Posted by Chris Geiger on September 11, 19102 at 01:10:19:
In Reply to: Re: symbolic/literal posted by ant on September 09, 19102 at 17:17:21:
The more I study reliigons the more I realize two things.
1.) There is a common attempt and a common thread of "Why we are here". Some similar story to explain it and it all falls upon Adam and Eve. In all accounts we came from a higher place than what we once were in the begining.
2.) There was a great wealth of knowledge of the spirit world, the invisible and the visible, but somehow, at sometime this fast wealth of knowledge was destroyed and lost.
The clash of the Titans is described in both the Bible and Greek methology. An interesting tie between the two can be found in the First Book of Adam in The Forgotten Books of Eden.
This is the point where the imortal mingled with the mortal and some broke the universal law about mating with different species. This is where your mysterious 'Men of the Known' and 'Giants' of the Bible come from. Needless to say, God was pissed.
However there are many attempts to draw what happened in the begining before time was what we know now and then. There seems to be one common thread.
There is a Creator. God, Allah, Buddah, whatever you call Him - but acknowledge the Creator.
The Evil entities came before Man was made. aka Satan, Lucifer, or Satanail.
The Evil ones wanted to become God and take Godhead, however there can be only one, but there are entities with much power over many dimentions.
God loves everything and would never destroy things permanently - even Satan.
God made man in His image. Now there is a lot of debate over what this 'Image' thing means. I think it means 'in the likeness of' as in emotions, diversity, creativity, in the image of the Mind of God. For what does God 'look' like, is anyone's guess. However God does diplay more emotion than Man. so I think this is the best interpretation.
Satan was envious of Man and Man's given position, a labeler and caretaker of God's creations. After Satan was cast down from His duties, Satan still wanted Godhead. So Satan coaxed Eve, whom Adam trusted, to eat of the one tree that they were told not to. However remember Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, which resides in a Heavenly place and thus did not require food nor drink - only the presence of God to live in His love.
Essentaily Satan coaxed Adam and Eve to rely on something other than God to survive. The first SIN was DOUBT and DISBELIEF - UNFAITHFULNESS.
And this is how Satan keeps trying to coax all to follow him and worship him, rather than the Creator. By causing DOUBT and DISBELIEF, CONFUSION and DIVISIONS within the assembly of Earthly and Heavenly hosts.
The theme is, Sin = Punnishment.
What causes Sin? Satan, or our own doubt of God and, ultimately, ourselfs.
That is the big question. Which the simplest answer can answer.
Do we hold ourselfs accountable for our actions?
Or do we try to put the blame on someone or something else?
~Chris