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Twenty two years ago, I heard a New Thought minister say, during a sermon on spiritual reward and punishment, that "I would rather spend eternity in Hell than just a single moment with a God who allowed Hell." That statement changed my life and sent me in a new and powerful direction. And it sets the tone for this article. Read on at your own risk.
What is Original Sin anyway? Well, here goes. . . In the first chapter of the book of Genesis (I'm paraphrasing, of course), we find God creating the world, the animals and plants, and of course, humans. He tells the humans that they may eat from any plant in the Garden in which they have been placed, except for one: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which stands at the center of the Garden. In the day they eat from that tree, they die. Simple as that. As the couple is strolling through the Garden, they encounter a serpent. The serpent asks them why they won't eat from the center tree, and they tell him. The serpent says, "God knows that in the day you eat from that tree, you will not die. Your eyes will be opened, you will know good from evil, and you will be like God." That sounds pretty good to the couple, so they eat. Sure enough, their eyes are opened, and they become self-actualized beings. They know themselves. They have the ability to consciously choose among options, that is, good and evil. Well. . . Soon God approaches but he can't find his understudies. He calls out to them. They finally and sheepishly reveal themselves. "Where have you been?" God asks. "We were hiding because we were naked." "What??!! If you know that, you must have eaten from the Tree in the center. How could you?? I told you not to do that!" He's obviously furious. He kicks the couple out of the Garden, telling them that they will struggle and fight for survival and earn their sustenance by the sweat of their brows. And ultimately, they will die. Sounds like things haven't changed much. Anyway, the point is this: it's not that the couple ate from the Tree; rather, it's that they DISOBEYED God. Disobedience, then, is Original Sin. Now, you all knew that, right?
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