator of all things, the personification of love, would do this... unless the god of the Bible is the creation of men.
This makes more sense to me. And if the account where many warriors at the attack of the city of Ai are destroyed, my guess is that they were killed because they didn't win that battle. But the contrived story that it was all because some individual stole some of 'God's gold' and therefore was stoned to death, sounds more to me like a religious leadership being pissed off that someone didn't submit some gold from battle to them.
IF THERE IS A GOD...
So if these men of ancient cultures in the Middle East designed a god and blamed people for their own failure on their not 'serving god' and 'pleasing god', these men are to blame.
Not God.
And there certainly are numerous versions of God and their followers all believe that their version is accurate, yes?
I say that god should never be created in man's image. Yes, I know, the Bible touts that man was created in god's image.
But I don't buy this either. God, in my opinion, is the creation of man. Period.
Do I believe in God? Yes. But not as ancient cultures and their religions define God and not as modern faiths create God.
I believe that God is not a person in the sense that we think God is or want God to be.
WHAT GOD WANTS
And I certainly do not believe that these religions know what God wants and we all have to flock to them (based on our family's religion, our culture's religion or our region's primary religion), in order to know what God expects, demands and is willing to punish me if I don't offer that which is from "me".
I personally do not think God depends, in any way, on what I do or don't do. It is my own actions (that stem from my own beliefs) that produce my own reality. And it is the actions and associated values that mankind has that produces a world reality and condition.
So - what does God want?
OLD SCHOOL vs. NEW SCHOOL
In my opinion (and that's all I have) God wants us to be joyful, happy, fulfilled and connecting to others in these ways.
But CLEARLY God does not force us to be these things and certainly does not kill us or have people stone us because we don't "get it" right away in our life.
I know, this is Old School versus New School, right? The Old School dictates that God is rigid, insisting, and in the end, jealous.
This has not been borne out to me EXCEPT in the venue of Religion.
Think about it. Where do you find acceptance and harmony? For me, it's in nature, it's in my own joy, it's in my realization that I was meant to be happy.
Regardless of the outcome of my efforts, the loftiness of my hopes and the aspirations of others, it is for me to experience genuine, deep and long-lasting joy in all that I do and in all that I am.
ORIGINAL PERFECTION
Rather than subscribe to the concept that we are all tainted goods and worthy of being thrown away, I believe we are all perfect and wonderful and unique and special and of great value and are worthy of living a guilt-free, shame-free, rejection-free life.
We may grow up in dysfunctional families and environments and systems but once we shed the words of others, we can begin to live with real joy.
Like a young child screaming in utter delight as they play.
So I am a believer that we are here with the opportunity to do what we want, how we want, to pursue a life of our own choosing and all of this free from men's punitive judgement.
That being said, I also think that if we Lead with Love, let others live out their journey and Never Judge Another, we can Remain Humble as to the lessons this Universe gives us.
LIMITS?
Yes, there are exceptions to these principles. If someone is trying to hurt me or my loved ones or those who cannot defend themselves, I believe it is my obligation to intercede and stop the hurting, the violence, the threats.
These are the limits of pursuing love.
OPEN MIND
I have come to these conclusions over the past 12 years and the joy I have experienced from these realizations have not stopped.
We were all born with Perfection in our Spirit. Our temporary body may be flawed but this is not some cosmic condemnation from God. It is simply the way this physical plain is. Or, as it is now commonly expressed, It IS What it IS.
Love is perfect. Love is forever. And Love is never wasted.
Those are my thoughts this third day of October.
What are yours?
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